Isearch cards #2 Animal Farm
Ronald Bishop
George Orwell, Animal Farm
"They kept close to Napoleon. It was noticed that they wagged their tails to him in the same way as the other dogs had been used to do to Mr. Jones." p.39
Napoleon reveals the irony of the novel as in the end he becomes much like a new farmer Jones. His skilled use of corruption and manipulation making him the new master of the farm.
"After much thought Snowball declared that the Seven Commandments could in effect be reduced to a single maxim, namely: 'Four legs good, two legs bad." p.31
Snowball's simplification of the commandments allows for all animals have a basic understanding of Animalism, yet also has the effect of preventing animals from taking notice of the changes to the actual list, because they aren't forced to learn the true commandments.
"then they raced back to the farm buildings to wipe out the last traces of Jones's hated reign." p.14
After deposing Mr. Jones, the animals destroy much of the farm equipment. This later has the effect of driving the farm to further depend on the pigs ideas and increasingly harder work from the animals to run the farm.
"The work of teaching and organizing the others fell naturally upon the pigs, who were generally recognized as being the cleverest of the animals." p.7
Another instance of the educational disparity within the novel. The pigs are the smartest, using their intelligence to effectively dominate decisions on the farm. In this way the novel demonstrates how the powerful often hold sway over the larger population.
"So it was agreed without further argument that the milk and the windfall apples (and also the main crop of apples when they ripened) should be reserved for the pigs alone." p.34
Because of their power on the farm the pigs are able to deceive the rest of the animals and take the apples and milk for themselves.
"When asked whether he was not happier now that Jones was gone, he would say only "Donkeys live a long time. None of you has ever seen a dead donkey," and the others had to be content with this cryptic answer." p.20
Benjamin is the oldest character on the farm. He's quiet, passive, and intelligent. Benjamin unlike boxer only does what he is told, no more, no less, and is quietly skeptical of the changes the pigs promise. His skepticism is later proven right as the pigs become more and more like the humans they rally the animals against.
He had been a hard worker even in Jones's time, but now he seemed more like three horses than one; there were days when the entire work of the farm seemed to rest on his mighty shoulders. From morning to night he was pushing and pulling, always at the spot where the work was hardest. p.19
Boxer often represents quiet hardworking believers of the revolution. The ones who completely believe in the ideals of animalism, and optimistically give it their all. As napoleon demonstrates later in the novel, this type of devotion can be easily manipulated. Boxer is eventually used until he's completely spent, then sold off as soon as he can no longer work as hard as he once did.
"She appeared to be enjoying herself, so the pigeons said. None of the animals ever mentioned Mollie again." p.35
Mollie was never devoted to animalism, enjoying the luxuries she had under Mr. Jones, she eventually left the farm and was happier while the rest of the animals' condition continued to degrade.
"The reading and writing classes, however, were a great success. By the autumn almost every animal on the farm was literate in some degree." p.30
Despite the classes being 'a great success' outside of the pigs and a few outliers, effectively none of the animals have the ability to read. This has the unfortunate effect of allowing the pigs to rewrite history and the commandments governing the animals without detection, serving as a lesson in how education can ve abused to maintain power.
"All men are enemies. All animals are comrades." p.5
For the less intelligent animals in the story, animalism is simplified into a single mantra, emphasizing the impact of education disparities within populations, especially later in the novel as Napoleon encourages loyal mobs of sheep to shout this simplified version of animalism while abusing their ignorance to discretely cut back the original freedoms and promises of the revolution's ideals.
"They explained that by their studies of the past three months the pigs had succeeded in reducing the principles of Animalism to Seven Commandments. These Seven Commandments would now be inscribed on the wall; they would form an unalterable law by which all the animals on Animal Farm must live for ever after." p.16
In the beginning of the new Animal Farm, the animals lay out the core principles of Animalism. The list on the wall serving as a backdrop to much of the novels events. As Napoleon takes increasing control, the list becomes altered to suit the needs of the pigs, with the less educated masses of animals unable to detect or protest the change due to their inability to read and lack of voice in the farm after the pigs take control.
So the animals trooped down to the hayfield to begin the harvest, and when they came back in the evening it was noticed that the milk had disappeared. p.18
Many of the luxuries of the farm seemingly disappear, later to be found hoarded by the pigs. This trend displays the ability of the ruling pigs to use their positions to enjoy seemingly un-animalistic amounts of luxury while their subjects are deprived of all such items.
"The pigs had set aside the harness-room as a headquarters for themselves. Here, in the evenings, they studied blacksmithing, carpentering, and other necessary arts from books which they had brought out of the farmhouse." p.22
Unlike the other animals, the pigs maintain the best education and access to education, utilizing their knowledge to control the farm and determine the path down which all of the animals will go.
"As it turned out, the Rebellion was achieved much earlier and more easily than anyone had expected. In past years Mr. Jones, although a hard master, had been a capable farmer, but of late he had fallen on evil days." p.12
Orwell portrays Mr. Jones as a harsh, yet not altogether evil character contrary to the view of the animals in the novel. Mr. Jones, much like the Russian Tsars his character alludes to, was once quite effective at running the farm, the animals for the most part being content, it wasn't until his harsh management began to falter that the animals began to rise up against him. In many ways Mr. Jones' regime was once better than the totalitarian one that Animal Farm becomes under the pigs.
"At this there was a terrible baying sound outside, and nine enormous dogs wearing brass-studded collars came bounding into the barn. They dashed straight for Snowball, who only sprang from his place just in time to escape their snapping jaws. In a moment he was out of the door and they were after him." p.38
Similar to many other coups in history, Napoleons rise to power was a slow build, ended with a final, brief burst of activity that installed him as the dictator of the farm. Napoleon reveals himself as having planned his takeover for months, since the earliest days of the revolution, swiftly and successfully taking power when the time came.
"He claimed to know of the existence of a mysterious country called Sugarcandy Mountain, to which all animals went when they died. It was situated somewhere up in the sky, a little distance beyond the cloud." p.11
Sugarcandy mountain alludes to heaven and the religiousness of populations. Within the novel the pigs make great efforts to discourage belief in Sugarcandy mountain and instead promote the ideals of Animalism, claiming that sugarcandy mountain was a myth used to keep the animals subservient. This later becomes rather hypocritical as the novel progresses, with Napoleon intentionally creating a group of fanatically devoted followers, using a corrupted form of animalism to keep them in line behind his actions.
"These three had elaborated old Major's teachings into a complete system of thought, to which they gave the name of Animalism. Several nights a week, after Mr. Jones was asleep, they held secret meetings in the barn and expounded the principles of Animalism to the others." p.10
The most influential pigs eventually lay fourth a definitive version of animalism for the rest of the animals to follow. Creating the doctrine by which the future revolution will be inspired.
The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others. With their superior knowledge it was natural that they should assume the leadership. p.18
The pigs enjoy the position of supervising because of their 'superior knowledge' further portraying the impact of the education gap amongst the animals.
"The mystery of where the milk went to was soon cleared up. It was mixed every day into the pigs' mash. The early apples were now ripening, and the grass of the orchard was littered with windfalls. The animals had assumed as a matter of course that these would be shared out equally; one day, however, the order went forth that all the windfalls were to be collected and brought to the harness-room for the use of the pigs." p.33
The pigs increasingly take control of the farm, using their power to reap a disproportionate share of the farms production, justifying it as a necessary sacrifice for the well being of the farm.
"The birds did not understand Snowball's long words, but they accepted his explanation." p.31
The pigs often use complex language that inhibits the ability of the other animals to understand what the pigs are promoting. Much in a similar way to which governments can use layer upon layer of laws to prevent individuals from exercising rights they supposedly have.
"Napoleon produced no schemes of his own, but said quietly that Snowball's would come to nothing, and seemed to be biding his time." p.37
Throughout the novel Napoleon represents a Stalinistic totalitarian leader of the farm. He manipulates the others to gain power through abusing the spirit of animalism. He embodies the corruption of good intentions by hijacking the revolution for his own gain.
"THE SEVEN COMMANDMENTS 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 equal." p.17
Throughout the novel there are several iterations of this list as the pigs secretly reduce the rights of the other animals. The Commandments wall reflects the way that Governments often gradually become totalitarian states rather than any overnight change.
"He refused to believe either that food would become more plentiful or that the windmill would save work. Windmill or no windmill, he said, life would go on as it had always gone on--that is, badly." p.37
Unlike Benjamin, who in fact predicts the future of animal farm, the other animals remain steadfast in their belief in the progress of life on the farm. Despite the increasing control of napoleon, and the reduction in rights and luxuries for the animals, they continue to believe in the revolution,
"You, Boxer, the very day that those great muscles of yours lose their power, Jones will sell you to the knacker, who will cut your throat and boil you down for the foxhounds." -p.2
When describing the would-be fate of Boxer under Mr. Jones, Old Major instead foreshadows the fate that will befall Boxer at the hands of Napoleon and the pigs towards the end of the novel. This has the effect of highlighting the corruption of animalism by Napoleon, showing him as no better than the evil Mr. Jones. Through this Orwell displays how through manipulation dictators can rise to power only to turn on their most loyal followers and become the monster they were supposed to replace.
"There, comrades, is the answer to all our problems. It is summed up in a single word--Man. Man is the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished for ever." -p.1
Within the novel Old Major is the original proponent of the ideals of Animalism. As the novel progresses, the pigs, specifically Napoleon, gradually distort Old Major's ideals, specifically using Old Major's spirit of anti-humanism to maintain their support. The pigs subvert the ideals of animalism to gain better and better positions on the farm.