Effective satire leaves the responder with a sense that some change needs to occur either to prevent situations recurring or to change current behaviour / actions. The use of absurdity and humour to discuss and expose specific problems makes satire engaging and persuasive in a way that a direct statement, is not, thus promoting and recognising the need for reform. “Animal Farm” (1945), Orwell’s allegorical critique of the Russian Revolution, reveals the innate malevolence of mankind through the corruption and perversion of Marxist ideals. John Betjemm’s, political parody of ‘The Executive’ satirizes corporate businessmen calling to attention the mislead ideals of people and their selfish desires. Through the medium of a cartoon, Alan Moore’s
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Despite Major’s inspiring rhetoric, “no animal must ever tyrannize over his own kind. All animals are equal”, the higher echelons of the Russian hegemony soon begin to reserve privilege and power for themselves, as shown through an allusion to Russian propaganda in Squealer, “Comrades! You do not imagine that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples.” Through the use of this highly ironic rhetorical question cast with manipulative overtones, Orwell further exposes the iniquities of human nature through the exploitation of the common animals. This is complemented with the use of macabre imagery in “before Napoleon’s feet... the air was heavy with the smell of blood, which had been unknown there since the expulsion of Jones”, which denotes a clear inversion of Major’s ideals to an oppression and domination that is just as bad, if not worse, than the previous leadership. Ultimately, the resulting depravity is echoed in Orwell’s final observation, “the creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig... but already it was impossible to say which was which”, in which the circuitous and cyclical nature of mankind is revealed, showcasing Orwell’s ability to incite social and …show more content…
The focal point of the illustration is the flag, where the American Flag replaces the symbolic union jack. The flag being oversized, and positioned in the foreground of the image along with the caricature of Prime Minister John Howard, in the background pertain to the idea of Australia being powerless. This theme of power is also highly prevalent in ‘Animal Farm’ with Australia’s and America’s relationship being similar to Pilkington and Napoleon’s – they rely on each other to satisfy their needs and wants. The Prime Minister’s stance of a salute, and the irony in the lyrics of Australia’s national anthem, “youngish… freeish” exacerbates Australia’s newfound allegiance to America, in the name of power which then directly correlates to the power disparity between the pigs and the working class as shown through the allusion to the ‘supposed’ communism “The pigs did not actually work… It was natural they should assume leadership”. Thus, through Moore’s ability to use symbolism in a cartoon medium to expose the faults of Australia’s Prime Ministership, we can recognize a need for change.
Through George Orwell’s Animal Farm, John Betjemm’s ‘The Executive and Alan Moore’s “Back to School”, the shortcomings of mankind are reflected in a distorted mirror of society, one that is later polished clean to reveal a much more
Despite Major’s inspiring rhetoric, “no animal must ever tyrannize over his own kind. All animals are equal”, the higher echelons of the Russian hegemony soon begin to reserve privilege and power for themselves, as shown through an allusion to Russian propaganda in Squealer, “Comrades! You do not imagine that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples.” Through the use of this highly ironic rhetorical question cast with manipulative overtones, Orwell further exposes the iniquities of human nature through the exploitation of the common animals. This is complemented with the use of macabre imagery in “before Napoleon’s feet... the air was heavy with the smell of blood, which had been unknown there since the expulsion of Jones”, which denotes a clear inversion of Major’s ideals to an oppression and domination that is just as bad, if not worse, than the previous leadership. Ultimately, the resulting depravity is echoed in Orwell’s final observation, “the creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig... but already it was impossible to say which was which”, in which the circuitous and cyclical nature of mankind is revealed, showcasing Orwell’s ability to incite social and …show more content…
The focal point of the illustration is the flag, where the American Flag replaces the symbolic union jack. The flag being oversized, and positioned in the foreground of the image along with the caricature of Prime Minister John Howard, in the background pertain to the idea of Australia being powerless. This theme of power is also highly prevalent in ‘Animal Farm’ with Australia’s and America’s relationship being similar to Pilkington and Napoleon’s – they rely on each other to satisfy their needs and wants. The Prime Minister’s stance of a salute, and the irony in the lyrics of Australia’s national anthem, “youngish… freeish” exacerbates Australia’s newfound allegiance to America, in the name of power which then directly correlates to the power disparity between the pigs and the working class as shown through the allusion to the ‘supposed’ communism “The pigs did not actually work… It was natural they should assume leadership”. Thus, through Moore’s ability to use symbolism in a cartoon medium to expose the faults of Australia’s Prime Ministership, we can recognize a need for change.
Through George Orwell’s Animal Farm, John Betjemm’s ‘The Executive and Alan Moore’s “Back to School”, the shortcomings of mankind are reflected in a distorted mirror of society, one that is later polished clean to reveal a much more