Language & Logic

After reading Animal Farm by George Orwell, I couldn’t stop thinking about how silence allows lies to grow stronger. The animals in the story lose their freedom not just because of cruelty, but because fear stops them from speaking the truth. That idea inspired me to write this essay.

To connect Orwell’s story to real life, I paired it with two nonfiction articles: “The Weapons of Dictatorship” and “The Paradox of Repression and Nonviolent Movements.” Together, they show how silence and fear can protect injustice, while courage and truth can begin to dismantle it.

This essay is part of my Reading & Writing Challenge series, where I explore how classic books connect to real-world issues and personal reflection.

People often allow injustice to continue because silence feels easier than confrontation. When something unfair happens, fear, confusion, and habit can stop people from speaking out. In Animal Farm, the animals knew deep down that the pigs were breaking the rules, but they didn’t dare to question them. They were scared of losing what little safety they had. This fear made it easier for lies to spread until truth no longer mattered. Orwell’s story shows how silence becomes the tool that protects corruption. Once the animals stopped questioning, the pigs could say or do anything they wanted.

The same thing happens in real life. In “The Weapons of Dictatorship,” Nazi leaders used terror and propaganda to control people’s thoughts. The government shut down newspapers, banned free speech, and filled the air with lies that sounded comforting. Many citizens believed them or pretended to. Some didn’t agree but stayed silent, afraid to be punished. Silence helped the lies grow stronger. Meanwhile, “The Paradox of Repression and Nonviolent Movements” explains that when people finally refuse to stay quiet, repression can backfire. When protesters remain peaceful but brave, their suffering exposes the cruelty of those in power. It shows the world that truth can’t be destroyed, only hidden.

Still, breaking silence is hard. People fear being alone or wrong. Sometimes they don’t realize how powerful their voices can be. But when silence becomes normal, injustice spreads quietly like smoke. The pigs’ power in Animal Farm came not from their strength, but from the others’ obedience. Orwell warns us that freedom disappears when truth becomes something you’re too afraid to say.

In the end, injustice survives on silence. The moment people speak – when they question, challenge, and tell the truth – the walls of lies begin to crack. Truth needs courage, not cowards. Whether on a farm, in history, or in our own lives, the lesson is the same: silence protects the powerful, but speech protects the truth.