Discuss the use of visions and dreams in ‘Animal farm’ and ‘Watership down’ at the beginning of the novel. CAND 2

CAND 2

Discuss the use of visions and dreams in ‘Animal farm’ and ‘Watership down’ at the beginning of the novel.

Animal Farm opens with a long speech from the old major where he describes his idea of a utopia and forces it onto the other animals. This alerts us to the fact that the dreams and visions in animal are manipulated and constructed by those with a higher position in society. His beings doing this by holding them in anticipation over a dream and constantly asking them questions but answering them himself therefore making them agree with his opinion. This shows how in Animal farm they use education as a power to manipulate the thoughts of others. The Old Major presents an idea of an Utopia to the other animals this makes them believe in a place that in reality does not exist, therefore making their strive for it completely pointless. Orwell uses extreme irony in the old majors speech as the ‘evils’ that all animals should not do are eventually done by the pigs therefore proving how the pigs were the real evil in the novel.

Fiver is presented as a prophet at the beginning and Adams uses the literary device of ‘Cassandras Curse’ where Fiver is able to see the future but no one will believe him. This is shown where the ‘Chief Rabbit’ dismisses Fivers concerns. This shows how the hierarchical system in Watership Down tries to control and manipulate the thoughts of those at the bottom of the system.  The dream at the beginning of animal Farm is used solely to control and manipulate whereas the visions at the start of animal farm are designed to protect people but only the vision in Animal Farm is accepted. The old Major convinces the animals that he is trying to protect them when in fact he is making their situation worse which is also what the Chief Rabbit does in animal farm. This shows how even a Capitalist society where people think they are appreciated and considered the people at the top of the hierarchical system can easily become corrupt with power.

The opening of both books in my opinion seem to revolve around societal control through education. The animals in positions of power use their power to oppress those who have no high societal rank. The dreams and visions of those in lower positions of society are removed and replaced by the thoughts of those in high rankings and positions. In both novels there is a strive for a utopia which is ironic because, as humans, we know that so such thing exists so therefore their strives are doomed from the start. The dream in Animal Farm talks about a desire to change for the means of improvement as they are told that they are unhappy in their current condition whereas in Watership down Fiver only wants change because he feels it necessary to avoid danger.