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Upon close observation of humanity, it becomes clear that man is, by nature, barbaric. We can see that he is prone to savagery brought about by instinctual impulses suppressed by the rigid rules and frameworks of civilization. A prime example of this is demonstrated in George Orwell’s 1945 novel, ‘Animal Farm’, an allegorical representation of Joseph Stalin’s downward spiral into a corrupted leadership over the USSR and the consequences of totalitarianism in the Russian Revolution. Similarly, in the 1963 film adaptation of William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’, the power fear holds, the selfish tyrant that lies within us all waiting to be exposed through the corruption of power, and the malign effects of power in a dictatorship are depicted. Both of the texts portray the message that absolute power results in the disintegration of the civilized moral code.
Initially, the societies in both texts aim to create a balance of power, responsibility, and equality within a socialist and almost utopian community, eliminating the predominant belief that there must be a hierarchy or single leader to maintain civilization. In ‘Animal Farm’ Orwell purposefully uses symbolism and foreshadowing to represent the socialist nature that is built in the beginning. For instance, Orwell utilizes the names of the characters such as ‘Snowball’ to symbolize purity and fairness on the farm. In Chapter Two, the revolution initiates and the farm begins to work towards ‘animalism’. The pigs aim to achieve their revolt by establishing seven commandments primarily forbidding any behavior that resembles that of a human and introducing the song “Beasts of England”, a triumphant war cry that conjures imagery of freedom and a positive future. On page seventeen, the seven commandments read, “Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings is a friend. No animal shall wear clothes. No animal shall sleep in a bed. No animal shall drink alcohol. No animal shall kill any other animal. All animals are equal.” Throughout the novel, Orwell uses these directives to foreshadow the eventual spiral into corruption and absolute power of the pigs that are yet to be exposed. Likewise, in ‘Lord of the Flies, Ralph and the conch are used to symbolize order and structure. Originally, Ralph symbolizes the moral leader as he suggests using the conch and listens to and respects the other boys while distributing responsibilities fairly. Golding’s use of symbolism through the conch also foreshadows what will happen later in the film as power corrupts and the civilized moral code is disintegrated.
However, as the texts progress the tyrannical dictators are rapidly consumed and corrupted by their pernicious reign. Specifically, Orwell symbolizes this through the seven commandments and whiskey as it represents corruption. When animalism was founded, one of the commandments stated ‛No animal shall drink alcohol ‘(p.17). Slowly, however, Napoleon and the other pigs come to enjoy whiskey and its effects, taking on the forbidden human nature. Similarly, the remaining 6 commandments begin to be surreptitiously altered to benefit the pigs and place them above the other naïve animals, tyrannizing over them and acting much like Mr. Jones did. Furthermore, Orwell claims that he purposefully intended, “the turning point of the story to be when the pigs kept the milk and apples for themselves”. Using this effectively portrays the exact moment that the totalitarian mindset of the selfish pigs had taken over and destroyed the separation between pigs and men. Akin to this, Golding demonstrated tyrant Jack’s downfall through dialogue, events, and symbols such as the conch and the murdering of Piggy. The first significant event that reveals the boys’ collapse into savagery is when they distastefully chant, “Kill the pig, cut her throat, bash her in!” As they brutishly recite this the civilized moral code previously embedded in the society perished while the boys’ inexorably violent human instinct is exposed. Additionally, the event of Piggy’s death is a pivotal point in the film, symbolizing the dissolution of all traces of civilization and morality on the island as barbarity, in a single merciless act, possesses the reigns of control on the island.
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