Animal Farm

Question: Show that the pigs, like many revolutionaries before them are gradually becoming like those they denounced 

Claim: The pigs abused the power given to them and became selfish like the human leaders they overthrew.

Milk and Apples "It is for your sake that that we drink that milk and eat those apples... Jones would come back" (25) Putting milk in mash was a luxury and now they're saying they're obligated to drink it  Tried sugarcoating it by bringing Jones into the situation so they're using their power to frighten the animals 

Snowball and Windmill "Squealer explained... it was he [Napoleon] who had advocated it [the windmill] in the beginning, and the plan which Snowball had drawn... had actually been stolen from among Napoleon's papers" (page 41). "They [Napoleon's dogs] dashed straight for Snowball, who sprang from his place just in time to escape their snapping jaws" (page 37). " 'Do you know who  the enemy is who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL!' " (page 49) To remove his biggest competitor (Snowball), Napoleon first accuses Snowball of stealing his windmill plan, then scares him off using his dogs. When the windmill collapses after a storm because of Napoleons poor planning, he blames that on Snowball too, manipulating the animals to believe that he is always right and Snowball is the enemy, when in reality Snowball only wanted good for the farm. 

Slaughter of Boxer and Other Animals " 'Do you not understand what that means? They are taking Boxer to the knacker's!' " (page 84)  The pigs indirectly kill Boxer for their benefit, which was exactly what Mr. Jones did – use the animals until they could work, then sell them to the butcher to make more money. "They [opposing pigs, hens, geese, & sheep] were all slain at the spot... there was a pile of corpses lying before Napoleon's feet" (page 59) All animals promised not to kill any other animal, yet here Napoleon kills almost  everyone who opposes him, just to ensure that he stays in power and has no competition. He wants to become a dictator, just like Mr. Jones.

Walking on two legs "Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy." (page 17) This used to be a commandment, but after some time... "It was a pig  walking on its hind legs... He carried a whip in his trotter.." (page, 91) They are taking advantage of the fact that the other animals aren't as smart as them They are using the whip to control the animals – just like Mr. Jones did.  "Four legs good, two legs better!" (page 91) The pigs are using the sheep and whip to say they are superior – just like Mr. Jones used his gun to convey his superiority. This destroys any piece of differentiation between the pigs and the humans

Pigs become humans "No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. 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" (page 97). This is the final piece of information that proves the pigs have become exactly like those they once loathed (man) – it is impossible to differentiate the two.