Silence Kills, Animal Farm Essay

Haley Zrnchik Mrs. Hawkins Honors English 1, Red 1 13 December 2012 pipe down Kills In George Orwells Animal Farm, genus Benzoin, a soft-spoken donkey, finds his once peaceful home transformed into a tyrannical dictatorship led by a power-hungry pig named Napoleon. Because of Benjamins close nature, he ultimately was able to will Animal Farm into its oppression. Benjamins silence, his efficiency to follow without question, and his inability to share his wisdom with the other animals turned him into one of the main contributors to the tyrannical behavior that occurred and the loss of granting immunity and equality on Animal Farm.When someone keeps their thoughts silent, it usually allows wrong to happen in this case, Benjamin and his reserved nature is what helped to fuel the farms oppression. So when Benjamin . . . seemed to understand, but would say nothing (109) he allowed the other animals to go without knowing about Napoleons true intentions. Perhaps Benjamin sham that his silence would protect him, and that by staying silent, he was not creating more drama and instead helping to smear it. evening though Benjamin is one of the more intelligent animals on the farm, his standoffishness is what helped Napoleon lead as a dictator Benjamin . . nodded his muzzle with a knowing air (109) Benjamin had the ability to share his wisdom with the other animals on the farm. However, instead of spreading the truth about Napoleon, Benjamin kept to himself and refused to meddle in what he considered to be nonsense. Benjamin refused to voice his thoughts and because of that, he allowed his friends to die, his home to be destroyed, and his life to be turned into that of a follower. Instead of speaking up, Benjamin stillly followed the orders he was given. So while he never volunteered to do extra work, he never did less than what he was mantic to . . . ven . . . Benjamin . . . did his share (60-61) Because Benjamin did not try to overthrow Napoleon, he allowed Nap oleon to become a stronger and more influential dictator on Animal Farm. Had Benjamin not allowed himself to be turned into a follower, he most likely would have been able to prevent the farms oppression. More a lot than not, it is the followers that help to fuel a tyranny Benjamin was watching . . . silently and intently (102). Followers sit, watch, do what they are told, and they listen. While Benjamin may not have agreed with Napoleons rulings, he never objected to any of them either.Benjamin is a follower and he always will be, because even though he possesses the qualities of a leader, he doesnt have the strength, the care, or the willpower to speak up. Benjamin was always quiet soul, but when he lost Boxer, the pain in his heart besides intensified. Benjamin tried to ransom his dear friend before he was sent to the knackers but alas, he wasnt strong enough Come at once Theyre taking Boxer outside he shouted . . . Sure enough, there was a . . . van, drawn by two horses . . . And Boxers stall was set down . . . Good-bye, Boxer The animals chorused . . . Fools Fools shouted Benjamin . . . FoolsDo you not see what is written on . . . that van? . . . Alfred Simmonds, one dollar bill Slaughterer . . . They are taking Boxer to the knackers . . . But the van was already . . . drawing away from them . . . And Boxer was never seen again. After losing Boxer, Benjamin recoiled deeper into his shell of silence. Little did Benjamin realize that if he chose to rein in his anger and use it as a tool to fight against Napoleon, he probably would have been victorious. Even though he spoke in a condescending and undermining tone before, after Boxer died, Benjamin chose not to speak at all Only old Benjamin was much the same as ever . . except . . . since Boxers death, more morose and taciturn than ever (128) Benjamins growing silence caused him to become a bigger contributor to the loss of freedom and equality on Animal Farm. At this point, he wouldnt speak up Be njamin confirmed his spot as a follower and never as anything more. Sometimes silence is the deadliest weapon. Benjamin proved that by remain quiet through a time of oppression, one would only be helping to promote a leaders totalitarianism.His stubborn silence, his adamancy towards following his orders, and his taciturn attitude after the death of Boxer only stood to show that a follower sometimes can be the strongest contribution to a tyranny. Napoleons dictatorship, while strong, would not have been as successful had it not been for his followers. Benjamin and the others, while they may not have realized it, were key attributes needed to lead to the ultimate removal of freedom and equality on Animal Farm. Works Cited Orwell, George. Animal Farm With Connections. Austin, TX Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1999. Print.