If one harbours anywhere in one's mind a nationalistic loyalty or hatred, certain facts, although in a sense known to be true, are inadmissible.
George OrwellRead
The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the blurred lines between oppressors and the oppressed in society.
In this quote from George Orwell, the creatures' inability to distinguish between pigs and men symbolizes the corruption of ideals and the transformation of oppressors who become indistinguishable from those they oppress. It highlights the cycle of power and the loss of morality within social hierarchies, suggesting that those in power may ultimately become like the very figures they once sought to overthrow.
Themes
PowerCorruptionEqualityOppressionSociety
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about social justice, this quote can illustrate how power dynamics can shift and become oppressive.
More from George Orwell
All quotes βPolitical writing in our time consists almost entirely of prefabricated phrases bolted together like the pieces of a child's Meccano set. It is the unavoidable result of self-censorship. To write in plain, vigorous language one has to think fearlessly, and if one thinks fearlessly one cannot be politically orthodox.
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Not to expose your true feelings to an adult seems to be instinctive from the age of seven or eight onwards.
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As with the Christian religion, the worst advertisement for Socialism is its adherents.
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It is fatal to look hungry. It makes people want to kick you.
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I sometimes think that the price of liberty is not so much eternal vigilance as eternal dirt.
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