The first president of the United States, George Washington, famously stated, “If free speech is taken away, then we we will be dumb and silent they can be led, like sheep to the slaughter” (Washington). Often an uneducated working class is exploited for labor by the higher intellectual class. This type of exploitation is evident in George Orwell's novel Animal Farm. While Animal Farm is intended to be an allegory of the Russian Revolution, Orwell demonstrates a little more broadly how an uneducated working class is easily manipulated by the more intelligent population. After all the animals work together to overthrow the farm's owner, Jones, they quickly agree to set specific rules to ensure that every animal is equal. Napoleon, a pig symbolizing Joseph Stalin, creates seven commandments that the animals piously follow. However, only pigs are able to actually read and remember what the commandments are. The consequence of the pig's greater intelligence causes them to reap the rewards and luxuries provided by the hard work of other animals, who do not have the mental capacity to understand that they are being exploited. The ignorant working class in Orwell's novel Animal Farm illustrates how class stratification and exploitation are the result of a naive and uneducated population. First, the animal's inability to think critically and question authority allows pigs to make decisions without challenge. Subsequently, the animal's memory failure allows Napoleon's partner Squealer to publicize the false propaganda and history that the animals foolishly believe. Finally, the incompetence of the animal's literacy level grants pigs the power to deceive the population with written words or laws. Consequently, challenging and opposing authority is essential to bringing about change in a society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay One problem is a refusal to question authority or analyze information. This is presented several times throughout the novel in many characters. Boxer, a loyal and hard-working horse, naively believes that Napoleon is working for the best interests of all animals and refuses to investigate the choices Napoleon made. When Napoleon blatantly lies and claims that another pig is no better than a criminal, Boxer initially disagrees, but is unable to protest because he cannot find the right arguments (Orwell 36). Rather than attempting to dispute Napoleon's claim, he justifies the action by believing his slogan: "Napoleon is always right, this seemed to him a sufficient answer to all problems" (41). Boxer's refusal to investigate and check Napoleon's orders leads him to recklessly work for Napoleon without any compensation. Another example of animals not challenging sovereignty is seen when pigs reveal how they distribute food. While the entire working class population struggled to feed itself, the “brain workers,” or pigs, lived in luxury and comfort. Faced with this inequality, Squealer brazenly declares: “You don't imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? [. . .] Milk and apples (this has been proven by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary for the well-being of a pig. It is for you that we drink the milk and eat those apples” (23). After this implausible explanation, the animals continue to believe thisit is in everyone's interest and there are no further disputes. This ignorant and stubborn belief that Napoleon's leadership represents equality forces them to believe propaganda that results in the robbery of the product of their hard work. Finally, Clover is another horse who recognizes that his original vision of animal equality has gone awry. Despite this knowledge, he does not challenge Napoleon's regime. She would continue to “remain faithful, work hard, carry out the orders given to her and accept Napoleon's leadership. But yet this was not what she and all the other animals had hoped and toiled for” (59). Clover's inability to speak out and argue against Napoleon gives the pigs the opportunity to continue their oppression of the working class without any opposition. Without Clover pushing the other animals, they are completely unaware of their situation. The animal's presumption of the naive ideal that governing animals are working only for the benefit of the entire population makes them vulnerable to exploitation. The animals' inferior memory facilitates Napoleon's deception as he creates a false story that the animals must believe because they cannot remember. For example, when the animals begin to perceive that living conditions are worsening, their doubts are dispelled by Squealer who provides invented statistics. When complaining of hunger, Clarinet states that “the production of each class of food products had increased by two hundred, three hundred or five hundred” (61). Despite this blatant lie, the animals “saw no reason not to believe him, especially since they could no longer clearly remember what the conditions had been before” (61-62). The inability to remember past living conditions forces the animals to believe Squealer's falsifications are correct, allowing the imbalance of resources to continue in the pigs' favor. Later, Squealer attempts to smear Snowball's (another pig) reputation. The animals vaguely remember that Snowball fought valiantly against Farmer Jones and was praised for his actions. Squealer immediately eradicates those thoughts, proclaiming how he "tried to have us defeated in the battle of the stable" (53). He then explains his fictional version of the battle which glorifies Napoleon's efforts so well that "when Squealer described the scene so vividly, the animals seemed to remember it" (54). Once again, the inability to record history or accurately remember the past gives Squealer the opportunity to misinform the populace out of obedience. Finally, the pigs are able to alter the seven basic commandments to their advantage, as the animals cannot remember what they originally said. When the pigs begin sleeping in beds, clearly in violation of the commandment, “No animal shall sleep in a bed,” Clover recalls this ruling against beds (15). Yet, when Squealer informs her that the commandment has always been written as “No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets,” Clover thinks, “she hadn't remembered that the Fourth Commandment mentioned sheets; but since it was there on the wall, it had to be so” (45). Due to the animals' impaired memory, pigs can unhindered change the law to only improve their lifestyle. The revision of multiple laws gives pigs the freedom to do things that were originally prohibited, such as drinking alcohol or wearing clothes. Subsequently, without being able to properly remember or document history, the animals become victims of pig propaganda and the falsification of history. Furthermore, the inadequacy of animal literacy skills.