Choose ONE of the following questions that we discussed in class today to respond to. The questions are listed below. Identify which question you are choosing to respond to by writing the question number. Answer using specific references to the book (page numbers and quotations). Respond in paragraph form (responses should be thorough and well-thought out ).
This blog is due no later than 8am, Tuesday October 2.
1. Compare and contrast Napoleon and Snowball. What techniques do they use in their struggle for power? Does Snowball represent a morally legitimate political alternative to the corrupt leadership of Napoleon? (i.e., is Snowball a good leader, or just better than Napoleon?)
2. Why do you think Orwell chose to use an allegory in his condemnation of Soviet communism? Fiction would seem a rather indirect method of political commentary; if Orwell had written an academic essay, he could have named names, pointed to details, and proven his case more systematically. What different opportunities of expression does an allegory offer its author?
3. From whose perspective is Animal Farm told? Why would Orwell have chosen such a perspective?
4. How does Orwell explore the problem of rhetoric in Animal Farm? Paying particular attention to the character of Squealer, how is language used as an instrument of social control? How do the pigs rewrite history?
5. Discuss Boxer. What role does he play on the farm? Why does Napoleon seem to feel threatened by him? In what ways might one view the betrayal of Boxer as an alternative climax of the novel (if we consider Napoleon’s banishment of Snowball and the pigs’ initial consolidation of power as the true climax)?
6. Do you think Animal Farm’s message would come across effectively to someone who knows nothing about Soviet history or the conflict between Stalin and Trotsky? What might such a reader make of the story?
7. Of all of the characters in Animal Farm, are there any who seem to represent the point of view of the author? Which of the animals or people do you think come(s) closest to achieving Orwell’s perspective on Animal Farm?
6. In my opinion, someone reading this book, without knowing of the Stalin and Trotsky conflict, or any background knowledge of the Soviet revolution, they would not fully understand the true meaning of Animal Farm.
ReplyDeleteA reader without any of this knowledge would think that Animal Farm was about animals taking over a farm and having pigs as leaders. In the end, the pigs become very corrupt and cruel just like the previous owner of the farm. As a result, readers will think that this story is about corruption and a communistic type of government. The readers will realize that Animal Farm is a story in which the citizens have limited rights and their leaders are corrupt and do not care about the rights of their citizens.
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ReplyDeleteThe question that I am going to discuss is #1. First of all, Snowball and Napoleon are both very corrupt leaders. They both have their bad sides, but I think that Snowball would definitely be the better leader of the two. Napoleon and Snowball are both two intelligent pigs that are manipulating the other animals and trying to gain power over the farm. They both are not entirely honest, and they also are abusing the power that they have already been given. Snowball, unlike Napoleon, is focusing on the whole farm. “He formed the Egg Production Committee for the hens, the Clean Tails League for the cows, the Wild Comrades’ Re-education Committee (the object of this was to tame the rats and rabbits), the Whiter Wool Movement for the sheep, and the various others besides instituting classes in reading and writing” (23). Napoleon only cared about the younger generation and focused completely on them. “He said that the education of the young was more important than anything that could be done for those who were already grown up” (25). Overall, both of the pigs aren’t the best of leaders, but Snowball is definitely much better than Napoleon.
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ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Napoleon is more forceful towards the animals on Animal Farm while Snowball is more caring. I think Snowball tries to help the other animals' needs, but he makes sure that everyone is treated equally. Both pigs are clever and sometimes decieving. I believe that Snowball is a better leader than Napoleon. However, I don't think he is a good leader. Snowball looks out for the animals by coming up with the Windmill and his idea of keeping them warm during the winter. He also created the Clean Tails League for the cows, and he had an idea to tame the other animals out of Animal Farm (for rats, rabbits, etc.) called the Wild Comrades' Re-Educaton Committee. Napoleon was more focused on the future and planned ahead. I think he only cared for the younger animals (such as the dogs) instead of the grown up animals on the farm. Snowball is a better leader, but I don't think he's better than Jones.
The question I am going to answer is number 5. Boxer plays the role of the person that everyone looks up to. He is strong and leads everyone through the hardest work. He is very strong, which i think contributes a lot because a lot of the animals might have wanted to be like him and have as much respect he does. I think Napoleon feels threatened by him because since everyone looks up to Boxer, he could easily form an alliance against him. Another reason why he might feel threatened is because Boxer could easily take over because he is so strong and in the book it tells you how Boxer fought of the dogs when Napoleon ordered them to attack him and kill him. I think the betrayal of Boxer could easily be the climax because he would have all the other animals on his side and it would cause such a conflict that it would be one of the more important parts in the book.
ReplyDelete3. From whose perspective is Animal Farm told? Why would Orwell have chosen such a perspective?
ReplyDeleteGeorge Orwell chose to use a third person point of view for Animal Farm. This point of view allows the readers to see into the minds of all of the characters and to understand what they are thinking, or even what is motivating their actions. We as readers see more and understand more than the actual animals on the farm because we can see what Napolean and Squealer are actually planning. For example, in Chapter 3, last page, the pigs used the milk and apples as brain food, but they claimed if they didn't get brain food, Mr. Jones would come back because they wouldn't be able to think. They claimed that science had proved that milk and apples contained substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. The reader knows the real motivation of these pigs, but the animals do not. We also know that Boxer is used by Orwell in this fashion, too. The readers know how Boxer feels about himself, but also the reader knows what the pigs think about him. This third person point of view is omniscient in that we know what every character is thinking. This omniscient point of view, third person, allows Orwell to move more freely to help us see, hear, and know whatever it is that Orwell wants us to focus on.
The question I have chosen is number 1.Snowball came up with many ways to help the animals. For instance he, "busied himself with organising the other animals into what he called Animal Committees(32)." While, "Napoleon produced no schemes of his own, but said quietly that Snowball's ideas would come to nothing(48)." Napoleon also only cared about the education of the young animals, while Snowball thought that whether they were old or young, they should be educated. To gain power, Snowball tries to help the other animals to gain power. But, Napoleon uses persuasion to gain power. Overall, Snowball is not a great leader, but is still a better one than Napoleon.
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ReplyDeleteSnowball and Napoleon are dictators, both want complete power of the farm and will try anything to do so. Snowball would definitely be a better leader for the animals. Napoleon is very persuasive and as you can see is a true politician. He knows all the tricks in the book so that he can easily change their minds into believing that everything is fine and if they continue to support him nothing but good will come out of it. Now, as Snowball was a main character is run out of the farm forcefully by Napoleons dogs but while he was mentioned you could tell that he truly cared for the animals and their well-being, he wanted nothing more than the farm to prosper and stay in good health along the way. In my opinion, I personally like Snowball better and he would in this case help the farm much more than Napoleon did.
I have chosen to answer question number one. I beleive Napolean is a corrupt leader. However, Snowball is not a perfect leader either. The book mentions them in chapter three the first paragraph. "But the pigs were so clever they could think of a way around every difficulty." As you can tell, all the pigs were lazy and cunning. Napolean and Snowball were both guilty of tricking the animals to get what they want. Yet you can tell that Snowball truly does want what is best for the farm. You can also obvserve that Snowball wants to teach all the animals, even the old ones. On the other hand, Napolean wants to only teach the young animals and to do away with the old animals. In conclusion, both pigs are not the greatest leaders. However, Snowball is a much better leader for the other animals.
ReplyDeleteI chose to answer number 3. Animal farm seems to be from the perspective of some kind of narrator. It can’t be from the perspective of one of one of the animals because it never talks about itself. It just talks about all the animals, Jones, ect. It never picks any sides and it never expresses its own emotion. It simply just tells the story. I think that George Orwell chose to write the story this way so we wouldn’t be worried about what’s happening to whoever is telling the story. in my opinion, it is much easier to fallow a story that way.
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ReplyDeleteI think that Snowball is a better leader because he has better traits, he has good leadership and does a lot of the work around the farm, he is smarter and more efficient than Napoleon. Napoleon is a good leader but does not have the same good traits as Snowball. He always gets easily carried away and he is also very selfish and not as efficient. But the other animals think that he is a better leader because he is cunning, and it led the animals to think that they could trust him.
ReplyDeleteI have chosen to answer question number 6. Personally, I think that the message about Soviet History would not come across very effectively while reading Animal Farm to someone who knows nothing about it. I think a person who reads this that is not very educated will just assume it’s a fictional story. I think they will understand what Napoleon is trying to do with the animals, and being corrupt, but not that this story is an allegory making it easier to understand the history of the Soviets. I am not saying that this is bad; but that it might be confusing what to relate this story to for the majority of the readers. They will realize important things (but not crucial) about the pigs by reading in chapter three ‘’But the pigs were so clever they could think of a way around every difficulty.” It is great that the readers realize stuff like this about the pigs , but they are not getting the big picture of Animal Farm.
I am answering question 1. I believe that Snowball is definitely a better leader than Napoleon. I also believe that he would be a great ruler for the farm. Just like every leader, there will be some downfalls to having them in power. Snowball was far more caring than Napoleon, and he actually wanted what was best for the farm, verses Napoleon who wanted to be leader just because he wanted all the power. Even though he is not the best, Snowball shows his leadership in mostly the Battle of Cowshed. While Napoleon was nowhere to be found, he proved to everyone that there would have been no battle without him. So honestly, I think that Snowball would have been the most fit for leading the farm.
ReplyDeleteI am answering number 1. Napoleon and Snowball both share the quality of leadership. However, they had different skills and intentions on how the farm should be led. Napoleon was not a very good leader. He thought and cared more about himself and did not think he had to follow any rules. Snowball cared more about what was best for the farm. Snowball, though, was not a perfect leader. He was just a better leader than napoleon. Napoleon used manipulation to deceive the animals. He was very cunning. He had to get the other animals to believe he was the better leader and that he would do what was best. Eventually, he ran Snowball off the farm. That left Napoleon with no more competition and the other animals had no choice but to follow Napoleon as he led their farm.
ReplyDeleteI am answering #7.Benjamin is the only animal in my opinion that relates to George Orwell. Benjamin just sits back, watches, and goes along with it. He keeps a account of what is going on in his head. He does this so that he can tell future generations about what happened.
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