Triad of absolute power - corruption - ideology as encoded in Orwell's animal farm

Abstract

This study aims at determining the interconnection of absolute power represented by a totalitarian regime and corruption, and confirming the relationship of power and ideology as encoded in George Orwell's novel Animal Farm. This study shows how the misusing power and imposing ideology can lead to corruption, and reshaping class and identity, and creation of dystopian society inside the text. As a qualitative study, this study adopts thematic analysis to investigate the concepts that it focuses on, in addition to textual analysis of the text by employing Marxist Criticism and Critical Discourse Analysis as analytical approaches. The findings of the current study indicate that absolute power practices are interconnected with corruption, and those who are in power impose their ideology upon the society to retain power through manipulation in language and discourse. It is hoped that the study will provide better understanding of the interconnection of absolute power and corruption as a missing feature in literature on this novel. It contributes to extending the base of knowledge and enriches the literature on this novel in particular, and the field of the political English novels in general.