Power and Corruption: A Comparison of Animal Farm and Divergent Harleen Kaur 10th Grade

“All power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” is echoed throughout the texts ‘Animal Farm’ (George Orwell, 1945) and Divergent (Neil Burger, 2014). Both texts demonstrate that the struggle for power is deep rooted in corruption and prove this by portraying that power cannot be attained without it. Furthermore, once a taste of power occurs, the individual/institution craves more and that power is bound up in intellectual superiority and mental manipulation is utilised for power to be grasped. These ideas inherently prove that all power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely because for power to be clutched, corrupt means must be employed.

Firstly, Animal Farm and Divergent both exhibit that power cannot be attained without corruption. The intentions of ambitious and power hungry characters in both texts are reflected through their use of corrupt means to elevate their status.

In Animal Farm we perceive this through “Snowball’s eloquence had carried them away. In glowing sentences...there was no doubt as to which way the vote would go…Napoleon stood up…nine enormous dogs …dashed straight for Snowball…”. Through this use of vivid imagery, we see that Napoleon is securing power by...