Animal Farm Chapter 7 Key Points and Analysis

Animal Farm Chapter 7 Key Points and Analysis ● Farm starts running out of food; rations drastically reduced ● The shortage becomes so serious that Napoleon makes a contract to sell 400 eggs a week to buy grain, until the summer when things will get easier ● The hens try to protest, but Napoleon orders that no hens will receive any food until they cooperate ● After five days and the deaths of nine hens, they give in ● Squealer tells the animals that Snowball has sold himself to Frederick; was in league with Jones from the very start ○ Battle of Cowshed bravery taken away and used against him ○ Napoleon’s battle bravery is hyped up ● Boxer initially refuses to believe this and takes a lot of convincing ● Pigs are forced to falsely confess to conspiracy w/ Snowball (said to be in league with Snowball and immediately killed)

Animal Farm Chapter 7 Allegorical Connections ● Napoleon’s fear of counter-rebellion leads to the execution of other animals ● 1934 : Beginning of the “Great Purges” under Stalin ● Roughly 20 million people were killed during this time ● Stalin's purges contributed to the lack of any political opposition ○ Create fear so that no one challenged his rule ● An indestructible dictatorship formed (Far from communism)

Animal Farm Chapter 7 Key Points and Analysis ● The surviving animals are in shock and huddle together around Clover, who starts crying thinking about how different this is from what they dreamed of before the Rebellion ● Still, she knows that things must be better than they were in Jones's day ● The animals sadly start singing 'Beasts of England' ● Squealer appears with two dogs and tells them the song has been banned ○ “It was a song of the Rebellion. But the Rebellion is now complete. ”— Squealer ○ What’s the real reason for abolishing it?

Animal Farm Chapter 8 Key Points and Analysis Question 1: Napoleon guarded by 4 dogs at night; young pig Pinkeye tastes food in case poisoned Questions 3 and 4: ○ Commandment 6: “No animal shall kill any other animal without cause. ” ○ Commandment 5: “No animal shall drink alcoholto excess. ” (b/c discover case of whiskey in basement after Battle of Windmill)

Animal Farm Chapter 8 Cont. Mr. Frederick (question 2 and allegorical connection) Napoleon agrees to sell pile of timber to him; shows cooperation and teamwork Frederick violates animals’ trust with counterfeit money 1939 : Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact (guaranteed that neither country would attack the other; secret agreement between Stalin and Hitler 1941 : Hitler begins “Operation Barbarossa” Germany attacks Russia at Stalingrad and elsewhere Defies Non-Aggression Pact Hitler moves into Russia but is forced to retreat The Battle of the Windmill (question 2) Frederick and his men invade Animal Farm and blow up windmill Many animals killed; Boxer wounded

Animal Farm Chapter 9 Major Plot Points: Rebuilding of Windmill More lies about Snowball Boxer nearing retirement age (Questions 1 and 2) Differences between pigs and other animals: Get all barley for alcohol Young piglets get education; wear green ribbons on tails; discouraged from playing with other animals Napoleon alone gets sugar Others have rations cut repeatedly; Squealer: uses word “readjustment” of rations, not “reduction”

Animal Farm Chapter 9 Cont. Question 3: Moses returns “Many animals believed him” “Was it not right and just that a better world should exist somewhere else? ” Napoleon thinks Moses’s return will give animals hope for a better life after death (because their physical conditions are so poor right now) Question 4: Boxer taken to the “knacker’s” Represents ultimate betrayal of Stalin’s leadership towards his most loyal supporters Boxer’s death announced; Squealer once again manipulates truth (Boxer died in hospital; repeats his final words or sayings/maxims) Benjamin: “Fools! Do you not see what is written on the side of that van? ”

Animal Farm Chapter 10 Main Events: (Questions 1 and 4) Years pass; farm still only one in England owned by animals many characters have passed away: Mr. Jones, Snowball, Muriel, Jesse Still alive: Napoleon, Clover, Squealer, Benjamin, Moses, Mr. Pilkington Pigs now walk on two legs, carry whips, and wear clothes: starting to resemble humans! (Question 4) Windmill used to mill corn to make money for pigs; farm is prosperous One commandment (Question 2): All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others How has this been true since the beginning?

Animal Farm Chapter 10 Napoleon’s Last Speech and Changes (Question 3): Word “Comrade” no longer used Boar’s skull: no marching past it on Sunday mornings Flag: only green (hoof and horn removed) Name of farm: “The Manor Farm” Sheep adopt new slogan: Four legs good, two legs better Humans visit and inspect farm and praise them; new but shaky relationship between pigs and humans forms Mr. Pilkington “If you have your lower class of animals to contend with, ” he said, “we have our lower classes”

Animal Farm Themes and Final Questions Propaganda as form of control and manipulation “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” Importance of knowledge/danger of ignorance Inevitability of class structure Questions to Consider: 1. Are the animals better off now than with Mr. Jones? Why or why not? 2. What faults of the animals made Old Major’s vision unattainable? 3. What traits of the pigs made Old Major's’ vision unattainable? 4. Who is MOST responsible for the current state of life on Animal Farm? Why?