mini essay

In the novel ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell we are confronted with the blatant use of manipulation, distortion of the truth and the willingness to lie and kill to maintain the control of others. This power struggle is retained all through the book but is very significant in chapter six and seven. Many of the characters in ‘animal farm’ fall victim to Napoleons tactics that are used to retain his control of ‘animal farm’; Napoleon bans the song ‘The Beasts of England’, the changing of the 10 commandments and the mass killings.

The first act of suppression often is something very small and insignificant. So that it builds up to something really big but because its been so gradual no one really notices until its to late. Like not being allowed to go out after dark or a song may be banned. Although in the scheme of things this may seem tiny and irrelevant, the suppression can only grow. When Napoleon bans the song ‘The Beasts of England’ no one really thought twice about it because it is so small. “It's no longer needed, comrade, In 'Beasts of England' we expressed our longing for a better society in days to come.
But that society has now been established. Clearly this song has no longer
any purpose.” Squealer says this to the animals after announcing that beasts of England, this of course is only the first of many things that become ‘frowned upon (banned)’ this small thing just leads the pigs to change the rules for their benefits.

Power and manipulation come hand in hand because to get one you must use the other. Power is a dominant theme in animal farm. Usually surrounding the pigs as they manipulate the other animals too think they are acting to do what best for them when what they’re doing is what’s best for the pigs. Squealer is often convincing the animals to think that napoleon is doing what best for them even if it means he has to li

e. 'A most terrible thing has been discovered. Snowball has sold himself to Frederick of Pinchfield Farm' squealer lies to the animals to set them against snowball to manipulate them into thinking napoleon did he right thing when he ran snowball off the farm. This is just one example of the lies and distortions of the truth, so that animals can have no doubts about the ‘Great Leader Napoleon’. And when the animals start to disagree or when the pigs believe there is a threat of some kind they make examples of innocent animals by killing them. Death is a horrible and unnecessary way of keeping people in line. Napoleon kills many animals because they have ‘betrayed’ animal farm. The pigs are always talking about how napoleon is only looking after them and that he only has their interests at heart when really he is only ever thinking of himself, and when he thinks that his lavish lifestyle is under threat he finds a new and more effective way to instil fear in his ‘comrades’ so that his power will never be taken away from him. “I do not understand it. I would not have believed that such things could
happen on our farm.” Boxer says this after the mass killing. He is shocked because one of the Ten Commandments is ‘No animal shall kill any other animal.’ This commandment and many others begin to be broken and changed by only the pigs. In the early days of the rebellion no one would have ever dreamed such a thing would happen on animal farm why would animals kill each other it’s barbaric.

Animal farm is based on actual events that happened during the Russian revolution. Chapter 6 and 7 are very significant because it is when the pigs start breaking the most basic rules for there own benefits, and because this is when you start to see the relationship between the power and suppression because one cannot occur without the other. The pigs use every tactic to remain in power and the other animals are suppressed in the process. So in the novel ‘animal farm’ it seems that everyone is afraid of something, the pigs are afraid of the animals revolting and taking away there power and the animals are afraid of the pigs taking away the idea of there precious animal farm (weather or not the animal farm is actually there dream) so in the end the pigs become what they hate and loathe the people they feared in the first place.

Chapter 8
Main Events

• relationships between the neighbouring farms remain complex
• the windmill is completed in autumn
• the animals are suprised when napolean announces he is going to sell the wood to the humans
• there is anbush on animal farm
• the people blow up the windmill

Quotes

• "Under the guidance of our Leader, Comrade Napoleon, I have laid five eggs in six days"
• Thanks to the leadership of Comrade Napoleon, how excellent this water tastes!"
• "We have built the walls far too thick for that. They could not knock it down in a week. Courage, comrades!"
• "Do you not see what they are doing? In another moment they are going to pack blasting powder into that hole."
• "What is that gun firing for?"

Chapter Title - the battle of the windmill

Chapter 9

Main Events

• they start rebuilding the windmill
• rations are reduced again
• boxer collapses
• boxer is taken away to the glue factory
• napolian tells the animals that boxer was not taken away to the slaughter but shiped to the vet

Quotes

• It does not matter. I think you will be able to finish the windmill without me. There is a pretty good store of stone accumulated. I had only another month to go in any case. To tell you the truth, I had been looking forward to my retirement. And
  perhaps, as Benjamin is growing old too, they will let him retire at the same time and be a companion to me."
• Run, somebody, and tell Squealer what has happened."
• "Fools! Do you not see what is written on the side of that van?"
• "'Alfred Simmonds, Horse Slaughterer and Glue Boiler, Willingdon. Dealer in Hides and Bone-Meal. Kennels Supplied.' Do you not understand what that means? They are taking Boxer to the knacker's!"
• "Boxer! Get out! Get out quickly! They're taking you to your death!"
  

Chapter Title - to death, by car

Chapter 10
Main events

• years pass and only a few of the animals remember life before the rebellion
• the windmill is completed
• squeeler takes all the sheep on the farm away for a few days
• the pigs begin to walk on two legs and ware cloths and carry whips
• the pigs have a dinner party and envite the neighbouring farmers and there wives
• they rename 'animal farm' back to 'manor farm'
• the animals can no longer tell the difference between animals and pigs

Quotes

• "Four legs good, two legs better! Four legs good, two legs better! Four legs good, two legs better!"
• "My sight is failing," she said finally. "Even when I was young I could not have read what was written there. But it appears to me that that wall looks different. Are the Seven Commandments the same as they used to be, Benjamin?"
• "ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS"
• "gentlemen, I give you a toast: To the prosperity of Animal Farm!"
• "I will give you the same toast as before, but in a different form. Fill your glasses to the brim. Gentlemen, here is my toast: To the prosperity of The Manor Farm! "
  

Chapter Title - equality is finally distorted

more chapter summaries

Chapter 6

Main Events

• the animals are asked to work on sunday volentarily but those who didnt had there rationas halved.
• the animals are running out of supplies.
• Napoleon engages a local solicitor to act as the middleman between Animal Farm and the outside world.
• the pigs moved into the farmhouse.
• a nightime storm distroys the windmill

Quotes

• "I will work harder" and "Napoleon is always right,"
• "Are you certain that this is not something that you have dreamed, comrades? Have you any record of such a resolution? Is it written down anywhere?"
• "read me the Fourth Commandment. Does it not say something about never sleeping in a bed?"
• "It says, 'No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets,"'
• "You have heard then, comrades," he said, "that we pigs now sleep in the beds of the farmhouse? And why not? You did not suppose, surely, that there was ever a ruling against beds? A bed merely means a place to sleep in. A pile of straw in a stall is a bed, properly regarded. The rule was against sheets, which are a human invention. We have removed the sheets from the farmhouse beds, and sleep between blankets. And very comfortable beds they are too! But not more comfortable than we need, I can tell you, comrades, with all the brainwork we have to do nowadays. You would not rob us of our repose, would you, comrades? You would not have us too tired to carry out our duties? Surely none of you wishes to see Jones back?"

Chapter Title - Rule Breaker?

Chapter 7

Main Events

• It becomes winter and the animals are threatened with starvation
• the hens are aked to give up there eggs
• the hens revolt and say that they wont
• the hens' food supply is cut off
• the mass killing
• 'the beasts of england' is banned and replaced with 'animal famr'

Quotes

• 'a most terrible thing has been discovered. Snowball has sold himself to Frederick of Pinchfield Farm'
• "I do not believe that," he said. "Snowball fought bravely at the Battle of the Cowshed. I saw him myself. Did we not give him 'Animal Hero, first Class,'
• "That was our mistake, comrade. For we know now--it is all written down in the secret documents that we have found--that in reality he was trying to lure us to our doom."
• "But he was wounded," said Boxer. "We all saw him running with blood."
• "That was part of the arrangement!" cried Squealer. "Jones's shot only grazed him. I could show you this in his own writing, if you were able to read it.'

Chapter Title - beasts of england no more