"Chapter 6 and 7 show us Napoleon's willingness to distort the truth, to lie and to kill in order to retain and increase his control of Animal Farm."
Contention: Napoleons willingness to distort the truth, to lie and to kill in order to stay superior in animal farm is emphasized in chapter 6 and 7.
3 reasons why:
The terror.
The changing of the rules.
The hen’s revolution.
Some say money and power are the greatest things in the world, all of them not giving any sympathy to anyone else but themselves and in Animal farm by George Orwell this is shown greatly by a pig called Napoleon whose willingness to distort the truth, to lie and to kill in order to stay superior in animal farm. Which is also emphasized in chapters 6 and 7. This is shown threw the terror the changing of the rules and the hen’s revolution. But out of all the ways to seize power, death shows the character of the person and what their willing to do.
The terror shows us that napoleon is willing to do anything to retain power. The terror was when napoleon killed all the animals that had “sided” with Snowball, or was a “traitor” against Napoleon. Even though most of the animal’s barley did anything wrong. This showed the animals that napoleon will go to any measure to retain power of the animals but most of all to get rid of all the “traitors” and people plotting against him. Because he is so obsessed with getting power, equality has completely gone out the window and his bloodlust comes out. So to cover up his psychotic behavior he uses poor little Snowball who I think has actually not done anything wrong, as a scape goat for napoleons demented mind. If Napoleon is power Hungary enough to kill then he will probably break the rules to become more powerful.
The changing of the rules shows us how napoleon gets out of trouble when he seizes power. Even though Squealer seemed to be the evil one that changed the rules that night when the animals found him hurt because he had fallen off the ladder changing them, Napoleon is the true bad guy behind this because Napoleon abused his power to tell squealer to do it. Because of all the luxuries napoleon wanted like the beds, beer, to get rid of his “enemies” in the terror, money from Mr. Whymper, and the farm house he needed to once use his power and slightly changed the rules just enough so he could get away with these problems. Of course he made up some absolute bull of a story that all the animals either read it wrong or just have a bad memory, not only the dumb animals like the sheep, but even he said the smart ones forgot like Boxer and Clover. In the first stages of the changing of the rules were napoleon started to trade with humans and the hens were effected greatly, but they didn’t take to kindly to it.
The hen’s “mini” revolution is another pivotal event where napoleon shows his willingness to retain power. In the hen’s revolution napoleon demands 400 eggs per week but the hens refuse saying it is “murder” so they fly up to the top of the rafters and laid there eggs off the roof. So in result Napoleon took away their food so eventually they gave into napoleons demands. In total 12 hens died in their revolution, 9 by starvation and 3, the leaders of the revolution in the terror that napoleon conducted. This again shows that napoleon is willing to kill to retain power, even if it costs a couple of eggs he has to get what he wants and what is apparently good for the farm. It tells me that he dose not care about anyone else until he gets, in this case, his eggs, what he wants. But they’re more than eggs; they will turn into money which will turn into more power, making napoleon even stronger. Yes Napoleon is smart, and yes it was stupid and still is for the animals to follow him. But when did it become necessary to put money and power before blood and your brothers.
So overall Napoleons willingness to distort the truth, to lie and to kill in order to retain and increase his control of Animal Farm is shown mainly threw the terror, the changing of the rules and the hen’s revolution. But what could have sent napoleon on such a greed lust, from the old days of old major, were everyone was equal with no exceptions to the corrupt civilization napoleon now calls animal farm is far beyond me. So we can only hope that the next generation’s leader of animal farm, or Russia, is more like Old major and less like Napoleon.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Chapter 8 Summary
The Battle of the windmill and the mystery of the changing Commandments.
Main events:
There were many discussions between who napoleon should sell the timber to, first Fredrick was the traitor and the pigeons were to spread “death to Fredrick”, then it changed according to napoleons cunning to “death to Pilkington” but the wood was eventually sold to Fredrick.
The Windmill was completed but the machinery still needed to be bought and put on with the wood money.
The money Frederick gave to napoleon for the wood was false, so napoleon put a death sentence on Fredrick.
The next day Fredrick attacked with fifteen men with 6 guns driving the animals back to the farm taking over the windmill, and Pilkington wouldn’t help them out. The humans then used explosives and blew up the windmill so bad it was as if it was never there, so the animals attacked and drove them back losing a cow, three sheep two geese and injuring everyone even napoleon. This was called the battle of the windmill.
The pigs in their celebrating found whisky and the next morning Napoleon appeared to be dying (hangover) so he made alcohol punishable by death but was better the next day. But started work on growing barley to make alcohol.
Squealer was found changing the 7 commandments which was why the animals supposably had bad memories. He changed “No animal shall drink alcohol” to “No animal shall drink alcohol to excess.”
Quotes:
“‘No animal shall kill any other animal with out cause’ Somehow or other the last two words slipped out of the animals memories.” Page 61 Narrator.
“Napoleon was 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 sheepfold, duckling’s friend, and the like” Narrator page 62.
“But at this moment the four pigeons who had been sent out on the day before returned, one of them bearing a scrap of paper from Pilkington. On it was pencilled the words ‘Serves you right.’” Narrator page 69.
“What matter? We will build another windmill. We will build six windmills if we feel like it. You do not appreciate, comrade, the mighty thing that we have done. The enemy was in occupation of this very ground that we stand upon. And now – thanks to the leadership of Comrade Napoleon – we have won every inch of it back again!”
Main events:
There were many discussions between who napoleon should sell the timber to, first Fredrick was the traitor and the pigeons were to spread “death to Fredrick”, then it changed according to napoleons cunning to “death to Pilkington” but the wood was eventually sold to Fredrick.
The Windmill was completed but the machinery still needed to be bought and put on with the wood money.
The money Frederick gave to napoleon for the wood was false, so napoleon put a death sentence on Fredrick.
The next day Fredrick attacked with fifteen men with 6 guns driving the animals back to the farm taking over the windmill, and Pilkington wouldn’t help them out. The humans then used explosives and blew up the windmill so bad it was as if it was never there, so the animals attacked and drove them back losing a cow, three sheep two geese and injuring everyone even napoleon. This was called the battle of the windmill.
The pigs in their celebrating found whisky and the next morning Napoleon appeared to be dying (hangover) so he made alcohol punishable by death but was better the next day. But started work on growing barley to make alcohol.
Squealer was found changing the 7 commandments which was why the animals supposably had bad memories. He changed “No animal shall drink alcohol” to “No animal shall drink alcohol to excess.”
Quotes:
“‘No animal shall kill any other animal with out cause’ Somehow or other the last two words slipped out of the animals memories.” Page 61 Narrator.
“Napoleon was 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 sheepfold, duckling’s friend, and the like” Narrator page 62.
“But at this moment the four pigeons who had been sent out on the day before returned, one of them bearing a scrap of paper from Pilkington. On it was pencilled the words ‘Serves you right.’” Narrator page 69.
“What matter? We will build another windmill. We will build six windmills if we feel like it. You do not appreciate, comrade, the mighty thing that we have done. The enemy was in occupation of this very ground that we stand upon. And now – thanks to the leadership of Comrade Napoleon – we have won every inch of it back again!”
Chapter 6 and 7 Focus Questions.
1. Find the rules broken in Chapter 6. Explain the pig’s justification for breaking these rules.
Conducting n trade and activity with the humans on page 44 when napoleon talks with Mr. Whimper. But napoleon said it was for food and the good of the windmill.
On page 45 when the pigs move into the farmhouse which was considered forbidden. Squealer said that the pigs, being the brain workers of the farm needed a quiet place to think.
Napoleon took on the name “leader” on page 45 when it was that all animals are equal. He took up his name because according to him if he wasn’t around Jones would come back.
The pigs slept in the human beds on page 45 when it was said that they are not allowed to. Squealer simply said that the rule was for no sheets, which were a human invention, but the beds were fine.
2. What happens to the windmill? Who do you think is responsible? Do you believe Napoleon's explanation?The windmill falls down in a violent storm, so the storm is responsible and napoleon is making up things to get the animals more on his side and against snowball so he can stay “leader”.
3. After the Terror, what consoles the animals?Many things do including all the animals huddling together for warmth under the windmill, Clover accepting that she would continue work and napoleons leadership even thought she thought it was better when Jones was around and the group singing of “Beasts of England”.
4. Squealer has a whole new story about the battle of the Cowshed. What is it? Why does Boxer have doubts? How does Squealer deal with this?Squealer says that snowball was a traitor from the beginning, being a secret agent for Jones and in the battle of cow shed he was planning to bring animal farm down, but when the animals asked about how he got shot, it was said that it was all part of the plan to make it look like snowball was good. Also Napoleon was said to be the bravest there because when snowball fled and the animals started to panic napoleon attacked Jones and put everybody in order. Boxer doubts this because he thought Snowball fought bravely and then they gave him “Animal hero, first class” straight after, but squealer says that napoleon has proof on paper documents that snowball was with Jones so boxer believes him.
5. What do the hens do? Why? How is it dealt with? What does this tell you about what Animal Farm has become?The hens refuse to give Napoleon their eggs which would be traded for grain and food so the animals could eat because they believed that it was murder taking that many eggs and possibly chicks. This is dealt with by napoleon taking away their rations killing nine hens until they agreed to napoleons demands. This says that Animal farm is becoming a violent almost dictatorship place to live.
6. Why do so many animals confess? Do you believe their confessions? Why or why not.Because the animals who believed they had done something wrong thought that it was their responsibility to confess about dealing with the traitor, snowball. I don’t believe some of the confessions because they talk about seeing snowball in a dream so it didn’t actually happen, so it wasn’t snowballs fault it was their own.
7. What is Boxer's response to the Terror? What does this tell you about how people responded to a similar situation in Russia?Boxer thinks that it is the animals fault not napoleons so he has to, as usual, work harder to impress Napoleon and make sure that napoleon is on his side. This says that in Russia that people were probably to scared to do anything so they just got back to their normal lives and worked at making Russia a better place.
8. Why is Beasts of England banned?
Because according to squealer a song of the Rebellion and now the rebellion is finally over with Jones, snowball and all the other enemies gone they now live in a better society, not one were their looking for a better society, which “Beasts of England” expresses. So it has no perpose.
Conducting n trade and activity with the humans on page 44 when napoleon talks with Mr. Whimper. But napoleon said it was for food and the good of the windmill.
On page 45 when the pigs move into the farmhouse which was considered forbidden. Squealer said that the pigs, being the brain workers of the farm needed a quiet place to think.
Napoleon took on the name “leader” on page 45 when it was that all animals are equal. He took up his name because according to him if he wasn’t around Jones would come back.
The pigs slept in the human beds on page 45 when it was said that they are not allowed to. Squealer simply said that the rule was for no sheets, which were a human invention, but the beds were fine.
2. What happens to the windmill? Who do you think is responsible? Do you believe Napoleon's explanation?The windmill falls down in a violent storm, so the storm is responsible and napoleon is making up things to get the animals more on his side and against snowball so he can stay “leader”.
3. After the Terror, what consoles the animals?Many things do including all the animals huddling together for warmth under the windmill, Clover accepting that she would continue work and napoleons leadership even thought she thought it was better when Jones was around and the group singing of “Beasts of England”.
4. Squealer has a whole new story about the battle of the Cowshed. What is it? Why does Boxer have doubts? How does Squealer deal with this?Squealer says that snowball was a traitor from the beginning, being a secret agent for Jones and in the battle of cow shed he was planning to bring animal farm down, but when the animals asked about how he got shot, it was said that it was all part of the plan to make it look like snowball was good. Also Napoleon was said to be the bravest there because when snowball fled and the animals started to panic napoleon attacked Jones and put everybody in order. Boxer doubts this because he thought Snowball fought bravely and then they gave him “Animal hero, first class” straight after, but squealer says that napoleon has proof on paper documents that snowball was with Jones so boxer believes him.
5. What do the hens do? Why? How is it dealt with? What does this tell you about what Animal Farm has become?The hens refuse to give Napoleon their eggs which would be traded for grain and food so the animals could eat because they believed that it was murder taking that many eggs and possibly chicks. This is dealt with by napoleon taking away their rations killing nine hens until they agreed to napoleons demands. This says that Animal farm is becoming a violent almost dictatorship place to live.
6. Why do so many animals confess? Do you believe their confessions? Why or why not.Because the animals who believed they had done something wrong thought that it was their responsibility to confess about dealing with the traitor, snowball. I don’t believe some of the confessions because they talk about seeing snowball in a dream so it didn’t actually happen, so it wasn’t snowballs fault it was their own.
7. What is Boxer's response to the Terror? What does this tell you about how people responded to a similar situation in Russia?Boxer thinks that it is the animals fault not napoleons so he has to, as usual, work harder to impress Napoleon and make sure that napoleon is on his side. This says that in Russia that people were probably to scared to do anything so they just got back to their normal lives and worked at making Russia a better place.
8. Why is Beasts of England banned?
Because according to squealer a song of the Rebellion and now the rebellion is finally over with Jones, snowball and all the other enemies gone they now live in a better society, not one were their looking for a better society, which “Beasts of England” expresses. So it has no perpose.
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