Transcript Animal Farm ch. 1-4 Summariesx

Chapter 1 (Summary)
• Drunken Mr. Jones to bed/animals meet in the barn
• Major Wishes to pass his wisdom
– Talks about miserable lives and manipulation/born as slaves
• Could live in luxury given the resources
• Use the products of their labors
• Dream from the Previous Night
– Live free and happy
– Animals vs. humans (2 legged walking ‘creatures’)
– Once they take the humans they can’t acquire their traits
• Ex: live in a house, sleep in beds, drink, smoke, $, clothes, trade
(p. 31)
– “Beasts of England” ---an animal Utopia
• Mr. Jones fires a shotgun and stops the commotion
Chapter 1
(Analysis)
• “Beasts of England”- the animals will finally be free from man’s
domination—enjoy the fruits of their labors
• The song words lead to a ‘false reality’
– (Reality vs. a Dream Utopia)
• Major’s simple belief is that ‘Man’ is the only reason for their evil (makes
it easy for anyone non human to buy in to the situation
– Idea touches on class struggle, surplus value, and domination
– Idea is sincere, but it’s only a fantasy—just like . . .
– Major states: “All animals are equal”
• Lenin dies just as Major-leaving his work unfinished
• Ch. 1=Historic to period before and during WWI
– Ends with great unrest!
Chapter 2 (Summary)
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Napoleon/Snowball description (35)
The Rebellion-Animals take farm and preserve the house
Animalism
Moses-Sugar Candy Mountain
7 Commandments:
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2 legs is the enemy
4 legs or wings is a friend
No clothes
No bed
No alcohol
Not kill any other animal
All animals are equal
Chapter 2 (Analysis)
• Russian Revolution Becomes very clear
– Manor Farm- Part feudal, Part capitalist = Russia
• Major represents Marx’s philosophy of communism, and Lenin
who enacted it = Animalism
– Animals=working class (esp. Boxer and Clover)
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Pigs = intelligentsia (organized and controlled the Rev.)
Squealer = Propaganda
Moses = Russian Orthodox Church
Mollie = Bourgeoisie (Luxuries)
Russia began with noble ideas including moral dignity and
equality-quickly gone on Animal Farm
• Orwell’s description of pre-rebellion misery-social inequality
and mistreatment of workers
Chapter 3 (Summary)
• “4 legs good, 2 legs bad” • Pigs take charge/superiority– take the milk
– Raise the pups
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A lot of work is done- BOXER “I will/must work harder”
Flag with hoof and horn (Russian Flag)
Snowball and Napoleon fight
Pigs take human ways
Socialists goals became meaningless tools used for control
4 legs/2 legs—what about wings?
Dog Army
Manipulation by Squealer-(p52 or last page of Chapter 3)
Chapter 3 (Analysis)
• Boxer’s (People’s) blind faith in the system
• Imbalance of knowledge and literacy
– Pigs/Stalin-sole guardians of Animal Farm/Russian principals
• 7 Commandments
– Antihuman directive (no clothes), moral values (no kill other animal),
utopian ideas (all animals equal)
• 4 legs good/2 legs bad=not part of the above ideals
– Propaganda was used to ignore their own unhappiness/shift focus
• Squealer = Propaganda to control the people
• Satire – “Good of the State” –emphasizes Russia’s own
downfall-pokes fun
Chapter 4 (Summary)
• The Short Version
– Battle of Cowshed
– Medals: Animal Hero First Class
• Snowball and Boxer
Chapter 4 (Analysis)
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Allusion: Julius Caesar (Snowball studying JC’s campaigns)
Russian Interwar Period
Trotsky: In order for Communism to work, it has to be global
Domino Effect = Non communists become communist
– Pres. Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson used this to justify
military involvement in Turkey, Greece, and Vietnam
• Rumors spread of Russia
• People fight but don’t understand what their fighting for
– Their own oppression = Irony
• Orwell was (perhaps) denouncing Comm. & non-Comm.
– Mr. Jones = Irresponsible/Neglect
– Mr. P = Doesn’t do anything