Societies in Western Culture countries are characterized by classes established through power relations. Some of those classes are formed by individuals who make use of power mechanisms in order to manipulate and control people. Their principal objective is to ascend to the power. According to Michael Foucault, this kind of relation is called pastorate, which refers to

the existence within society of a category of individuals absolutely specific and singular who do not define themselves by their status, nor absolutely by their profession, nor absolutely by their individual, intellectual or moral qualifications, but who in the Christian society play the role of pastor [pasteur], shepherd [berger] in relation to others who are their sheep or their flock. (121)

This pastoral power is characterized by the fact that it is exercised over a flock of people and it aims at the salvation of it. In other words, the pastoral power is seen as a beneficent power since the shepherd must care for every member of the flock. Besides, Foucault states that this kind of power relation was introduced by Christianity and generated a new set of mechanisms of control which has been used especially by ruling classes (122). In this sense, as a representation of reality, some literary works show the way that this process is established and what its consequences in society are. The fable Animal Farm by George Orwell, for instance, can be considered an example of the manifestation of pastoral power. That is because it is possible to perceive the development of a process in which a group of pigs assumes the role of shepherd in a society idealized and governed by animals.

Animal Farm initially exposes a class of animals that is oppressed by Mr. Jones, the owner of the Manor Farm. However, Old Major, that is denominated as “the prize Middle White boar” (02), has a dream and decides to communicate it to the other animals. He claims to the other animals that their lives are not good:

Now, comrades, what is the nature of this life of ours? Let us face it: our lives are miserable, laborious, and short. We are born, we are given just so much food as will keep the breath in our bodies, and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength; and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty. No animal in England knows the meaning of happiness or leisure after he is a year old. No animal in England is free. (03)

Old Major exposes how terrible is the life of the animals from Manor Farm. Thus, he encourages all animals to “work night and day, body and soul, for the overthrow of the human race” (04). As a shepherd that cares for the flock, Old Major wants to make the other animals aware of the fact that they have to fight against their miserable condition. Thus, we can assume that his speech produces “a completely new outlook on life” (06).

Nevertheless, Old Major dies and “the work of teaching and organizing the others fell naturally upon the pigs, who were generally recognized as being the cleverest of the animals” (06). In the group of pigs, Snowball, Napoleon and Squealer are the most prominent animals:

These three [Snowball, Napoleon and Squealer] had elaborated Old Major's teachings into a complete system of thought, to which they gave the name of Animalism. Several nights a week, after Mr. Jones was asleep, they held secret meetings in the barn and expounded the principles of Animalism to the others. (06)

As we can see, they use of Old Major’s speech in order to convince the other animals to struggle against Mr. Jones and take the locality where they live. This attitude allows Snowball and Napoleon to be seen as shepherds in the community of animals. That is because, in an apparent way, they lead the animals with the purpose of bringing benefits to the whole group. In this manner, we can take for granted that Old Major’s persuasive speech is a powerful instrument used by the pigs due to the fact that it allowed them to exercise the pastoral power. Thus, they stimulate the other animals to perceive their real condition and “flung themselves upon their tormentors” (07). To this effect, Foucault states that the pastoral power

is opposed to a customary, traditional political power, in that it does not essentially extend over a territory: the shepherd does not rule over a territory, he rules over a multiplicity of individuals, he reigns over sheep, cows, animals. […] Its principle function is not so much the assurance of a victory, since it does not extend over a territory. (122)

For that reason, we can assume that the pigs make use of the pastoral power in order to “rule over” (22) the community of animals from Manor Farm. Thus, after the expulsion of Mr. Jones, the pigs become free to start using their superior intelligence in order to ascend to the power.

In order to continue their plan, the pigs take the necessary steps to maintain their status quo and convince the animals to work in favor of the group. Therefore, was can say that one of the most important accomplishments reached by them is the organization of the “seven commandments” (09), which are based on the principles of equality idealized by Old Major. In this sense, we can consider the set of rules established by the pigs as a type of ideological and religious mechanism which is used to create a false idea of equality among the animals. Thus, the seven commandments represent “an unalterable law by which all the animals on Animal Farm must live for ever after” (09). In relation to them, we can observe at least two important aspects. Firstly, these rules restate the idea that the pigs are the intellectual class in the society comparing to the labouring class, which is formed by the other animals. Secondly, they reiterate the role of the pigs as the shepherd that guides the sheep to the salvation by helping them find good meadows, as we can see:

1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy / 2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend / 3. No animal shall wear clothes / 4. No animal shall sleep in a bed / 5. No animal shall drink alcohol / 6. No animal shall kill any other animal / 7. All animals are equal (9).

By observing these commandments, we can assume that the pigs write them in accordance with the animals’ needs. As it is possible to observe, the commandments 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are related to the idea of difference (human beings vs animals) which is the opposite of the idea of equality. Besides, 6 and 7 are rules based on the idea of equality (among all animals). This quick and persuasive speech enables the pigs to govern and supervise the groups of animals since they do not question anything. As a consequence, the pigs – “with their superior knowledge” (10) –, gradually constitute a new tyrannical system in which they are oppressors instead of the oppressed class.

To this effect, we can say that the use of the persuasive speech is responsible for the stratification of the other animals. That is because it is possible to perceive the beginning of two processes that are connected to each other after the expulsion of Mr. Jones. These processes correspond to the consolidation of the pigs as an eminent group and the complete alienation of the other animals. This fact is related to the difference that the pigs establish in their relationship with the other animals. They conduct the apathy and ignorance of the animals in order to create two different classes in the community of animals: the ruling class and the working class, i.e., one formed by shepherds and another constituted by sheep. As a result, the “brainworkers” (13) – as the pigs denominated themselves –, create a new social hierarchy. In this new structure, all the animals are induced to accept certain beliefs and facts without questioning them, as it is possible to notice in the excerpt below:

The mystery of where the milk went to was soon cleared up. It was mixed every day into the pigs' mash. The early apples were now ripening, and the grass of the orchard was littered with windfalls. The animals had assumed as a matter of course that these would be shared out equally; one day, however, the order went forth that all the windfalls were to be collected and brought to the harness-room for the use of the pigs. At this some of the other animals murmured, but it was no use. All the pigs were in full agreement on this point, even Snowball and Napoleon. (12)

As we can see, the pigs can increase their advantages by manipulating the facts through the use of speech and due to the fact that they belong to the ruling class. It happens because the other animals are always prone to follow what the pigs tell them as they are seen as shepherds.

After the passage above shown, Squealer – the pig who spreads the propaganda of Napoleon among the other animals –, is called to “make the necessary explanations to the others” (12). He uses his convincing speech to justify to the other animals the fact that the pigs keep all the milk and apples for themselves instead of dividing them among all the animals:

Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. […] The whole management and organization of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! Surely, comrades,’ cried Squealer almost pleadingly, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail, ‘surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back? (13)

Squealer’ speech shows us how those in power frequently make use of rhetoric and language to twist the reality with the purpose of keeping their power. For that reason, Squealer convinces the other animal to accept it since the community of animals, as a flock of sheep, depends on the shepherds.

As a result, we can say that the truth is constantly avoided by the pigs since their government is supported by lies and illusions. In this false reality, the other animals become incapable to oppose to the pigs. That is because they can not struggle against their shepherds in order to remain alive. This condition is the result of the persuasive language used by the pigs, which allows them to be seen as a privileged group among the animals. Therefore, we can say that the other animals submit themselves to the hard work without questioning anything:

All that year the animals worked like slaves. But they were happy in their work; they grudged no effort or sacrifice, well aware that everything that they did was for the benefit of themselves and those of their kind who would come after them, and not for a pack of idle, thieving human beings. (21)

As we can observe, this passage shows how is possible to create an illusion and take advantage of it. In Animal Farm, it happens because most of the animals does not have enough knowledge to perceive their reality. For that reason, they are guided to believe that they are a group of animals that needs to be governed by a shepherd.

Finally, the manipulation of memory is another mechanism used by the pigs in order to maintain their superior condition. An example of this method can be seen when some animals are killed by Napoleon’s dogs after questioning some acts committed by the pigs: “when the terror caused by the executions had died down, some of the animals remembered, or thought they remembered, that the Sixth Commandment decreed ‘No animal shall kill any other animal’” (32). Some animals initially feel that “the killings which had taken place did not square with this” (32). Nevertheless, a female horse, who suspected that the pigs had violated their prohibitions, asked to a goat to read the Sixth Commandment again:

Muriel read the Commandment for her. It ran: ‘No animal shall kill any other animal without cause.’ Somehow or other, the last two words had slipped out of the animals' memory. But they saw now that the Commandment had not been violated; for clearly there was good reason for killing the traitors who had leagued themselves with Snowball. (32)

As this passage indicates, the pigs make use of the speech to reconstitute the collective memory and modify the Seven Commandments. Therefore, we can assume that speech is used not only to establish, but also to sustain the new official ideology introduced by the pigs on the farm.

Another example of this practice is the adaptation of the last commandment. In the beginning, it was written that “all animals are equal” (09). However, the pigs needed to justify the fact that “neither pigs nor dogs produced any food by their own labour” (45) while the other animals “worked like slaves” (41). Therefore, they modify this commandment to “ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS” (47). As we can see, although there is a latent distinction between pigs and the other animals, the idea of equality is still present in this commandment. That is, all animals are still equal, but the pigs induce the other animals to believe that some animals more equal than others.

Animal Farm is a fable in which we can see the use of the pastoral power as a current practice in society. In this sense, Foucault states that “through the organization of the pastorate in the Christian society […] it was developed an instrument of power extremely important for the whole history of the Christian Western” (67). In Orwell’s story, it is possible to say that the pastoral power is hidden behind the idea of the revolution, which is used to permit the pigs to ascend to the power. That is because the pigs make use of techniques and procedures that, as Foucault notes, produce an obedience that leads to a state of obedience (69). Thus, as shepherds, the pigs can impose their needs to the other animals. As a conclusion, we can take for granted that the revolution became “a dim tradition, passed on by word of mouth,” (44) that had never brought benefits to any animal — excluding the pigs, which can be seen as representatives of the pastoral power.


References:


Foucault, Michael. Ética, Sexualidade, Política. Rio de Janeiro: Forense Universitária, 2004.
Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York: Signet Classics, 1996.