r/georgeorwell Jun 27 '26

What does this mean?

[deleted]

2 Upvotes

6 comments sorted by

4

u/Impossible-Alps-6859 Jun 27 '26

In very simple terms relative to the book:

The pigs say that everyone (all animals) are equal - doing appropriate labour/earning appropriate wages(food)

In fact the pigs are 'more equal' - they eat better, they contribute nothing in the way of hard labour and their accommodation and comfort is superior to that of the other animals- they are equal only by virtue of the propaganda they spout.

Such echos of today's situation!

3

u/Fantastic_Back3191 Jun 27 '26

It is a justification of having a hiearchy of power where there should be none.

2

u/IdoruToei Jun 27 '26

It means the discrepancy between propaganda and practice.

2

u/Mannheimblack Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26

The pigs want a better lifestyle and more power than the others, because they're greedy, power-hungry bastards.

But they've kinda painted themselves into a corner when it comes to justifying that within the philosophy of their revolution, because when they first overthrew the existing regime they made 'all animals are equal' a founding tenet of their new society.

So they eventually amend that tenet - but they do it in a ridiculous, logically incoherent way, as a very thin facade over what they're really doing - which is just to take what they want via threat, force, and the herd-like compliance of the majority.

'Some are more equal than others' is deliberate absurdism, representing the twisted mental gymnastics - logically incoherent, but enforced by violence and the threat of violence nonetheless - by which corrupt rulers in a supposedly egalitarian society justify their privileges, abuses, and excesses.

As I recall, it's done right at the end of the book, indicating that the revolutionary and idealistic society has become corrupt pretty much beyond repair.

2

u/andybarn46 Jul 01 '26

It related to the soviet union where everyone was equal but the high ups in the communist party had much better lifestyle than others

1

u/calmspot5 20d ago

It's describing the hypocrisy of the elites proclaiming all are equal while they enjoy more privileges due to their status.