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  • Essay / The Intent of a Political Leader in Auden's Selected Works and Orwell's 'Animal Farm'

    Given insufficient insight into the thoughts and goals of a political leader, one may blindly appreciate the advantages of his government. While the reverse can also be established, political leaders wanted this perception placed within individuals in order to further extend their control. WH Auden's work, including the poems 'O What Sound Is That So Vibrates the Ear', 'Epitaph of a Tyrant' and 'Unknown Citizen' aims to convey the danger of not having a clear interpretation of government of an individual and illustrates how much control a government has. The satirical allegory “Animal Farm” written by George Orwell in 1945 also addresses similar issues through the depiction of animals which tell the story of Soviet communism. Through the representation of the two composers, they aim to raise awareness of the need to seek the intentions of one's political leader rather than being unconscious and imperceptive. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Without the required knowledge or evidence, individuals will find themselves manipulated by the oppressive government. Such governments use power and fear over citizens to expand their authority. In “O, what is this sound that so thrills the ear”, anaphora is used at the beginning of each stanza “O, what is this sound…” “O, what is this light…” to imply the feeling of despair and also the fear towards unknown which resides in the citizens. Here Auden alludes to people in the post-World War I era and evokes the terrors felt during this era of political persecution. A similar concept is explored in Orwell's "Animal Farm", where the government uses fear as a tool of control. Dreadful imagery is used in "...the dogs quickly tore out their throats, and with a terrible voice Napoleon asked if any other animal had anything to confess..." to illustrate the fearful atmosphere created by Napoleon as he exhibited his power, the animals were terrified and could only submit to his authority. Therefore, through both depictions, Auden and Orwell raise awareness of such governments and the danger they pose. Governments often aim to establish compliance among citizens as a springboard for total control. In “Unknown Citizen”, symbolism is used in “JS/07 M 378” to express the loss of individuality to be identified as numbers and also acts as a component of a larger system. Devoid of individuality, the population is united as a mass manipulated by the government. Auden warns the audience not to fall into such a category when he alludes to the senseless mass who followed Hitler's dictations. Similarly, in “Animal Farm,” the government presents false hope as a way to unite citizens while manipulating them. The antithesis is used in “Four legs is good, two legs is bad”. to clearly establish the hatred towards the two legs, which united the animals under a common belief. It was then that Napoleon took this opportunity and manipulated the animals to conform to his own desires. Thus, both Auden and Orwell present a sad society built on lies provided by a government and they strongly emphasize the importance of each person's individuality. An individual's vision for an ideal world is often clouded by their own selfish desires, so that, from another's perspective, it is seen as tyranny. In "Epitaph on’.