Ans to practice essay 2 - on power

‘Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely’. With reference to what you have covered in Animal Farm so far, discuss the theme of power, by referring to Napoleon’s rise to leadership. You should use evidence from the text to support your answer.


Napoleon
- Starts off as a pig competing for leadership position with Snowball
- Says he will take care of the milk -- later on the animals discover that the milk has disappeared, hinting that he has taken it.
- Orders all the milk and apples to be for his and the pigs’ consumption -- selfish
- He does not work at all, only gives orders -- later in the novel, the pigs wake up later than the other animals, thereby contributing less than they already do.
- Becomes so power hungry that he eliminates his rival, Snowball, so that he can have a monopoly of power. Also blames his rival Snowball for the failure of the windmill so that the animals will feel that they need him (uses Snowball as scapegoat)
- Makes himself indispensable by confusing and frightening the animals about what would happen if the were not there. He creates panic and paranoia in the farm -- says that Snowball was frequenting the farm, and that some animals were working with him.
- Later in the novel, he does not even consult the animals on decisions (no more debates) -- rise of Napoleon as a dictator
- Abuses his power. He removes all those who speak or go against him (public executions) -- e.g. the 4 young pigs who protested when Napoleon stopped the Sunday meetings are killed, and so are the hens who tried to rebel against him taking their eggs --> so that he will be unchallenged.
- He gets everything his way and goes against many of the commandments for his own selfish reasons -- e,g, lives in a house, sleeps in a bed, kills another animal, does not treat all the animals equally, drinks alcohol.

- However, he gets away by
1. Using Squealer to brainwash the animals and control the way they think,
2. Confusing them about what they remember (e.g. that some of the commandments did not exist, but were lies circulated by Snowball, that Napoleon, not Snowball, played a large role in the Battle of the Cowshed)
3. Using the threat of Jones’ return,
4. Using terror/intimidation through his dogs.

Literature: How to answer PB and essay questions in exams

· Read the question carefully and understand what is required.
· Do not simply tell the story, but be clear and to the point.
· Be well organised. In Lit, we write essays, and with all essays, you should have a clear introduction, body and conclusion. For PB qns, read the given passage --> read the qns --> re-read the passage and highlight the important sections that will be your evidence

1. Introduction
- Start with a statement which answers the questions, and state your stand. From the introduction, the reader should know direction you are going to take in your essay. For example, you could summarise the main points you will be discussing after stating your stand.

2. Body
- You should have a few paragraphs, usually one paragraph per point.
- your points should be well supported with textual evidence and interpretation. This means you should explain what the quote means to you and how it relates to your point.

- It is useful to follow the PEE technique - Point, Evidence, Elaboration.
· Point - state your point
· Evidence - provide the textual evidence in the form of quotes or a very specific action, speech or event which reveals the point, and
· Elaboration - explain the quote, and say what it shows. How does the quote/evidence support your point stated?

- Do not simply throw a quote and assume that the marker knows why you have used the quote.
- If you follow the above technique, you should be able to write one paragraph per point.

3. Conclusion
- re-state your stand
- summarise the main points of your essay

28 april lecture notes on Animal Farm - chaps 8-10

Chapter 8

Attack on AF once again -- compare this with the Battle of the Cowshed in Chap 5. What are the differences and what causes them? – “Boldly enough the animals sallied forth meet them, but this time they did not have the easy victory that they had had…” (line 6-7 from top)

Napoleon’s arrogance and ignorance that the humans could bring the windmill down (8 lines from bottom)


This causes animals to become so furious that they fight back unitedly -- a lot of violence and many injured

What is the mood in the farm at this point?

Squealer’s role in the battle?

Congratulates animals on their victory and attributes it to Comrade Napoleon

Napoleon names battle after him and confers yet another medal upon himself

Qn: Why do Napoleon and Squealer want to make it seem as though they are victorious?

Is this incident meant to be amusing? Why or why not?

Napoleon bans alcohol - punishable by death

But eventually, he himself wants to brew barley so that he can make alcohol

Very Impt: The strange incident -- what is it’s significance?

What are your reactions to the animals’ attitude?


Chapter 9

Boxer had hurt himself during the battle -- but he still works very hard

Starvation: Rations are reduced again, except for pigs and dogs (last 4 lines of pg 97)

Look at how Squealer explains this to the animals -- link this to Orwell’s point about language being used to brainwash people

Uses statistics to convince them that their standard of living has improved

“The animals believed every word of it…Jones and all he stood for had almost faded out of their memories (lines 13-14 from top of pg 98)

More inequalities, privileging of one group over another (last 3 lines of pg 98) -- going against commandment that all animals are equal

Rations are again reduced (middle of pg 99) but the pigs are comfortable

Pigs are getting more privileges – e.g. all the barley, beer, more food, etc

IRONY: the animals believe that “life nowadays had a greater dignity than it had had before.” (pg 99)

Anything significant about Orwell’s use of the word “Spontaneous” to describe the demonstrations? (2nd line)

“They found it comforting to be reminded that, after all, they were truly their own masters and that the work they did was for their own benefit.” -- IRONY

More IRONY: Animal Farm declared a Republic and Napoleon gets elected as President.

Republic refers to a state in which the government is made up of a team. Compare this with how the farm is being run by Napoleon

Note that Orwell is actually satirising (making fun of) nations that claim they are a Republic when actually they are obviously not


More lies about Snowball and Napoleon’s bravery -- 1st para (pg 101)

Re-appearance of Moses – what is Moses’ role?

If the pigs have to undo the lies spread by Moses, why do they allow him back on the farm?

Main incident: Sale of Boxer
Pg 102 – look at how Orwell portrays Boxer -- why do you think he does this just before making him collapse and get sold?

The great deception: what the pigs claim vs the truth

What is different about Benjamin’s behaviour in this chapter?

How does Squealer effectively convince the animals?

How does he squash the rumour that Boxer was being sent to be slaughtered?

How do you think the pigs got the money to buy more whisky? (last 3 lines, pg 107)

What are your feelings towards the animals? Pity? Anger? Disgust? Shock?

Who do you feel more strongly about? The oppressors or the victims?


Chapter 10

Many years have passed -- memories have faded

Snowball and Boxer are forgotten, and so is the rebellion and life before it -- refer to pg 109, 3rd para, lines 3-6 --> what sort of changes have taken place?

“Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer – except, of course, for the pigs and the dogs.” (pg 110, 1st 3 lines of 2nd para) -- significance of this?

“They could not remember. There was nothing with which they could compare their present lives” (lines 6-8, pg 111) -- significance of this quote? What does it show?

This is one of the reasons why the animals remain exploited and living in such miserable conditions

“And yet the animals never gave up hope” -- Why do you think so?

“No creature among them went upon two legs. No creature called another creature ‘Master’. All animals were equal” (pg 112, lines 7-9).

Can you identify 2 devices used here? (pg 112)
1.Irony
2.Foreshadowing

A surprising incident happens – the pigs start to walk on 2 legs

“There was a deadly silence” (3rd para, pg 113)

What do you think the mood is like in this scene?

Why do you think the atmosphere is so eerily silent? How do you think the animals are feeling?

The pigs have been breaking the commandments one by one. The total overthrow of all the rules of Animalism is finally shown through the sheeps’ new slogan, “Four legs good, two legs better!”

7 commandments changed to one

Pigs are very closely resembling humans -Carry whips to get work done, Walk on 2 legs, Sleep in beds, Live in houses, Trade and touch money, Wear clothes, Drink alcohol, smoke, etc

What happened to whatever they had fought for?

Meeting with neighbouring farmers – humans and animals meeting on equal grounds

Orwell is satirising (making fun of) the meetings that politicians from various countries have with one another

Humans claim that they are impressed with the way the farm is run – contrast with their earlier reaction

Claim that they face similar problems (e.g. labour)

‘If you have your lower animals to contend with,’ he said, ‘we have our lower classes!’ à what do you make of this statement?

A change Napoleon makes: reverting back to the old name Manor Farm instead of Animal Farm --> implications?

Shows that we have come full circle – life has returned to the state it was at, before the rebellion

Have the animals achieved whatever they had hoped for when they rebelled?

Ending of novel à violent quarrel erupts. Reason? Deeper significance of this?

For the animals observing from the outside, the voices and faces of the pigs and the humans seem to be the same --> what do you think Orwell is trying to put across to his readers?

Do you like the ending of the novel? How else could it have ended?

Why do you think Orwell chose to end the novel in this manner?

Answers to Term 2 practice essay qn

Note: These answers are main points with some evidence and elaboration only. You will have to provide your own interpretation and elaboration in your responses.


George Orwell uses his novel Animal Farm to show that Communism, despite its good intentions, is bound to fail. With close reference to what you have learnt in Animal Farm, explain why you think it is an ideal which cannot be attained. Give examples in your answer.


Intro: What is communism and why it was considered ideal --> equality, fairness/justice, each contributes what he can and takes what he needs. Is supposed to be classless and stateless.

Body:
- Communism often gives rise to dictators, for whom the lure of power is too hard to refuse.

- power-hungry dictator, who gets increasingly corrupt and deceives those under him once he tastes pleasure. E.g. Nap gets all sorts of privileges, like living in the house, sleeping in beds, extra food, no work, beer, etc. --> injustice and no inequality.

- Even if the people show some signs of opposition, e.g. the hens who rebelled, or the 4 young porkers who opposed the abolishment of Sun morn meetings, they will be stifled by the dictator. Because of greed and the desire for unchallenged power, dictators often use intimidation and threat to control those under him and prevent them from rebelling. E.g. Nap uses his fierce guard dogs to chase Snowball out when the vote was going to go his way, and to growl at anyone who shows signs of having opposing views. How can this be Communism when there is clearly a dictator who strives to control?

- expects that people must hero-worship him. à the way Napoleon sets himself up as a cult personality. E.g. comes with security and appears with great ceremony in public, has food taster, etc. Clearly setting himself up as someone with a superior status.

- dictatorship/totalitarian state --> tries to control the way people think and behave, using propaganda to brainwash them (e.g. Napoleon uses Squealer to convince the animals that he is always right, and even confuses them about remembering the commandments wrongly when he has changed them to suit the pigs)

- ignorance of the working class. The working class is often illiterate and exploited and they fail to realise that they are still being exploited. E.g. in Animal Farm, the animals think that they have freedom and are their own masters even after Napoleon has clearly been established as the dictator. They think that as long as Jones is out of the farm, that they are the leaders, unaware that Napoleon has replaced Jones. They willingly get deceived because of their naiveté and are easily convinced by Squealer. For e.g. when Squealer tells them that Snowball is their enemy and he had been fighting on Jones’ side during the Battle of the Cowshed, despite some of them remembering that this was not the case, they allow Squealer to manipulate them into believing otherwise – that Napoleon was the hero of the battle. Their own stupidity and unquestioning loyalty contributes to the rise of a dictator instead of Communism, which is what they strove for at the beginning of the novel.

Conclusion:
- sum up arguments

Chapter 10 Discussion Questions

1. What do you think those animals who can dimly remember the Rebellion would 'pass on' to the younger animals about it?

They would probably have told them vaguely about why they rebelled, and that the Rebellion was successful. It is unlikely that they would have been able to provide much details since their memories are not that good now. Also, the information they pass on is likely to be Napoleon's version of what happened - making Snowball the bad guy and making him seem like the hero.


2. Orwell uses the phrase 'unalterable law of life' (pg 111) to express Benjamin's ideas. What does Benjamin (and Orwell mean)? Why do you think Orwell chooses the word 'unalterable'?

They mean that "hunger, hardship, and disappointment" were unchanging facts of the animals' lives . Orwell uses the word to show that as long as they animals remain naive, gullible, and refuse to do anything to improve their own lives, they will not get rid of their hunger and hardship. The farm, and the pigs have changed, but only the animals' lives have not changed.


3. Re-read the paragraph beginning 'And yet the animals never gave up hope' (pg 111). What does it tell us of the animals' feelings? In what way is the ending ironic?

The animals are still hopeful and are proud at being members of Animal farm, because they think that they "were still the only farm in the whole country - in all England! - owned and operated by animals." They are filled with wonder and amazement at this. However, the ending is ironic because it shows that it is not the animals who own the farm, but the pigs (who are behaving more and more like humans) who own it. They think they control the farms and their lives, but that is not the case.


4. What point is Orwell making when he has Pilkington compare 'your lower animals' with 'our lower classes' (pg 116)?
He is making the point that regardless of whether a society is made of up humans or animals, there will always be inequality in the form of upper and lower classes. Equality is an ideal or only a dream. There will always be a lower class that is underprivileged and taken advantage of.

Chapter 9 Discussion Questions

1. What items do the pigs trade for with the humans? What differences are there between these and those they traded for in earlier chapters?

Hay, part of the potato crop, eggs, and even Boxer was traded by the pigs. unlike in the earlier chapters, the pigs do not consult the animals but simply take away their produce (refer to the Hen Rebellion incident), and do not value life but are willing to trade it away, whereas in the previous chapters, they only traded objects/products. Also, previously the pigs traded items to obtain necessities but now, they are trading for their own selfish reasons.


2. Why does Orwell use the word 'Spontaneous' to describe the weekly demonstration? What is the purpose of all the ceremonies held on the farm?


He uses the word in an ironic way, because when we read the paragraph in which the word appears, it is noticeable that the demonstrations are not spontaneous or unplanned, but are in fact very well planned and detailed. Purpose - to make the animals feel united and part of an important group, but also to distract the animals from the more important issues such as their hunger.


3. Why do the other pigs not complain that Napoleon allows himself 4 times as much beer as they are allowed?

(i) The other pigs are probably afraid of Napoleon, having just witnessed the public executions of animals which were suspected of plotting against him.
(ii) they could also be convinced that as their leader, he does truly deserve more.
(iii) They could be satisfied that they are at least getting some beer


4. The pigs think thet Moses is lying about Sugarcandy Mountain. Why, then, do they allow him back on the farm?

Because he helps to brainwash the animals into believing that there is a better place and life awaiting them after their death. This makes them work hard in the present without rebelling, which is what the pigs want. Since Moses is thus serving them, the pigs put up with him


5. What is different about Benjamin's behaviour in this chapter?
For the first time, Banjamin shows his emotions openly - "It was the first time that they had ever seen Benjamin excited". He also shows care towards Boxer

Chapter 8 Discussion Questions

1. What similarities are there between the language used by Orwell in Minimus' poem about Napoleon and the language of hymns? Why is there this similarity?


- Orwell uses the language of praise just as how hymns are sung in praise of god, this song is sung in praise of Napoleon à Orwell, through Minimus, uses words such as “Lord”, calls him “giver”, thereby elevating him to the status of a god.
- In this song, there’s a lot of exaggeration and sentimentality e.g. “Friend of the fatherless! Fountain of happiness!” Tone is formal and serious, and compels the singers to be totally devoted and obedient, like how they would be in worship.
- Orwell is making fun of hymns through this song --> we often exaggerate and do not really understand what we are singing praises for/about.


2. Why does Orwell use the word 'unaccountably' about Squealer's absence from the fighting? Do the animals believe him when he says they have won a victory?

- It is because he had no reason to be away from the fight and not participate.- Initially, they do not, but he soon manages to convince them. Napoleon and he raise their flag, fire the gun, and Napoleon makes a great speech congratulating them on their victory. Also, “two whole days were given over to celebrations”, which included songs, more speeches, and giving each animal a special gift of an apple.- Thus, in the end, the animals do feel as if they had indeed won a great victory.


3. How does Orwell show the effect of the whisky on the pigs? Are we meant to find the incident amusing?

- Yes, the incident is meant to be amusing because the whole idea of pigs getting drunk is funny.- The pigs suffer from hangover the next day, but none of them except us, the readers, realise this. They think that Napoleon is about to die since he appears to be seriously ill. Thus the animals all become teary-eyed.- Napoleon initially says that drinking alcohol is punishable by death but once the effects of the alcohol wear off, he modifies the commandment to “No animal shall drink alcohol in excess.”


4. Which words or phrases in the last 2 paragraphs of this chapter do you think are ironic?

- “…a strange incident which hardly anyone was able to understand” --> this phrase is ironic because as the readers, we know what Squealer is doing in this incident, and that it is he who has all along been modifying the commandments. However, the animals are unable to see the significance of this, even though they have caught him in the act. The signs such as the ladder, brush, and paint pot are all too obvious in telling us what Squealer has been doing but the animals are unable to understand its implications.

- “there was yet another of them which the animals had remembered wrong”- “…but there were two words that they had forgotten” --> These phrases are ironic because it is not that the animals had remembered wrongly or had forgotten the commandments, but in fact, they had been changed by Squealer. However, the animals are too stupid and gullible that they fail to realise this. They ironically think that their memories are failing them although we know better.

Chapter 7 Discussion Questions

1. Who does Orwell suggest is responsible for spreading the idea that Snowball visits the farm at night?

Ans: He suggests that it is Napoleon. Squealer is Napoleon''s mouthpiece but Napoleon is the mastermind who makes Snowball the scapegoat and blames him for everything.


2. What makes some of the animals confess to 'crimes' when they know they will be executed? Why does Napoleon want them to confess?

Ans: The animals somehow feel guilty as if even dreaming of Snowball is a sin. They are terrified that Napoleon will find out and feel guilty/start to believe that they may be on Snowball's side. Therefore, they confess despite knowing that they will be executed. Napoleon wants them to confess to show the other animals that there may be traitors amongst them. He publicly kills them as a warning to the other animals of their fate if they even think of rebelling against him.Consider: do all the animals confess on their own or do you think some of them may be 'planted' by Napoleon (meaning, he forced some of them to confess in front of the rest?)


3. Re-read the paragraph beginning 'The animals huddled about Clover' (pg 79). Why do you think Orwell chooses to include it and place it in this particular position in the chapter?

Ans: At this point, the animals have just witnessed the horrible killing of their comrades. They are feeling terrified the whole mood (in other words, the 'feel' or atmosphere of the situation) is very tense. When they stand on top if the knoll (small hill) and look over at their farm, which is owned by them, it is very beautiful and represent hope and promise. Orwell has included it to contrast the landscape which is peaceful and beautiful, with the animals feelings, which is hardly peaceful, and very fearful. The issue of idealism versus reality is also brought out by Orwell. He positions this paragraph at this point for us to stop and reflect on what Animal Farm could have become, versus what it actually is now. Clover feels that when they first had the rebellion many years ago, it was for all animals to be treated equally, to have freedom, to each contribute according to their ability, and for the strong to protect the weak. However, this is not what life is Animal Farm is like now. Therefore, what they hoped for when they first rebelled has not been achieved.


4. Why do the words of the new anthem not 'come up to "Beasts of England" ' (pg 81)?

Ans: Just looking at the first two lines of the new anthem show us that this song is meant to glorify Napoleon - as long as the animals trust and follow his leadership obediently, no hard will come to them. This is heavily ironic as he has just killed many of the animals. There is no purpose for this song except to feed Napoleon's ego and thus, the animals cannot identify with it. However, "Beasts of England" was a motivational song for all animals, which inspired them to rebel by telling him how life that is free from Man's control would be.

'Animal Farm' the movie

Hello ladies! Time to chat a little here and voice your opinions!

Assuming that you are going to produce the movie version of 'Animal Farm', and real Hollowood actors are going to play the animals in the novel (not do voice-overs only), who would you select for each of these roles?

• Napoleon
• Snowball
• Squealer
• Mollie
• Clover
• Boxer
• Benjamin

Support your choice as to why you think a particular actor would suit that role.

Timeline of events in Animal Farm

Timeline of events in Animal Farm

Chapter 1
- Old Major's speech --> to inspire the animals to rebel from Man, to obtain freedom
- Beasts of England song introduced--> tells animals what they're lives without Man would be like

Chapter 2
- Animals rebel against Jones --> without planning, because they were unfed the whole day
- Pigs come up with the 7 commandments based on Old Major's speech

Chapter 3
- Pigs reserve all the milk and apples for themselves --> start of inequality soon after the rebellion

Chapter 4
- Battle of the Cowshed --> Mr Jones comes back to reclaim his farm. This time, due to Snowball's plans, the animals are well prepared and are victorious

Chapter 5
- Windmill idea suggested by Snowball --> symbolises development and modernisation of the farm. Beneficial because now they can get electricity, warmth, and storage space for their harvest
- Snowball is expelled --> this is the last we see of him in the novel. The path is clear for Napoleon to be the unchallenged leader.

Chapter 6
- the pigs engage in trade on behalf of the farm --> animals realise they cannot be self-sufficient and have to depend on humans for some things --> going against commandment
- the windmill collapses due to strong wind, and the thin walls.
- pigs start living in the farmhouse and sleep on beds --> going against commandments

Chapter 7
- Hen rebellion --> Napoleon wants their eggs to trade with humans for other items.
- Execution of animals who are thought to be plotting with Snowball to overthrow Napoleon
- animals rebuild windmill

Chapter 8
- Frederick and his men attack the farm and destroy the windmill
- Pigs drink alcohol --> going against yet another commandment

Chapter 9
- animals start to rebuild the windmill
- food is even more scarce but pigs still live in luxury
- sale of Boxer to horse- slaughterer
- Napoleon is president and Moses returns

Chapter 10
- the Rebellion is a distant vague memory for most animals
- pigs start walking on legs like humans, and behave like humans
- change in commandments:
1. 4 legs good, 2 legs better!
2. All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others
- meeting with humans on the farm
- ends with animals not being able to differentiate pigs from humans

some notes on dictatorship and totalitarianism

Orwell wrote Animal farm to satirise dictatorship in general.

According to him, all dictators have similar characteristics, some of which include:



1. The pursuit of power

- they are power-hungry and will do anything to maintain it



2. Total control

- dictators insist on wanting to control every aspect of people's lives --> how they behave and also how they think! This makes them feel more secure that no one will rebel against them or even have opposing views from theirs.



3. Hero-worship

- this is what I also refer to as making themselves like a cult-personality.

- the people are required to hero-worship the dictator and regard him as a sort of god.

- e.g. at the bottom of pg 72 --> Napoleon rarely appears in public and when he does, it is in a very ceremonial manner, with his dogs as bodyguards, who prevent anyone from coming too close to him.



4. Making themselves appear perfect and flawless

- dictators often make it seem as if they are not capable of making any mistakes --> so that the people under him will think that their 'God' can never make a mistake.

- rather than make a mistake, the totalitarian leader/dictator will brainwash the people under him or use propaganda to change history so that it 'agrees' with his opinions and decisions. Only his beliefs and version of truth will be circulated because in dictatorships/totalitarian societies, only one opinion is allowed at any given point.

Chapter 6 Discussion Questions

1. What word, in the second paragraph, is used by Orwell in a heavily ironic way, to show that Napoleon is becoming more dictatorial?

Ans: The word Orwell uses is "voluntary".


2. What advantages are there for the animals in running their own farm?

Ans: They only had to feed themselves, not humans who only consumed without producing. The animal method of doing things was also more efficient and labour saving - e.g. weeding was done more thoroughly by the animals than by humans. No animal stole now, and thus, no fences or gates were needed to separate the fields.


3. In what way is Snowball so useful to Napoleon, even though he has been expelled from the farm?

Ans: Even though Snowball has been expelled from the farm, he is useful to Napoleon because he is the scapegoat. For example, although the windmill collapsed because of strong wind and because it was built weak, Napoleon blames Snowball for destroying it. Squealer also says that it was Snowball who probably spread lies about there being the resolution against engaging in trade and touching money.By making Snowball appear as the enemy, Napoleon can make himself look like the good guy who is needed in order for the animals to be safe and to survive.


4. How does Orwell show that to be literate, to be able to read and write, is not enough, if you cannot understand the significance of what you have read?

Ans: Clover thinks that she remembers a commandment against sleeping on beds. She is suspicious and so she asks Muriel to read the commandment to her. However, the pigs have already modified the commandment, thus Muriel does not realise that the original commandment was different from the modified one. Therefore, she cannot understand that the animals are being cheated by Napoleon and Squealer. Even though these animals can read and write to some extent, their education has not really benefited them because they fail to realise that they are being brainwashed by the 2 pigs.


5. Why do you think that Benjamin refuses to "grow enthusiastic" about the windmill?

Ans: He is someone who is always cynical and is also wise in the sense that he does not get overly happy/enthusiastic or overly sad. He just lives his life in a calm manner without much hope. He probably feels that it is no use to be very enthusiastic because their lives are not going to change.

March holiday lecture

Dear Sec 2 Express girls,

Some of you missed the March holiday lecture for various reasons. Here is what was covered. Of course you've missed out on the explanation and Q & A, but you have to find that out from your friends who've attended the lecture.


Setting
Manor farm, England

Tone
•At the beginning à miserable and indignant
•In the middle à motivated, positive
•At the end à same as at the beginning. The animals work just as hard as they had before Napoleon took over. Life under Napoleon and Jones ends up being the same


Point of view
•3rd person
•Narrator is not a character in the novel, but tells readers what the characters are thinking


Who/ what does Orwell criticize through his novel?
1. Totalitarianism
-After the Russians overthrew the Czar, this was the main political system
-Similarly, in Animal Farm, even though the animals overthrow Jones, the pigs become exactly like Jones, to the point where at the end, the animals cannot distinguish between the humans and the pigs

2. Power hungry people (e.g. pigs)
-Start off as one of the group and work for the good of everyone, but slowly get more greedy and selfish

3. Ignorant blind followers
- Who do not question or even realise the injustices


Understanding Irony

What is irony?
•Irony results when there is a contradiction between what an audience would expect and what really happens.

2 types:
1.Situational irony
-We think one thing will happen but an unexpected twist occurs
-We think that the animals will have a perfect world when they rule the farm. The unexpected twist is that there is eventually a perfect world, but only for the pigs. The other animals are still miserable.

2.Dramatic irony
-The readers know something that the characters in the book do not know
-We know that Squealer has been changing the commandments but the animals don’t know this
-We know that Boxer was slaughtered but the animals think that he died in the veterinary clinic, despite supposedly given medicine


Effect and purpose of irony:
1. Comic
•to entertain and amuse the reader

2. Moral
•to make a serious moral judgement or point
•to put across social and political messages à for e.g., what is the political message that Orwell wants to put across?


Understanding Satire

What is satire?
•A critique or attack of an individual, group, or idea by exaggerating faults and revealing hypocrisies.
•Dramatic irony is often used when we want to satirise. E.g. We see the hypocrisy that the animals don't and therefore understand that the book is deeply critical of the pigs.


•Who or what do you think Orwell is satirising in the novel? (Hint: think of who the pigs represent)
- The Russian Revolution and the Russian leaders like Stalin and Trotsky (note that the whole novel is a satire)

•Why is he satirising them?
- to point out the weaknesses and imperfections of the human condition


Themes in Animal Farm

1.Dictatorship and totalitarianism (pg 8)
-How dictators rise to power and maintain it
-Dictatorship: a type of government in which absolute and overbearing power is held by a dictator (tyrant)
-Totalitarianism: a system in which a govt is so powerful that it controls its people totally and suppresses all discussion of opposing views

2.Power and politics or Power and corruption
-Even a supposedly good system like communism can be corrupted by selfishness and the desire for power

3.Appearance vs reality
-The pigs appear to care for the welfare of the farm and animals but are only interested in their own benefit
-This is similar to the Russian leaders.

Chapter 5 Discussion Qns

Remember: provide evidence from the text to justify your answers to these questions.

1. Why does Mollie leave? How has Orwell prepared us for this development? You will need to remind yourself of what she does in previous chapters.

Ans: She would rather work for humans as long as she gets her ribbons and lumps of sugar. The "little pile of lump sugar and several bunches of ribbons of different colours" (pg 49) which Clover finds in her stall are presumaby given to Mollie by one of Pilkington's men, who Clover saw talking to Mollie. Mollie cannot adapt to live in Animal Farm which involves hard work, because she is not used to work. Orwell prepares us for this by highlighting Mollie's behaviour and attitude to us, especially after the 1st rebellion of the animals. Mollie is always late for work and exuses herself by complaining of "mysterious pains". She is very lazy and is only interested in admiring herself. She only appears at mealtimes. Durign the Battle of the Cowshed, she is unable to fight alongside the other animals and runs to hide in a cowardly fashion. This shows that she is not committed to the rebellion, unlike the other animals.

2. Orwell says "It had come to be accepted that the pigs...should decide all questions" (pg 50). How did this happen?

Ans: It was because the pigs were accepted by all the animals as being "manifestly cleverer than the other animals". After Old Major's death, the pigs assumed the leadership position by vitue of their intelligence. However, they managed to control all the animals through their mouth piece Squealer, who would always brianwash and convince the animals of the necessity of having the pigs around, and in the leadership position - he always claims that since the pigs are "brain workers", the whole management and organisation of the farm depends on them, and if they were to fail, Jones would return. Due to this, the animals started to let the pigs always decide.

3. In what way do you think the sheep's 'Four legs good, two legs bad' slogan is important?

Ans: Orwell mentions on page 50 that "It was noticed that they were especially liable to break into 'Four legs good, two legs bad' at the crucial moments in Snowball's speeches". This implies that Napoleon probably had a hand in this, and the unintelligent sheep, without realising it, are working in favour of Napoleon. They serve to break the flow of Snowball's speeches and distract the animals from his speeches.

4. Orwell says that Squealer's argument was 'unanswerable'. Do you think it was?

Ans: No, it could be countered. Squealer says that "Loyalty and obedience are more important" than bravery" (pg 56) when one of the animals said that Snowball fought bravely in the Battle of the Cowshed. However, this is ironic because the pigs were earlier trying to convince the animals not to have loyalty and obedience to Jones, but to rebel. They are now encouraging it when it suits their purpose, because they want all the animals to be obedient to Napoleon. Therefore, their argument is not convincing and can be countered but the animals are too unintelligent ad naive to realise that. Also, he says that if the animals make one false step, Jones will return. There is no connection between the debates on Sunday mornings and Jones' return but once again, the animals fail to realise this.

CA1 format

Hi girls,

This is your exam format, as has already been mentioned in class

1 passage-based question
40 mins, 25 marks
chapters 1-3
closed book - pls do not being any material into the exam room, except writing paper

Gd luck and study hard!

Discussion Questions for Chapter 4

1. How does Orwell show us that Frederick and Pilkington are "thoroughly frightened" by the events on Animal Farm?

They were both anxious to prevent their own animals from learning too much about the Rebellion in case they would be motivated to do the same. At first the 2 farmers pretended to laugh at the idea of animals managing their own farm. They spread rumours that the animals at Animal Farm were fighting against each other and were starving to death, so that their own farm animals would not believe in rebellion. However, when time passed and they realised that the animals were coping fine, they "changed their tune" and began to talk about the wickedness on Animal Farm - e.g. that they were cannibalistic and they tortured one another. They warned that "this was what came of rebelling against the laws of nature" (meaning the laws of nature are that humans are superior to animals and should hence, rule over them). The 2 farmers did all this because they were frightened that their farm animals would rebel against them and they wanted to rpevent such a thing from happening.


2. What do you think Napoleon was doing during the Battle of the Cowshed?

Napoleon was noticeable only by his absence. There is no mention of Napoleon during this Battle and we can assume that he was hiding.


3. What do you think Orwell was satirising (making fun of) when he described how the animals celebrated their victory?

He was making fun of the way in which Russians (and also other countries) excessively glorify them and present their war heroes with medals.


4. Describe the different reactions of Boxer and Snowball to the 'death' of the stable boy. What does it tell readers about their characters?

Boxer feels very remorseful and sad because even though he is supportive about the Rebellion, he does not want to take any human life in the process. This shows that Boxer is emotional and soft-hearted and cares about other living tings. Snowball, on the other hand, tells Boxer not to be emotional - "No sentimentality, comrade!" (pg 45). This shows that Snowball is very task-oriented (meaning he is very focused on the task at hand, rather than on other issues), cold-hearted and not-sentimental. As long as his task is achieved, he does not bother about who or what has to be sacrificed.


5. Explain how Snowball's plan of campaign led to the invader's defeat. List out exactly the steps Snowball takes.

Snowball was in charge of "defensive operations". He gave orders to the various animals and they carried them out quickly because they were all prepared for the rebellion this time around.Snowball's first line of attack was the pigeons who would shit on the men, and the geese who would peck at the men's legs.His second line of attack consisted of Muriel, Benjamin, all the sheep, and himself, who would prod and butt the men from all directions.He then got the animals to retreat as a trap for the men - he wanted the men to follow the animals into the yard, which they did.His third line of attack was in the yard, in which the three horses, the three cows, and the rest of the pigs who were in ambush (hiding) all would dash towards the men and attack them.Snowball himself dashes straight for Jones and gets wounded.This defence of the animals proves too strong for the men to penetrate, so they all run away.

Discussion Questions for Chapter 3

1. Describe the difficulties the animals had in gathering the harvest and explain how they overcame those difficulties.

Ans: Many of the machines/implements were designed for human use, not for animals. So whatever requried the animals to stand on its hind legs proved to be a challenge. "But the pigs were so clever that they could think of a way round every difficulty" (pg 33).


2. Describe the division of labour on Animal Farm after the Rebellion. What do you feel about this division? Is it fair or unfair?

Ans: The pigs did not actually work but they only supervised and gave orders to other animals. Boxer and Clover (horses) did the most physically demanding work. "Every animal down to the humblest worked at turning the hay and gathering it" (pg 33). Even the ducks and the hens carried hay in their beaks.

Some students may say that this division of labour is fair, because since the pigs are the cleverest and most intelligent, it is natural for them to do the "brain work" and dorect/supervise others instead of doing manual work. It is because the other animals such as the horses are unintelligent which is why they cannot lead and have to do hard physical labour instead.

Other students may feel that the division of labour is unfair because the pigs do not even try to help out with the physical labour. They eat more than the other animals who work harder than them (the pigs take the milk and apples), yet do no contribute as much. Both views are valid, provided students can explain and justify their stand.


3. What does the behaviour of the following animals tell us about their attitudes to the Rebellion?
(a) Mollie and the cat
(b) Benjamin

Ans: Mollie and the cat cannot be bothered about the Rebellion. They do not understand the true spirit and meaning of it. They are lazy, always evasive (trying to run away from work). Mollie always gives excuses to leave work early, while the cat is never around when there is work to do, but always comes back during mealtimes. This shows that they do not wish to contribute to the work, unlike the other animals.

Benjamin was "quite unchanged since the Rebellion" (pg 35). He worked in the same way as he did under Jones - always doing his work, and never taking on more, and he "would express no opinion" about the Rebellion. This shows that he is detached, aloof, and does not expect times to change much after the Rebellion. He is not very hopeful of a better future like the other animals, showing that he is cynical.


4. Why do you think Snowball’s various projects, except the reading and writing classes, were ‘failures’? (to infer this answer)

Ans: He could not convince the animals of the importance of these projects, and hence, probably did not get their support. "Napoleon took no interest in Snoball's committees" (pg 38) - since the pigs themselves appear not to be united, the animals probably were not convinced about these projects.

Discussion Questions for Chapter 2

Please print or copy these questions on foolscap and complete the answers

1. What does Chapter 2 tell us about the characters of Napoleon, Snowball, Squealer, Boxer, Clover, Mollie and Moses?

2. What is their role and who/what kind of people do they represent?

E.g. Napoleon is the leader - what kind of leader of he? (explain this)
He represent Stalin, and his role is to ......... (explain this)

3. Why do you think the pigs were not given much attention in Chapter 1?

4. Draw a comparison table comparing the commandments of old Major with those generated by the pigs. (refer to pages 18 & 29)
Are there any differences? Highlight or underline the changes

5. What do you think is the difference or similarity between blatant lies and the subtle manipulation/distortion of words? What are the implications of slightly modifying the words?

Capitalism, Socialism and Communism (simplified)

Karl Marx came up with the idea of Communism. He saw it as a better system than Capitalism. What are some of the features of each system?

Capitalism
Private ownership of property- encourages competition among citizens

The state is present

Upper class Vs Lower or Working class
-in Capitalistic societies, there are a few wealthy individuals who exploit the numerous poor
- very bad living conditions

Communism
Public ownership of all property
Ideally, the state disappears in this system
Produce according to your abilities, and consume according to your needs
- shared effort and shared resources
- everyone would have what they needed; no one person would have more than another
- is ideally a classless society

Karl Marx predicted that because the poor were exploited under capitalism, they would eventually come together and rebel through a revolution to overthrow capitalism. After this happens, a communist society would be established. However, communism is an ideal.

Animal Farm Discussion Qns for Chap 1

Please complete the answers for these questions. They are meant to be short answer questions but NOT one word answer questions. Most of them require some explanation so please take the time to write out your responses because they will help you understand the novel better.

1. Do you agree with what Old Major says about the "nature of this life of ours"? Why or why not?

Ans: Students can agree or disagree but have to be clear about their stand and justidy their answer. For exampls, if you agree with Old major, you have to explain that animals are unjustily treated by man because they are overworked, underfed, treated like slaves, and slaughtered once they are not useful.


2. Is Old Major right or wrong in saying that Man is the source of all the problems that animals face? Why?
--> when answering this question, please write whether this is a fair or unfair comment, looking both from Man's and the animals' perspectives. Please provide your answer in table format.

Ans: Students can say that Old Major is right or wrong, depending on their reasoning. In addition, they have to evaluate whether the statement is fair or not. For example, students can say that Old Major is right in saying that Man is the source of all the problems animals face, becuse it is man who overworks them without caring for their welfare, and who inflicts many injustices upon them. Or they could say that it is wrong to say that Man is the source of all the problems because much later in the novel, we realise that even after Man is removed and Napoleon takes charge, the animals still live a similar, if not worse, life. Therefore, it is greed for power that is the source of all problems rather than Man.

From Man's perspective, the comment would probably unfair. Man is the more intelligent one so he would naturally control animals. He depends on animals for their produce and in return, provides them with food and shelter. Thus, it is unfair to say that Man is the source of all the animals' problems. Since even when an animal rules over them (Napoleon) they are overworked, underfed and unhappy, it is not fair to blame Man totally.

From the animals' perspectives, the comment would be fair - Man is the one who takes away all their produce like their milk and their babies although he doesnt produce anything. He gives them only enough food to survive and mercilessly ends their lives when they are no longer useful.


3. What do you understand by the phrase "the tyranny of human beings"? (pg 17)

It refers to the unjust, unreasonble and cruel treatment of the animals by human beings.


4. Is rebellion your response to tyranny and oppression? Why or why not?

Ans: Students can choose to rebel or not but must provide reasons for their choice.For those who choose to rebel, they could say that they were so unhappy with the injustices carried out on them and that they had no freedom and hence, chose to rebel so as to be in control of their own lives.
For those who choose not to rebel, perhaps they can say that they would try to negotiate with Man first (assuming that animals and Man can communicate, since later on Napoleon does talk to the farmer he trades with). Or they could say that if they rebelled, they future would be uncertain and they would have no choice but to run the farm themselves,. finding food and shelter on their own even though they were not used to doing these things.

5. Why do you think the animals sing 'Beasts of England' so enthusiastically?

Ans: They are motivated by Old major's speech and the song gives them hope that they are going to have a better future, in which they are not exploited/ oppressed.

Welcome

Dear Sec 2 girls,

I will be using this blog to post some notes and discussion questions on the texts we are covering this year. Feel free to ask questions (pertaining to Lit) under the comments section.

Have fun with Lit!