Starlight Glimmer and Napoleon

[heavens-champion 1,893]

What would Starlight think of Napoleon from Animal Farm.

[Will Guide 21,325]

Actually, I think Starlight running the old village of = cutie marks is more like 1984 by George Orwell.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,283]

How about this Napoleon? Pinkie seems to enjoy his company.

 

[Quinch 1,119]

3 hours ago, heavens-champion said:

What would Starlight think of Napoleon from Animal Farm.

She'd probably denounce him subverting the idea equality. However, it's not impossible that, given time, she might have deluded herself into the same mindset.

1 hour ago, Will Guide said:

Actually, I think Starlight running the old village of = cutie marks is more like 1984 by George Orwell.

Hnmmm, I doubt it? It doesn't rely on external conflict or manufactured scapegoats.

[KH7672 1,604]

I remember seeing this comparison thrown around early on in Season 5, even having the quote "All ponies are equal, but some ponies are more equal than others" in terms of her hypocrisy with her own cutie mark but that comparison doesn't hold up too well under scrutiny.

The issue with Napoleon is that he seized power over Animal Farm and did everything he could to keep it from exiling Sowball to changing the rules to give him more luxuries (i.e. alcohol, clothes, etc.). It became clear where the main power was being held to all the animals that when the realization finally hit them they were too afraid to rebel as Napoleon himself became worse than farmer Jones. It is a cycle of getting rid of one tyrant leads to a worse one.

Starlight never had any of that kind of characterization. In fact she seemed closer to Snowball at first, but that is only at first. The biggest thing is Starlight did not seize power. The villagers came to her she did not invade an isolated village and take over. As for her philosophy and her not being "as equal" she did bring the hypocrisy on her self but she is not indulging in it like Napoleon. Her house was no fancier, her lifestyle was not anymore glamorous just because she still had a mark. She said it herself, she had to have her mark to have the magic to take the other's away but she never seemed to take advantage of her talents besides that. There was not as stark a contrast of power between the leader and her followers unlike on Aminal Farm. Yes, they feared rebelling against her but because she held the cards they provided her. You speak out and not only does she say you are against her but the village and their livelihood.  You risk losing the friends she helped introduce you too not ones you have already known and lived with like all the ones on the farm.

Starlight is not as authoritarian as people like to believe. She said it herself, she was never doing this because she wanted to feel better than others, while Napoleon did first against humans and then against his fellow "comrades", she just didn't want others to feel better than her and leave her. If she can control their wants and needs to be the same as she has there is ideally no fear in conflict (of course in the long run that's not going to work).

As for I guess the real question if you were to give her the book to read it depends what mindset she's in. Pre-Season 5 she would take it as a hyper exaggerated outcome that would try her hardest to pick apart and debunk any comparison while sticking closely to the initial equality that Snowball strove for. Post-Season 5 she would also see it an exaggeration but more of a cautionary tale and as she reformed her mindset she would distance herself further from the story as nothing but a work of fiction that doesn't need to be dwelled upon.

As a side note Twilight would certainly be enthusiastic of a book club of sorts with these conversations with her, Spike, and maybe Sunburst.

[EpicEnergy 22,105]

I have no idea who Napoleon from animal farm is, so I don't know how Starlight Glimmer would react.

[Splashee 28,537]

On 8/9/2018 at 5:03 PM, heavens-champion said:

What would Starlight think of Napoleon from Animal Farm.

Animal farm? Is that a show that I should know about?

Starlight is a dictator that turned into a good dictator-friend through friendship is my magic. I am sure anyone would love that!

[Quinch 1,119]

5 minutes ago, Splashee® said:

Animal farm? Is that a show that I should know about?

Something something kids these days.

https://www.openrightslibrary.com/animal-farm-ebook/