Discuss the importance of education as it evolves during the course of the novel, Animal Farm. At the same time, address the distinctions that may...

In Animal Farm, education begins as a means of promoting equality and improving the lives of the animals. After the Rebellion, for instance, Snowball provides lessons in reading and writing which are described as a "great success." It takes very little time for many of the animals to become "literate in some degree." While most of the animals are only interested in reading the Seven Commandments, their involvement in these lessons demonstrates their overall...

In Animal Farm, education begins as a means of promoting equality and improving the lives of the animals. After the Rebellion, for instance, Snowball provides lessons in reading and writing which are described as a "great success." It takes very little time for many of the animals to become "literate in some degree." While most of the animals are only interested in reading the Seven Commandments, their involvement in these lessons demonstrates their overall participation in the political process on the farm. 

But education soon becomes a source of disunity among the animals. The pigs, known for their high levels of intelligence and literacy, come to dominate the others. They make the decisions, organise labour and plan for the farm's future. This, in turn, is used as justification for their elevated status and better treatment: they have milk and apples mixed into their mash, sleep in comfortable beds and take over the farmhouse.

In the case of the pigs, however, the line between education and indoctrination is often blurry. When Napoleon takes the puppies in Chapter Three, for example, he does this in the name of education. But in reality, he is training them to be his personal body guards. He has, therefore, indoctrinated the puppies under the thinly-veiled guise of educating them. We see this indoctrination in action when Napoleon sets them on Snowball. The puppies have been brainwashed by Napoleon and attack Snowball as soon as they are commanded to do so. This violence is then used to keep the other animals in check because they know that if they speak out against Napoleon, he will not hesitate to use his dogs, just as he did to Snowball.