Animal Farm – Chapter 4



Animal Farm

• On one level, Animal Farm can be viewed as an allegory (ie: extended metaphor) of the Russian Revolution. The characters and situations from the novel correspond directly with actual historical figures and events.

• It can also be viewed as a fable. Two important characteristics of a fable are: 1) It reinforces a universal truth and teaches a lesson, and: 2) It often features animals as characters. Think of The Tortoise and the Hare. That is a fable – animal characters teaching an important lesson.

• George Orwell thought that “Revolutions” often never really lived up to their lofty promises. Most times, they simply replaced one dictator with another (revolutions can occur when people are deeply dissatisfied with current conditions, but their political system doesn’t allow change). The events of Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution are not unique. They could parallel the story of any political situation where tyranny and corruption affect everyday people.

• Orwell was deeply distrustful of non-democratic societies. Power, he believed, could have a very corrupting influence on people-and the more power you have, the more likely you will be corrupted. He also believed that democracies could become corrupt as well, so citizens always had to be vigilant.

Chapter One

• The Manor Farm is owned by Mr. Jones (who represents Czar Nicholas). The large, prize winning pig named Old Major (representing Karl Marx and / or Nikolai Lenin) called the animals together. He gives a speech on the hardships farm animals endure, all at the hands of man. He also speaks of the dreams he has had. Major argues that if man were removed, animals could manage their own affairs and be much better off. The motto is clear: anything with four legs (or wings) is a friend. Anything on two legs is an enemy.

• There is also a list of commandments by which the animals should abide. Each one reflects a negative quality, or vice, often seen in humans. The animals are told they must strive to differentiate themselves from humans.

• There is also a song recited, called “Beasts of England.” It is an emotional song, filled with images of a prosperous future; a future without hunger or hardship, without slavery or cruelty. It is a song of hope, meant to spur the animals to action, and keep them from surrender.

Chapter 2

• Led primarily by the pigs, the animals meet secretly to learn all about Animalism. The horses were “Their most faithful disciples” (11).

• The pigs don’t appreciate the stories told by Moses the Raven. He speaks of a place called “Sugar Candy Mountain,” where all the animals go when they die.

• The hungry animals, neglected by Jones and the farmhands, finally break into the feed shed. When the humans attempt to drive the animals away, the animals fight back, driving the humans from the farm.

• All equipment used by the humans on the animals was disposed of. They walked through the farmhouse and marveled at how people lived. “All were agreed that no animal must ever live there” (14). The name was changed from “Manor Farm” to “Animal Farm.”

• “Never mind the milk, comrades!” (16). This foreshadows the type of leadership the pigs will provide. Also, note how the pigs taught themselves to read and write, and how Animalism has been reduced to seven commandments.

Chapters 3

• The pigs don’t do any actual work-they only direct and supervise. At the meetings, only pigs put forward any resolutions (topics for debate and discussion).

• Napoleon and Snowball disagree over everything (foreshadowing).

• The harness room is set aside for the use of the pigs. This is symbolic. The harness room is where Jones kept the things he used to enslave the animals.

• Napoleon decides that education is especially important for the young. Therefore, he takes the puppies and puts them into isolation in order to “educate” them.

Squealer’s Use of Propaganda: Propaganda is the manipulation and control of language. It is something that every successful totalitarian regime uses, but it is also present in democratic countries as well.

• Faulty Cause and Effect Reasoning: “Milk and apples are brain food…pigs are brainworkers.” There is no scientific basis for either claim, despite claims that it has been “proven by science.”

• Euphemism: soften the true meaning of something by using different words. A food “reduction” becomes a food “re-adjustment” (we’ll see this later in the novel).

• Oversimplification: Gloss over the true meaning; destroy any chance for debate (“four legs good, two legs bad”).

• Emphasize Conformity: Something is correct because everyone else thinks so.

Other Ways to Maintain Control:

• Create and Maintain Fear of an Absent Enemy: “Jones will come back.”

• Manipulate Education. Isolate and indoctrinate.

Chapter 4

Pigeons: a symbol of Soviet propaganda. The Soviets (indeed, all communists) would like to brag about the superiority of their system of government. In the early days, the Soviets would send agents to other countries, spreading positive news about Communism-though the things they said were never verified by outside agencies.

Foxwood Farm = England / Pinchfield Farm = Germany

Both farms (nations) had a dislike for Animal Farm (the USSR). However, they were on perpetually bad terms with each other.

During the Battle of the Cowshed, Snowball leads the animal forces and is slightly wounded. Note that no mention is made of Napoleon. If he was present at all, his participation was minimal.

Boxer strikes down a stable boy. His reaction helps characterize him. He was incredibly concerned and upset with himself, tearfully exclaiming: “I have no wish to take life, not even human life” (28). Note the contrast with Snowball: “No sentimentality, comrade! The only good human is a dead one” (28).

Chapter 5

Mollie: She does not benefit from the revolution. For Mollie, life with Jones was actually comfortable. She had access to sugar (symbolizing luxuries) and ribbons (symbolizing material wealth / superficiality). Under “Animalism,” she has none of these, plus she is expected to work. We know she still wants these things (recall her actions in the farmhouse, plus the hoarding of goods). Eventually, she leaves – preferring the company of humans. Under the rule of the Czars, some people were well off. After the revolution, they lost their special status. Many of these so-called elites eventually fled the country.

The pigs now decide all matters of farm policy, though Snowball and Napoleon disagree over everything.

Snowball is the better speaker, but Napoleon is better at organizing.

Sheep = stereotype of mindless following. They interrupt Snowball’s speeches with “Four legs good, two legs bad.”

The windmill is a symbol of the Soviet Union’s attempt to industrialize.

The nine puppies taken for “special instruction” are re-introduced. They have become a vicious and fearsome group of enforcers. They chase Snowball off the farm.

Changes to the meetings are introduced, and Squealer is responsible for justifying and explaining the changes.

The task of discrediting Snowball and smearing his reputation begins.

The pigs use the skull of Old Major in the way the Soviets used the body of Lenin – on public display.

Chapter 6

Old Major, the inspiration for the Animalism movement, had warned the animals back in Chapter One to never do the following:

• Live in a house

• Sleep in a bed

• Touch money

• Engage in trade

• Wear clothes

• Drink alcohol

• Smoke tobacco

“All the habits of man are evil.”

• As the pigs gain more power, they become more corrupt.

• The animals are over-worked, used, threatened and lied to.

• Snowball is blamed for the Windmill collapse. Napoleon uses Snowball to deflect responsibility, much like Stalin did with Trotsky.

• Remember, Napoleon can represent any leader who is greedy, ruthless and manipulative. All such leaders use the same tactics.

Chapter 7

Napoleon insisted that the windmill be rebuilt immediately. Why?

• The animals must be kept busy. Keeping them occupied by building something that will supposedly make their lives easier will distract them from the fact that they are cold, miserable and hungry.

• The pigs believe it is very important to maintain the appearance of productivity and success. They do not want the outside world to think of them as weak. This applies to all aspects of the farm.

There isn’t much food. Napoleon decides to use Mr. Whymper (their new broker) to spread news to the contrary. They made sure that he “overheard” the animals talking about the abundance of food. They also made it appear that the food bins were full (which they were not), and made sure he saw them while passing through the farm on business. He then spread this false information to others (50).

Boxer and Clover never lose heart. Their hard work and example inspired the animals. The pigs continue to do very little actual work, though Squealer gives passionate speeches about “the joy of service and the dignity of labour” (49).

Since the animals are nearly starving, Napoleon decides that the hens’ eggs must be sold.

Note: Napoleon doesn’t even appear at meetings anymore. Decisions are made in private and are passed out to the other animals through Squealer. This change in the meeting structure was gradual, but significant:

• At first, all animals meet and discuss issues.

• Soon, all animals meet, but pigs do most of the talking

• Then, all decisions are made by the pigs, who dominate the meetings

• Most pigs, notably Napoleon, don’t even attend meetings

The hens rebel: note Napoleon’s angry response, which is against the commandments (any animal helping the hens would be killed). Before the protest is over, a number of hens die from starvation.

Snowball is used as a scapegoat. The pigs know that the animals need an outside enemy to fear and hate. If not, they may reason that there are problems with the pigs’ leadership. The animals eventually believe it and go along, partly because Snowball is not there to refute things. Also, Boxer believes that “if Napoleon says it, it must be right.” The animals have a tremendous respect for Boxer. The pigs recognize this, and realize that manipulating Boxer is very important.

Snowball is discredited through lies and false accusations.

Boxer is uneasy when hearing the accusations levelled against Snowball. In his own way, he resists the pigs’ attempt at revisionist history. The reaction of Squealer foreshadows what is to come.

Why did the animals confess to being traitors?

• The four pigs had previously questioned Napoleon’s decisions. They may have even been contacted by Snowball – or perhaps are former supporters of him. However, their “confessions” seem coerced and not really plausible. They probably don’t expect to be killed, as there is supposed to be a commandment against that.

• The hens step forward to admit that they had dreams of Snowball directing them to disobey Napoleon. Why would they admit to this? Perhaps they could no longer take the oppression; maybe they were damaged psychologically.

• Confessions by the other animals seem exaggerated and silly. For some, death may have been a welcome release from the pain and suffering of life on Animal Farm. There is also a certain amount of mass hysteria contributing to all this – and history shows that people in such situations have been known to react irrationally.

• After it was all over, “…the air was heavy with the smell of blood, which had been unknown there since the expulsion of Jones” (57).

• Note how the dogs, seeming hysterical having tasted blood, go after Boxer. He easily repels them, and is actually spoken to “sharply” by Napoleon.

• As the animals sit bewildered in the aftermath, Boxer concludes that the fault must somehow lay in them. His solution is to work even harder.

• Though she lacks the words to articulate her feelings, Clover feels hurt and betrayed. The vision of Old Major seemed so far away.

Beasts of England is banned. The animals have always taken comfort in singing it. However, the pigs claim it is a song of revolution. Since the revolution was achieved, they say, there is no longer any need for a rebel song. Actually, they probably worry that the animals may come to realize the pigs are just as bad as the people, and use the song as a springboard into another revolution.

Chapter 8

The pigs manipulate production figures to “prove” to the animals that the farm is actually prosperous.

Napoleon is becoming more and more like a typical dictator:

• Rarely seen in public

• Always surrounded by security

• Has an entourage

• Private quarters

• Food tasters (paranoia), fine china

• His birthday = public celebration

• Titles added to his name (“Terror of Mankind”)

Beasts of England has been banned, and replaced with Comrade Napoleon. In the former, the word “beasts” is repeated a number of times. This emphasizes the group of animals, focusing on the collective good and the common welfare. The latter is actually ironic, in that it is a parody of Napoleon’s real behaviour (he is not a friend, he doesn’t bring happiness, the animals are not well fed nor are they at peace).

Comrade Napoleon is also a piece of propaganda, reinforcing Napoleon’s power and control (“Like the sun in the sky...Thou watchest over all...”)

Napoleon is greedy and actually fools himself. He agrees at first to sell the lumber to Pilkington, but instead betrays his neighbour. He then offers it to Frederick at an inflated price. However, Frederick paid with fake money. When Frederick later attacked the farm, Pilkington would not help.

The Battle of the Windmill: The windmill is destroyed, and many animals are killed or injured (Boxer has also been injured – this is significant). Despite this, the pigs celebrate it as a victory.

Napoleon “was directing operations from the rear” (70).

The pigs experiment with alcohol (another broken commandment). They soon embrace it.

The animals hear a noise, and find Squealer sprawled on the ground at the foot of the wall where the commandments are written, next to a broken ladder and an overturned bucket of paint. Only Benjamin seemed to grasp the meaning, but wouldn’t explain his thoughts to the others. It was soon noticed that there was another commandment that the animals had “remembered wrong” (73): That no animal shall drink alcohol to excess.

The pigs are obviously changing the commandments whenever it suits them. The animals have been conditioned to accept the pigs’ words and actions, and therefore don’t see a connection.

Chapter 9

Boxer is growing older, but still continues to work very hard. All of the animals actually work harder than ever, but are given less food. The pigs call it a “readjustment,” and use all sorts of figures to show the animals that they are well off.

Moses is allowed to return, and although the pigs still insist his stories are nonsense, they give him a ration of beer everyday. The beer is a symbol of corruption. The indication here is that the pigs are rewarding Moses with illicit material. Moses and his stories are now useful to the pigs. He can distract them from their difficult lives.

Boxer finally injures himself due to his incredible workload. He is sold to the knackers, and the pigs use the money to buy whiskey. Squealer tells the animals that no expense was spared in an attempt to save Boxer. He even goes so far as to say that Boxer’s last words were a reminder that Napoleon was always right. These are all lies. Only Benjamin realizes this, and it is tragic.

For a long time, Benjamin knew what the pigs were doing, but chose not to get involved. He was very cynical. However, he lost his dear friend, and now must surely regret his inaction. This demonstrates the price of cynicism. Cynics make excuses for not getting involved. In Benjamin’s case, he expected that Napoleon’s leadership would be no better than that of Jones. Therefore, he didn’t get involved because he believed he wouldn’t be directly affected. If he did at an earlier stage, things might have turned out differently.

Chapter 10

Most of the animals that were involved in the rebellion are now dead. The farm is prosperous, and the Windmill is operational. However, it isn’t used to provide electricity for the animals. Instead, it powers a corn milling machine that makes money for the pigs.

Napoleon tells the animals that true happiness comes from “working hard and living frugally.”

The pigs spend countless hours typing up reports and preparing documents that all end up getting destroyed. This demonstrates how utterly useless the pigs are, though they consume more than all the other animals. This is shown by their general increase in size.

The animals don’t realize the extent of their oppression. They are still proud to be part of a well run farm that doesn’t have people. The dream of Animalism “...was still believed in” (85), though they aren’t exactly sure when this dream will be achieved.

Note how the animals rationalized their condition (Rationalize = make excuses for things that are questionable). They were hungry? Well, at least it wasn’t because all the food went to humans. They were overworked? At least it was work for their own interests, and not for people.

They do not recognize that the pigs had become the oppressors. They still believed that all animals were comrades. However, they are shocked to see the pigs walking upright. There are also a number of other strange behaviours from the pigs:

• They all carried whips

• They wore clothes

• They installed a telephone

• They subscribed to newspapers

These were all things that people would do. The commandments have been changed to justify the pigs’ actions

“All animals are equal...but some animals are more equal than others.”

This is a contradictory statement. It has been true for a while, but now the pigs are confident enough to state it publically – because they’ve convinced the other animals to accept it.

At the meeting with the neighbouring farmers, Napoleon outlines all the changes made to the farm. All traces of the rebellion have been removed; even the old name has been reintroduced, as the farm was to be called “Manor Farm” again. There are no differences between humans and pigs.

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