Animal Farm Notes and Quotes Ch. 1-4
The pigs begin to slowly take more control than the others. Identify examples. (Chapter 2)
1) The pigs told the animals when and where to work (in morning, tell them to harvest the hay), but don't actually do work themselves. 2) They're the only ones who put forth resolutions and decide the agenda. 3) They decided that ribbons count as clothes and made all the animals throw them in the fire. They even forced Mollie to throw her ribbons even though she didn't want to. 4) Napoleon tells all the animals not to drink milk, and, though not said explicitly, drank it himself.
What is gained in the fight and what is lost? What is the fight named? (Chapter 4)
A sheep died. They get a gun. The animals got their vengeance and proved they were for real. The battle was called "The Battle of Cowshed."
Who does Old Major believe to be the source of all the animals problems? Why is this the source of their problems (be specific)? (Chapter 1)
He argued that humans were the source of animal's problems because he does no work, yet he gets all the fruits of the animals labor. Symbolic of Marx saying that the proletariat/working class did all the work, yet the bourgeoisie/property owners get all the money
What do the humans try to do to Animal Farm? Why are their efforts successful or unsuccessful? (Chapter 4)
Mr. Jones and his men came back to his farm with sticks and guns. However, they lose because they overestimated their power. Also, the animals expected Jones to try and recapture the farm, so they prepared. In particular, Snowball learns military strategy and plans the battle
Who are Mr. Pilkington and Mr. Frederick? What is their relationship like? Who are they supposed to symbolize. What do they do to undermine/support Animal Farm? (Chapter 4)
Mr. Pilkington = diminished British Empire. Mr. Frederick = Nazi Germany. Their relationship is bad and they fight a lot. They still call Animal Farm "Manor Farm," meaning they refuse to accept the animal's control. They stop animals from rebelling
How does Napoleon convince them that it is okay for the pigs to have the apples and milk? How does Squealer help? (Chapter 3)
Napoleon says that the pigs need the milk and apples to survive because they, as more intelligent creatures who organize all the work in the farm, require more nutrients. Squealer helps because he is very convincing (propaganda).
What does Napoleon think is the most important thing to focus on? How are the dogs helpful in this endeavor? (Chapter 3)
Napoleon thinks the most important thing is education of the youth. The dogs help by letting Napoleon take their newborn puppies and educating them himself.
What is the term Old Major uses to address the other animals? Why is this term significant as we think about Animal Farm as an allegory? (Chapter 1)
Old Major called the animals "comrades," a word commonly associated with communism. It makes the book sound more communistic
Who was Old Major and why did he wish to speak to the other farm animals after Mr. Jones went to bed? (Chapter 1)
Old Major was an old, respected pig who wanted to tell the other animals about how if they overthrow Man, their lives will be so much better and utopian.
Why did Boxer ask the cockerels to call him a half hour earlier in the morning? (Chapter 3)
So Boxer could start work earlier to work extra. Shows how he puts the success of Animal Farm above his own needs
What does Orwell mean when he says Squealer can "turn black into white"? Why is this a useful skill? (Chapter 2)
Squealer is very good at convincing other animals, which is useful for convincing the animals to support Animalism and overthrowing Jones. He is important for the pigs because whenever the pigs will do something selfish and power-taking, they'll need Squealer to tell the other animals how it is really for their own benefit
How do animals on other farms react to Animalism? Give specific examples (Chapter 4)
The animals liked animalism and became more rebellious. They sang "Beasts of England," despite the punishment. Bulls became more fighting. Cows kicked pails over.
What idea is presented as the solution to their problem? (Chapter 1)
The animals must unite and overthrow Man.
Why did Snowball reduce the 7 Commandments to a single maxim? (Chapter 3)
The animals were too stupid to understand the full 7 Commandments, so the pigs created the maxim so that the animals feel like they are involved with the system and keep on working.
The animals change the name of the farm from Manor Farm to Animal Farm. Why is this important? What does changing a name do for ideas, behavior, power, etc.? (Chapter 2)
The name change shows how the power is going from Man to the animals. Changes the past, rewrites history. Naming the farm for everyone
Snowball's committees and programs were not very successful except for which one? What was the point of the re-education committee? What does Napoleon think of these committees? (Chapter 3)
The only successful committee was the literacy program to teach the animals how to read. The point of the re education committee was to make the animals fully understanding and committed to Animalism. Napoleon doesn't care about and get involved in the committees, but is glad that the other pigs are distracted, allowing him to do his schemes.
What ability do the pigs "reveal" that they have? Why do you think did they kept it a secret? (Chapter 2)
The pigs reveal they learned to read. They didn't say this before because reading is something only Man does, and Old Major made it very clear that animals should never resemble man. The other animals would realize the animals were being hypocritical if they saw them acting like Man. Also, to show the other animals that they were smarter and superior.
What happened to the milk? Why does it matter? (Chapter 2)
The pigs take it. Shows how pigs are giving themselves more power and privileges.
What did the animals decide to do with the farmhouse? Why? (Chapter 2)
They preserved the farmhouse as a museum to Man so that future generations will know about Man. Museum to how life was like before the revolution.
Why do Snowball and Napoleon send out pigeons? How does this connect to Communism or the Russian Revolution? (Chapter 4)
They send the pigeon to tell animals on other farms about how they rebelled against man and it worked. It connects to the propaganda war between the Soviet Union and other western nations, where the Soviets tried to tell other nations about the successes of Communism, and the country tried to convince their citizens it wasn't working well.
"I have no wish to take life, not even human life." (Chapter 4)
Who said it: Boxer - Simple, doesn't care for war and fighting. Just wants to make Animal Farm the best it can be by working as hard as he can, not by killing
"I will work harder!" (Chapter 3)
Who said it: Boxer. What does it symbolize: Whenever there was a problem, Boxer (peasants) would work harder as their solution - Boxer will do anything to ensure animalism succeeds
"Never mind the milk, comrades!" (Chapter 2)
Who said it: Napoleon. What is it foreshadowing: Napoleon will take the milk
"Man is the only real enemy we have...Man is the only creature that consumes without producing." (Chapter 1)
Who said it: Old Major. Importance: Identifying the cause/enemy
"Is it not crystal clear, then, comrades, that all the evils of this life of ours spring from the tyranny of human beings? Only get rid of Man, and the produce of our labour would be our own." (Chapter 1)
Who said it: Old Major. Importance: Identifying the cause/solution
"Our labour tills the soil, our dung fertilises it, and yet there is not one of us that owns more than his bare skin." (Chapter 1)
Who said it: Old Major. Importance: Identifying the unfair economic situation of capitalism (there are owners and producers; the owners get rich, the producers struggle)
"No sentimentality, comrade!...War is war. The only good human is a dead one." (Chapter 4)
Who said it: Snowball - Believes completely in Old Major/Marx's ideas, specifically that if all humans must be overthrown
"Can you not understand that liberty is worth more than ribbons?" (Chapter 2)
Who said it: Snowball. What is being inferred and who is this directed at: Mollie - Everyone needs to make sacrifices for the cause (more apparent in China book)
"Those ribbons you are so devoted to are the badge of slavery." (Chapter 2)
Who said it: Snowball. What is this implying: Animals must get rid of all luxeries they got gfrom humans in order to be "free"
"Day and night we are watching over your welfare." (Chapter 3)
Who said it: Squealer. What is it implying: The pigs want the other animals to think that everything they do is for the other animals welfare, when it is really for the pig's benefit.
"Comrades!" he cried. "You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well−being of a pig." (Chapter 3)
Who said it: Squealer. What is it implying: This speech represents a critical turning point in the text. Whereas previously the pigs' subterfuge had remained secretive and unacknowledged, here they publicly admit to withholding resources from the other animals. This also represents Squealer's ability to use language as a propaganda strategy. He uses the rhetorical question "You do not imagine" to ridicule any potential criticism; he summons the abstract idea of "Science" as an objective standard without offering any specific data; and he claims that the pigs' supposedly selfish behavior is actually entirely selfless (black = white).
"We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organisation of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare." (Chapter 3)
Who said it: Squealer. What is it important: The pigs are establishing themselves as the central governing authority (like a centralized government that does all the thinking and planning and sets the economic goals in a Communist government.)
