GENERAL
1. The plot is centered around the animals of Manor Farm, who stage a rebellion against their human owners and decide to run the farm themselves. Initially, they have grand dreams about a global animal revolution that overthrows all of humanity. Things go well at first. Everybody works together happily and all animals on the farm abide by the Seven Commandments of Animalism, which dictates the difference between animals and humans, as well as the equality of all animals. The pigs naturally rise to a leadership position due to their inherit intellect. However, over time, their position of power corrupts them. The Seven Commandments are slowly warped out of recognition as the pigs adapt to the comfort of human-like life (and authority). By the novel's end, the pigs are literally unrecognizable from humans, and conditions are worse than ever. George Orwell intended for the book to express his criticism of the Soviet Union in particular, and the overall human condition in general. The narrative fulfills this purpose through its (somewhat unsubtle) allusions.
2. While the novel has a variety of themes ranging from political to philosophical, it can be best summarized by "power corrupts". Although the animals start out on the track to an animal utopia, Napoleon (the pig tyrant) and his quest for singular power throws them off track. The progression of the plot also suggests inevitability. The donkey, Benjamin, seems to see everything coming, but accepts that he can do nothing about it. Through this, Orwell indicates that he thinks absolute power will always lead to corruption, without exception.
3. At various parts, the author's tone can be dryly humorous, and at others it is mournful. The entire story is overcast with a tone of cynicism. Orwell seems to pity the plight of the animals, but also recognizes the predictability of the circumstances. The irony results from Orwell's own propensity for satire, as well as his subject matter.
4. [page numbers are taken the 1964 Longman Heritage of Literature Series edition]
Allegory: Animal Farm is an allegory through and through. The characters and settings are all representations of an idea, not simply devices to advance a plot.
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. pg 88
Circumlocution: Squealer is Napoleon's propagandist. He plays a key role in keeping the other animals in the dark about what is happening to the farm. His speeches range from stretching the truth to outright lying. No matter what he is saying though, he says it in true political style--he speaks with elaborate words, but never really answers the question.
For the time being, certainly, it had been necessary to make a readjustment of rations (Squealer always spoke of it as a 'readjustment' never as a a 'reduction'). pg 69
Fable: Animal Farm teaches a moral lesson warning against the dangers of absolute power. It is even told through animals!
All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others. pg 83
Folk Tale: As time passes in the story, many of the earlier events become more of folk tales than historical fact. This allows Napoleon and Squealer to twist the truth as they see fit, essentially re-writing history.
Many animals had been born to whom the Rebellion was only dim tradition, passed on by word of mouth, and others had been bought who had never heard mention of such a thing before their arrival. pg 79
Foreshadowing: Oddly enough, the animal's Seven Commandments are a sort of foreshadowing. One by one, the pigs break each commandment as they Animal Farm falls apart.
1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
7. All animals are created equal.
pg 15
Inference: Orwell allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusion in many circumstances. For instance, one can infer that the pigs' sickness one day is a hangover. It is never stated that they drink, but this happens after the discovery of a whiskey stockpile and a wild party.
That night there came from the farmhouse the sound of loud singing, in which, to everyone's surprise, the strains of 'Beasts of England' were mixed up. At about half past nine Napoleon, wearing an old bowler hat of Mar. Jones's, was distinctly seen to emerge from the back door, gallop rapidly round the yard, and disappear indoors again. But in the morning a deep silence hung over the farmhouse. Not a pig appeared to be stirring. It was nearly nine o'clock when Squealer made his appearance, walking slowly and dejectedly, his eyes dull, his tail hanging limply behind him, and with every appearance of being seriously ill. pg 66
Magical Realism: While Animal Farm does not strictly adhere to the magical realism genre, there are definitely some overlapping elements. For the most part, the animals are carrying out an everyday farm experience--the only real difference being that they are animals.
Mr. Pilkington once again congratulated the pigs on the low rations, the long working hours, and the general absence of pampering which had been observed on Animal Farm. pg 86
Motif: The novel is littered with motifs, from the Seven Commandments to Boxer's maxims. One of the most prominent motifs is the sheeps' chant.
Then the sheep broke out into a tremendous bleating of 'Four legs good, two legs bad!' which went on for nearly a quarter of an hour and put an end to any chance of discussion. pg 34
Satire: Animal Farm is a blatant satire. Practically every aspect of the novel ridicules the Soviet Union.
They had been credited with attempting to stir up rebellion among the animals on neighbouring farms. Nothing could be further from the truth! Their sole wish, now and in the past, was to live at peace and in normal business relations with their neighbours. pg 86
Suspension of Disbelief: Suspension of disbelief is obviously very important to Animal Farm. Orwell makes no attempt to justify they sentient animals, and the human characters in the story seem to simply go along with it. They find it strange, but are more concerned about the farm discipline than the mysterious sentience.
It had been felt that the existence of a farm owned and operated by pigs was somehow abnormal and was liable to have an unsettling effect in the neighbourhood. Too many farmers had assumed, without due inquiry, that on such a farm a spirit of licence and indiscipline would prevail. pg 85
CHARACTERIZATION
1. Direct Characterization:
While direct characterization is important to avoid diluting the theme, indirect characterization is equally important in that it personalizes the story. What separates a satire like Animal Farm from an politically critical essay is that it makes the reader feel for the characters. Without indirect characterization, the story would be extremely flat.
2. No, the author's diction and syntax remain more or less the same throughout the entire novel. Since it is a satire, Orwell writes from a perspective above the animals' affairs. He makes it evident that he is writing with the story's end in mind (when the book was published, its political relevance would have made the ending fairly obvious). Because of this, he is less focused on making deep characters as he is on using them to parody real life people.
3. There is no one protagonist, as the story deals with the entire Animal Farm. However, every character is both flat and static. Interestingly, this does not mean poor writing as it might in another novel. Because the animals are made to represent either certain people or certain types of people, they are not so much characters as symbols. This also means that they cannot change over the course of the story without throwing off the symbolism. Napoleon always shows power-mongering tendencies, and Boxer is hardworking and loyal until his very last moments.
4. Given that the characters are so flat, I was initially going to say that it felt more like I had read a character than met a person (or animal, in this case). However, both Boxer and Benjamin seemed like extremely realistic characters. The first time I read the novel, the betrayal of Boxer and Benjamin's subsequent panic was one of the tragic things I had read. It was also the one part I was dreading re-reading, and it was just as emotionally impacting the second time.
The animals crowded round the van. 'Good-bye boxer!' they chorused, 'good bye!'
'Fools! Fools!' shouted Benjamin, prancing round them and stamping the earth with his small hoofs. '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!'
A cry of horror burst from all the animals.
That scene continues to escalate as the animals attempt to stop the van. Of course, they cannot. As the van disappears into the distance, the animals can hear Boxer feebly trying to kick himself free. Benjamin retreats into himself farther than before.
1. The plot is centered around the animals of Manor Farm, who stage a rebellion against their human owners and decide to run the farm themselves. Initially, they have grand dreams about a global animal revolution that overthrows all of humanity. Things go well at first. Everybody works together happily and all animals on the farm abide by the Seven Commandments of Animalism, which dictates the difference between animals and humans, as well as the equality of all animals. The pigs naturally rise to a leadership position due to their inherit intellect. However, over time, their position of power corrupts them. The Seven Commandments are slowly warped out of recognition as the pigs adapt to the comfort of human-like life (and authority). By the novel's end, the pigs are literally unrecognizable from humans, and conditions are worse than ever. George Orwell intended for the book to express his criticism of the Soviet Union in particular, and the overall human condition in general. The narrative fulfills this purpose through its (somewhat unsubtle) allusions.
2. While the novel has a variety of themes ranging from political to philosophical, it can be best summarized by "power corrupts". Although the animals start out on the track to an animal utopia, Napoleon (the pig tyrant) and his quest for singular power throws them off track. The progression of the plot also suggests inevitability. The donkey, Benjamin, seems to see everything coming, but accepts that he can do nothing about it. Through this, Orwell indicates that he thinks absolute power will always lead to corruption, without exception.
3. At various parts, the author's tone can be dryly humorous, and at others it is mournful. The entire story is overcast with a tone of cynicism. Orwell seems to pity the plight of the animals, but also recognizes the predictability of the circumstances. The irony results from Orwell's own propensity for satire, as well as his subject matter.
He walked heavily around the shed, looked closely at every detail of the plans, and snuffed at them once or twice, then stood for a little while contemplating them out of the corner of his eye; then suddenly he lifted his leg, urinated over the plans, and walked out without uttering a word.
Years passed. The seasons came and went, the short animal lives fled by. A time came when there was no one who remembered the old days before the Rebellion, except Clover, Benjamin, Moses, the raven, and a number of the pigs.
None of the animals could form any idea as to what this meant, except old Benjamin, who nodded his muzzle with a knowing air, and seemed to understand, but would say nothing.
4. [page numbers are taken the 1964 Longman Heritage of Literature Series edition]
Allegory: Animal Farm is an allegory through and through. The characters and settings are all representations of an idea, not simply devices to advance a plot.
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. pg 88
Circumlocution: Squealer is Napoleon's propagandist. He plays a key role in keeping the other animals in the dark about what is happening to the farm. His speeches range from stretching the truth to outright lying. No matter what he is saying though, he says it in true political style--he speaks with elaborate words, but never really answers the question.
For the time being, certainly, it had been necessary to make a readjustment of rations (Squealer always spoke of it as a 'readjustment' never as a a 'reduction'). pg 69
Fable: Animal Farm teaches a moral lesson warning against the dangers of absolute power. It is even told through animals!
All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others. pg 83
Folk Tale: As time passes in the story, many of the earlier events become more of folk tales than historical fact. This allows Napoleon and Squealer to twist the truth as they see fit, essentially re-writing history.
Many animals had been born to whom the Rebellion was only dim tradition, passed on by word of mouth, and others had been bought who had never heard mention of such a thing before their arrival. pg 79
Foreshadowing: Oddly enough, the animal's Seven Commandments are a sort of foreshadowing. One by one, the pigs break each commandment as they Animal Farm falls apart.
1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
7. All animals are created equal.
pg 15
Inference: Orwell allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusion in many circumstances. For instance, one can infer that the pigs' sickness one day is a hangover. It is never stated that they drink, but this happens after the discovery of a whiskey stockpile and a wild party.
That night there came from the farmhouse the sound of loud singing, in which, to everyone's surprise, the strains of 'Beasts of England' were mixed up. At about half past nine Napoleon, wearing an old bowler hat of Mar. Jones's, was distinctly seen to emerge from the back door, gallop rapidly round the yard, and disappear indoors again. But in the morning a deep silence hung over the farmhouse. Not a pig appeared to be stirring. It was nearly nine o'clock when Squealer made his appearance, walking slowly and dejectedly, his eyes dull, his tail hanging limply behind him, and with every appearance of being seriously ill. pg 66
Magical Realism: While Animal Farm does not strictly adhere to the magical realism genre, there are definitely some overlapping elements. For the most part, the animals are carrying out an everyday farm experience--the only real difference being that they are animals.
Mr. Pilkington once again congratulated the pigs on the low rations, the long working hours, and the general absence of pampering which had been observed on Animal Farm. pg 86
Motif: The novel is littered with motifs, from the Seven Commandments to Boxer's maxims. One of the most prominent motifs is the sheeps' chant.
Then the sheep broke out into a tremendous bleating of 'Four legs good, two legs bad!' which went on for nearly a quarter of an hour and put an end to any chance of discussion. pg 34
Satire: Animal Farm is a blatant satire. Practically every aspect of the novel ridicules the Soviet Union.
They had been credited with attempting to stir up rebellion among the animals on neighbouring farms. Nothing could be further from the truth! Their sole wish, now and in the past, was to live at peace and in normal business relations with their neighbours. pg 86
Suspension of Disbelief: Suspension of disbelief is obviously very important to Animal Farm. Orwell makes no attempt to justify they sentient animals, and the human characters in the story seem to simply go along with it. They find it strange, but are more concerned about the farm discipline than the mysterious sentience.
It had been felt that the existence of a farm owned and operated by pigs was somehow abnormal and was liable to have an unsettling effect in the neighbourhood. Too many farmers had assumed, without due inquiry, that on such a farm a spirit of licence and indiscipline would prevail. pg 85
CHARACTERIZATION
1. Direct Characterization:
Boxer was an enormous beast, nearly eighteen hands high, and as strong as two ordinary horses put together. A white stripe down his nose gave him a somewhat stupid appearance, and in fact he was not of first-rate intelligence, but he was universally respected for his steadiness of character and tremendous powers of work.
Napoleon was a large, rather fierce looking Berkshire boar, the only Berkshire on the farm, not much of a talker, but with a reputation for getting his own way.Animal Farm is not a long novel. Because of its short length, direct characterization becomes very important for establishing precedence for future events. Relying sole only indirect characterization would require far more character development, which would distract from the satire.
When a boulder began to slip and the animals cried out in despair at finding themselves dragged down the hill, it was always Boxer who strained himself against the rope and brought the boulder to a stop. To see him toiling up the slope inch by inch, his breath coming fast, the tips of his hoofs clawing at the ground, and his great sides matted with sweat, filled everyone with admiration.
Napoleon was now never spoken of simply as 'Napoleon'. He was always referred to in formal style as 'our Leader, Comrade Napoleon', and the pigs liked to invent for him such titles as Father of All Animals, Terror of Mankind, Protector of the Sheep-Fold, Ducklings' Friend, and the like.
While direct characterization is important to avoid diluting the theme, indirect characterization is equally important in that it personalizes the story. What separates a satire like Animal Farm from an politically critical essay is that it makes the reader feel for the characters. Without indirect characterization, the story would be extremely flat.
2. No, the author's diction and syntax remain more or less the same throughout the entire novel. Since it is a satire, Orwell writes from a perspective above the animals' affairs. He makes it evident that he is writing with the story's end in mind (when the book was published, its political relevance would have made the ending fairly obvious). Because of this, he is less focused on making deep characters as he is on using them to parody real life people.
3. There is no one protagonist, as the story deals with the entire Animal Farm. However, every character is both flat and static. Interestingly, this does not mean poor writing as it might in another novel. Because the animals are made to represent either certain people or certain types of people, they are not so much characters as symbols. This also means that they cannot change over the course of the story without throwing off the symbolism. Napoleon always shows power-mongering tendencies, and Boxer is hardworking and loyal until his very last moments.
4. Given that the characters are so flat, I was initially going to say that it felt more like I had read a character than met a person (or animal, in this case). However, both Boxer and Benjamin seemed like extremely realistic characters. The first time I read the novel, the betrayal of Boxer and Benjamin's subsequent panic was one of the tragic things I had read. It was also the one part I was dreading re-reading, and it was just as emotionally impacting the second time.
The animals crowded round the van. 'Good-bye boxer!' they chorused, 'good bye!'
'Fools! Fools!' shouted Benjamin, prancing round them and stamping the earth with his small hoofs. '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!'
A cry of horror burst from all the animals.
That scene continues to escalate as the animals attempt to stop the van. Of course, they cannot. As the van disappears into the distance, the animals can hear Boxer feebly trying to kick himself free. Benjamin retreats into himself farther than before.
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