Final answer:
The theme or message in Animal Farm is the corruption of power, as illustrated by the pigs' gradual adoption of human-like behaviors and privileges.
Step-by-step explanation:
The theme or message that George Orwell conveys to readers in Animal Farm is the corruption of power. Throughout the story, Orwell uses the animals' statements and actions to illustrate how power can lead to oppression and manipulation. The pigs, who initially strive for equality, end up becoming tyrannical leaders who take advantage of their positions and exploit the other animals.
One example of this theme is seen in the pigs' gradual adoption of human-like behaviors and privileges. They begin by taking the milk and apples for themselves under the pretext of needing them for their intelligence, but it eventually escalates to them living in the farmhouse and changing the commandments of Animalism to benefit themselves. By doing so, Orwell criticizes the corrupt nature of those in power and warns of the dangers of totalitarianism.
Overall, Animal Farm serves as an allegory for the Russian Revolution and Stalinist Russia, but its theme of the corruption of power resonates beyond that specific historical context.