l NEW LONGMAN LITERATUR: Animal Farm "aa New LONGMAN LirERAtURé titles provide an excellent selection of popalar modern fiction and are sulable for 14-18 year olds of al bilities 4 Pee ere eA oT tey r= Reece enor ever ttn A ee eee required at GCSE ir is Ce ee ete ere I further reading ahd a comprehensive glossary, (3 2 SE ee en Fy Pe ear eet er Tr ay Ee Png ee ent eetIntroduction ‘About the author George Orval (hose real name was Eric Ba) was bom in ina in 1903. Hs father was among the privileged officals who ran India wen it was sil part ofthe Britsh Empire. Orwell wes sent to England to be educated at Eton, one af the most prestigious public schools, an experence he didnot enjoy He retured to Ind ane from 1922 to 1928 served in Burma aba member ofthe Indian imperial Police, Again, this was an experience he dsked, though it dd provide him with mateial for some of his eat ‘ting. By the end ofthe 1920s, he was back mn Europe, working 152 dishwasher in Paris and asa schoo! teacher in England in 3 Series of -pald jobs, The nvels and accaunts he wrote during the 1930s describe these experiences among the underprivileged an unemployed classes he met on his journeys thugh France and England, and indude a string documentary on the Lancashire miners in The Road 10 Wigan Pe In 1935 the Spanish Civil War broke out between the ruling Republican government ard the righting Fascist rebels the newly marred Grell and his wie he so many scalists, went ta Spain to fight for the Republicans. He was wounded an! tured to ngland. When the Second World War broke out, One served inthe Home Guard (Dads Army) whist working 2 2 jouralst and - brosdasto for the BBC. In 1985, atthe end ofthe ar, he pubshed Animal Farm, which was an instant and enormous success world wide, a5 would be his final nov, ineteen fight Four, pullshed in 1949, He did nat have much tne to enjoy his fame fore was taken serious I ad ied in London in January 1950, Until 1945 Anima Farm was the only book Orwell had ven that had made him ary money. Now i has became ane ofthe mostInfluential classics of twenteth-centuy Heratue. tt has been translated into many languages, adapted for radio anc! mad into a igh successful carton fim, Why Orwell wrote George Orval had aways wanted to wit: From a very ealy age, perhaps the age of fe oF Si knew that when | grew up shoul bea water Between the ages of about Seventeen and twenty-four | ed abandon ths idea, but oe 0 with the consciousness that | was outaging my tue nature {and that sooner of later | would have to sit down and write books He began writing Animal Farm in 1983, but did nt find it 234, aiming that he “seated” overt yet Orwell knew that he must write it he had to make people aware of the truth about Communism and dictatorships. (Unt recent, Communism as 2 widely held poltical theory which promoted class war ae the public ownership ofall property) Al his Me had been isang up to the wing of Animal Farm. As he sai donot thnk one can asses writers motives without knowing someting of hs ealy development So ne can see ftom ths quotation that many of his previous experiences have had an enormous influence an Animal arm. Hs work in the trian Imperial Pole, which he said was “an unsuitable profession Increased my natural hated of authoty and made me for the ‘iste are ofthe ensence ofthe working clas. We can see here the views that were to be given lite in the characters of the authoritarian Mr Jones, Napoleon and the dovrrden animals on the farm. 1 as hi experience in the Spanish Chil War, however that was to give Onvell one of his major incentives to rte Ania arm: The Spanish war and other events in 1936-7 tured the sale and thereafter | krew shee | std. Ever line of serious work that [have writen since 1936 has been writen, recy or indirect, agains totaltalansm and for democratic socatsm 25 understand it ln Spain, Orval sa, at fist hand, totalitarian police methods and, late, when he came to study the Communist accounts ‘of what had happened during that wax e saw how they twisted ‘and stored the truth to sit ther own purposes. Squealer, Napoleon mouthpiece, was bom out ofthese experiences In 1943, the Bish people wee ful of admiation for the bravery ‘ofthe Russians, led bythe Communit dctatr, Stalin. They were tighting aganet the Germans who had ivaced their county The British were dazaled by this heroism and could not see any of the faults of Communism. Orne knew these faults only t00 well because of his experiences in Spain, He was alo worried that at home the Brtsh Communists were preventing the truth about Stalin and Russia from being made known tothe people. Anima! Farr was tobe Orwell ax callto Britain and the word. As he sid When | it downto write a book... write it because thee is Same le that | want to expose, some fact to whic | want 1 craw attenton, and my nial cance is to get a hearing ‘ut what gave Onell the idea of exposing the le about Stalin and Communism trough the story af a rebel led by some pigs on 2 farm? Because he thought i so important to reveal the truth ‘about Communism, he wanted to find a way of teing the sory ‘hat was simple enough tobe understood by everyone. He es us that whist he was Iving ina smal county village he once saw alarge carthorse being criven along a narow path by a small boy with whip. This gave him ris idea: ‘it struck me that nly such animals becarne aware of their strength we should have no power over them, and that we ‘exploit animals in much the same way as the rch expt the proletariat the working clases ‘This was just the spur he needed and these ideas developed Into the theme of Animal Farm and particularly the story of Boxer ‘Orwell tked animals, though he was not sentimental bout them inthe way that many British adore tei ets. For Orwell, as one of| his fends remarked: ‘animals, children and appressed people stond on one side, and ‘the oppressors, whether they were farmers, schoo teachers, sahibs [Bish rulers in inca or party bosses, on the other. 0, we can see that it was quite natural for him to write fis polucal story in the form of an animal fable What Orwell said about writing Ania Farm se} 0 read, Orwell worked hard to make itso. He ‘was very aware that dictators manipulate the way peopl tink by controling language. You may think, a5 Orwell does, that ‘political speech and wtiog ae largely the defence ofthe ndefensibie' and ‘that ‘gota languages designed 10 make is sound wuthful and murder respectable’. He was very concerned thatthe language he used should be as dear and open a5 possible because the sloveniness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish ‘thoughts. in anavel thats so much concerned to expose the way that tain andl detators use propaganda tnersusding people by ‘isting the truth, Orel was determined 1 make what he wrote a fee from sheer cloudy vaguenes’ ashe could. He succeeded Setting the scene The main setting for Animal Farm is, of course, the farm itself, ‘where the rebelion of the animals against the tyanvical rue of Mr Jones takes place. Unlike many farsi Britain today, Manor Farm was a smal maed one of the type that Onvell would have ben familar with. It kept every species of farm animal, though notin lage numbers. osay, however, thatthe book tls the story ‘of an animal rebelion is true, but such an account would fall ‘woetuly short of what the book s really about. Because Orwell based is fable on the events during and after the Russian revolution of 1917, we need to understand what tok place in Russa at that time. In 1917, the absokite ruler ofthe Russian peaple, ar Nichola ‘was overthrown and there was thus 2 great opportunity to free the ‘workers and peasants from both poverty and tyranny and to allow them to share in ther own government, However, the nest ity years of Russian History tela story ofthe betrayal ofthese ideals ‘andthe replacement of one tyranny by another ‘There were many efferent groups of evautionates, but all of them wete inspired by the Communist teachings of Kart Man, who hal ded n 1883, immediate fllowing the revolution, cil ‘war broke out between the revlutionaies and it was the Red ‘Army of the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin (1870-1924) and Toisky (1879-1940) who triumphed, despite intewertion foe foreign ‘governments (including Britain) who were afraid that the revolutionary ideals might spread to ther counts. The Soviet Union, as Russia was row renamed, tied rapidly to modems is indusuy and its agriuiture, but after the death ff Lenin, there was a power struggle fr leadership between Joset Stalin, the General Secretary of the Communist Party, and TWotsky. Fotsty was a bellant intellectual, but lacked the ruthlessness and cunning of Stain ard he was finally driveninto eile in 1929 and met his death by being stabbed with an ice pick by one of Stalins agents in Mexico. Stain was aw the undisputed leader ofthe Soviet Union, backed up by his feared secret pole, the KGB, and he was determined to ‘modernise the agriutute and indus ofthe county ro matter what the cost to his people. Contitions grew steady worse: people were forced to work on industrial rejects; food became increasingly shor; no opposition to Stalin's polis was tolerated and he became more and more brutal and paranoid, exoeling Party members, sending people to labour camps in Sibeia or ‘evecuting them after shaw tale where they confessed to imaginary crimes, Al he ils ofthe country were blamed on the “Tats. In 1939, Hitler, the Nazi dxator of Germany, signed a nn: ‘sagesson pact withthe Savt Union This was @ major surprise, because up to tis time, Germany had been the Sovet Unions ‘reatest enemy. The rest ofthis was that Hitler was fre to ight The Secand World War without having to woery about being attacked fom the east. When, in 1941, Hitler broke this pact anc Imaded and conquered vast tracts of the Soviet Union, Stain Joined the alles ian and the Unite States in thei ight against Germany. After immerse suffering and the deaths of millons of Russians, the German invaders were expel from Russian sol and Stalin vas thus able to take his place at the international conference at which the victors celebrated thelr success. ‘Unde Joe’ Stalin as he was known, and the Russian people had become heroes inthe eyes of many in tain and the United States, but they were ignorant ofthe brutality and tyanny that lay behind Stains Communist regime. It was at thi point that Orwell sat down to wrte Arima Frm ‘Main characters It willbe clear, then, that some of the main animal characters represent important figures in the sory ofthe Russian revolution and its aftermath. Old Major, the boar whose speech about “Animals leads to the eben, stands for a combination of Marx land Lenin, the two thinkers whose ideas developed into Communism The vary between Stalin and Tosky is paralleled by the rvaly between Napoleon and Snowball, Neither would agree with each other. proposals and ideas about how the rebellon should proceed, but Napoleon evertualy wiumphed because of Snowballs increasing obsession with his plans for ‘the Windmill and because Napoleon had been secret traning Jesse and Bluebel’s puppis as his brutal agents of contol (the GB), Snowball, ke Tsk, was driven into exile, leaving the way fee for Napoleon, lke Stalin, to become more and more Salish, brutal and eietatoral Napoleon & helped by Squealer, whose jb itis to justly and explain away the changes Napoleon makes to the running ofthe farm. Squealer les, tls half-truths, braimwashes the animals, particulary the sheep, ard rewrites the commandments. Though he does not represent ary one person, Squeae stands fo ll the methods of propaganda that Stain used in ener ta bolster his positon a unchalengeable leader ofthe Soviet Union. No one on| ‘Animal Farm dares to o° can argue with Squealer, though the stubborn donkey, Benjamin eases exctiy wat is happening. OF the other animal, itis Boxer who is the most important. He represents atype of worker known asa Stakhanovite (named ater 8 legendary Soviet mine?) who unthinkingly worked and worked for the good of the new ration but did not reals that he was being exploited. Though we might adie ad pty Boxe, to some ett eis abo responsible for maintaining Napoleon in power “Two other animals, Molie and Moses stand for portant Russian Institutions, Molle, Mr Jones avourke, represents the pampered_2rstocacy who fled abroad after the reolution, whereas Moses represents the Russian Orthodox Church, inal banned by Stain, tut then encourage by him to boost the morale ofthe people is important to note that whist the animals do represent incviduals, groups or insutions, they do retan some of the ‘characteris traditionally gen 10 animal in stories and fables For example, sheep are vadiionaly seen as stupid, donkeys 25 stubborn ard pigs as some of the deverest of animals. Of the humans in the book, the Jones represent the Romanovs (the Tsar {and his family) and the capitalists (people sho yphold thatthe ‘economy shoud depend on invested private capital and profit taking), whist Federck and Pikington represent Germany and Britain, spectively. Main themes ‘We have already seen that one of Orval’ main themes in Animal Farm is the stoy of the Russian revolution and his dese to ‘alert readers in Britain and the Urited States to is realy. Why, then, did he not ge Napoleon ether an English name, a5 he «lid with most of the other animals, or even a Rusian one? The name that he ci give to his dominant pig ison that gies us an insight into Orwels wider concer in the back. Napoleon was the name ofthe emperor f France who came to power fllowing the French evelution in 1789 and who became ane ofthe mast feared men inthe Worl, because of his dese to conquer all Europe. swith Hitler, Napoleons decison to invade Rusia Gin 1812) would ultimately become the fist of soveral disasters, leading 10 his downfall thee years ater at the bate of Water. Through his choice of this name forthe ectator of Animal Far, COnvel is making clear not only the paral between Napoleon and Stalin, but is indicating that his main theme inthe book i ‘dctatorship in alts forms. This is what the book warns us about, rot just about the rise to power of one dictator. Ii about all sdctatos. How then do dictators rise to power and maintain ths power? in the book Napoleon shows us how. He begins by being part of Powerful oxgansation (the pig elt), buts selfish and determined the keeps the milk fo himself) he bulls up @ group of followers and eects all who argue against him (the four young porkers or ‘who are powerful hls Snowball. He maintains power trough ‘error the dogs andthe executions and by manipulating the truth and controling history through propaganda and the media (Squeaied He introduces acu of personality the seldom appears, and only then accompanied by great ceremony) and. makes himself indispensable tothe peopl by confusing and frightening ‘them about what would happen i he were not there taming Snowball for everything that goes wrong and suggesting that Mr Jones might ret For Animals and it dictator, we can substitute Communism or Fascism and many othe ofthe "sms. These can all be sumed up {as totalitarian: a system in which a government so powerful that it contrasts pecple totaly and suppresses all cussion of ‘opposing views. The most hated totalitarian dictator at the time of wring thi Saddam Hussain in rag, but even when people ike him are overthrown, Orwell s suggesting that there wal aay be others ike them, unless we leam the lessons that Animal Farm i tng to teach Language and style COrvel hated language that was rot clear direct and strong. He ke vary wel that totalitarian states use language to maniguate ‘and brainwash people. He said that ‘anguage can carupt thought’ so he wanted his prose to be as plain 3s possible and in Animal Fam be flowed his own rules: never use along word ‘where a short one wl do’ and 'if its possible to cut a word out, always ett ou’. So out went any orate or faney words, and out went al teed and overused images °He aso makes great use of 2 1ype of humour caled ory. any ‘occurs when a writer deliberately says the opposite of what he ‘means; it occurs in imal Farm when readers know something the amas do not and Orwel himself pretends not to know. Fr example, when he writes ‘when they came back inthe evening it was noticed the mik had lsappeare (page 30), we know exact ‘where the rik had gone, but the animals havea nae faith the honesty of the pigs. Reading between the lines we know that ‘when Squealer says ‘in "Beasts of England” we expressed our longing for a better sacety in days to come. But that society has ‘ow been establshed" (nage 81) thatthe exact oppost is tue, AS Fete, Orel itony alway has gi and serious purpose, ‘There & one other aspect of Orwell language to consider, In| Iineteen Eighty-four he invented the term ‘doublespeak” to escibe the way that governments ut we might alo include advertises) tl blatant les a5 If they were the truth, There are ‘many examples of doubiespeak in Animaf Farm. For instance, when the animals? food ration i being cut, Orwell reports Squealer as saying, ‘it had been found necessay to make 3 readjustment of rations (Squealer always spoke of it as a “readjustment’, never as a “reduction”)' (page 98) This isan ecllentexampie of doublespeak. We are fara with i today ‘ethnic cleansing’ means murder, torture and the destruction ef peoples homes; ‘ollteral damage’ mesns killing peonle and destroying hospitals schools and homes when bombs mis thei targets. The is another ilutration af Animal Farm not merely being 3 book for the 19405, but one fr al time. 0 Animal FarmNotes for Chapter 1 The fest chapter of any story very important In tte writer has to Sezer ateron ad may want ois yo tse ofthe main cara, deazice the set Yr the sey and open up the main ideas ofthe Bock Orel des al nese hchpte. MAGS speech in which he sys that eveything coud change cvenight ifthe anal ot rid of an are hs acount af his dream wi lead! o the Rebetlen ahh he confident expects to happen What do you think? ‘On es to tings in this chap: He descibes Majors son 2d forestadows eveything at wil Pappen In the Book ~ exept fr One ‘hing As you ea the chap, Nek about + what te deslopmentsin esto mht be the easns Mor suggests othe anima er geting Hf Mon Do yeu agree wth hem? Questions ook forthe arses to these questions an the evens in he tot to back them up 1 What ae the dferent was 8 which the arial behave a they ome inthe bon? What oes ths tel us abot he? 2. vinat are your mpresons of Beramin, the donkey? 3. Why do he doo by tol the rats? “hate Mors ain ie? nha tere ays ashe peat hi tee? 5. "Deats of Enon sung very entusasticalyby he anima. Why? hy 5/10 rab or even the stupiet thar? Further activy Draw a ine dow the male fa sheet of page On the ethan ise rake alist ofthe princes hat Major ys down fo: the aia 8 ou ‘eo through he book noe dan onthe raha sige each cca ‘nahchthete princes ae ignoed or bck, 2 Chapter 1 MIR. JONES, ofthe Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but was to drunk to remember to shut the pop-holes. With the rng of light fom his lantem dancing from side to side, the arched across the yar, kicking off his hots atthe back door, drew himself a last glass of bee For the barrel in the sellers, and made his way up to bed, where Mes, Jones was already snoring. ‘As soon as the light in the bedroom went out there vas a stirring and a flutering all through the farm buildings. Word had gore rounel during the clay that oll Major, the prize Middle ‘White Boar, hac had a strange dream on the previous night and wished to communicate it 0 the other animals, It had been ‘greed that they should all mest inthe big bam as soon as Mt Jones was safely gut of the way. Old Major (so he was always called, though the name under which he had been exhibited was Willingdon Beauty) was so highly roardesl on the farm that everyone was quite eady to lose an hour's sleepin order to hear what he had 0 say. At one end ofthe big bam, on a sor of raise plato Major was alrady ensconced on his bed of stra, under a lantern Wich hung from a beam. He was twelve years ol and had lately grown rather stout but he was still a majesticlooking pi with a wise and benevolent appearance in spite of the fact hat his tushes had never boen cut. Before long the other animals boyan to artive and make themselves comfortable after thet diferent fashions. Fit came the thre dogs, Bluebell, Jesse, and Pitcher, and then the pigs who settled down in the straw immediately in front of the platform. The hens perched themsolves on the windowsills, the pigoons fluttered up to the "afters the seep and cows lay down behind the pigs and began to chew the cud. The two cart horses, Boxer and Clover, came in Btogether walking very slowly and setting down their vast hairy hoofs with great cave lest there should be soane small animal concealed in the straw, Clover was a stout motherly mare approaching midale hfe, who had never quite got her figure bck after her fourth foal. Boxer was an enormous beast, nearly ighten hands high, and as steong as any two orinary horses Put together. A white stripe down his nose gave him a Somewhat stupid appearance and in fact he was not of fst-rate intelligence, but he was niversily respected for his steadiness of character and tremendous powers of work. Aer the horses ‘ame Muriel, the white goat, and Benjamin, the donkey Benjamin was the eldest animal ex the farm, and the worst tempered, He seldom talked, and when be did it was usualy 0 make some cynical ramark-for instance, he would say that God had given him a tll to keep the fies off, but that he would sooner have had no tail and no flies. Alone among the animals ‘on the farm he never Itighed, If asked wh, he would say that he saw nothing to laugh at. Nevertheless, without openly -xdmiting it, he was devoted to Boxer the two of them usally spent their Sundays together in the small paddock beyond the ‘orchard, grazing side by side and never speaking, ‘The two horses had just Iain down when a brood of ducklings, which had lost their mothe, fl into the barn, ‘cheeping fecly an wandering from side to sie to find some place where they would not be todden on, Clover made a sot ‘of wall round them with her great forse, andthe ducklings nestled down inside i, and promptly fel asleep. AL the last ‘moment Mollie the foolish, pretty white mare who drew Mr Jones's trap. came mincing dainty in, chewing at a lamp of ‘ugar. She took a place near the font and began fling her white mane, hoping to draw attention to the re ribbons it 98 plated with, Last of all came the eat, who looked round), as ‘usual, for the warmest place, and finally squeezed herself in between Bower and Clover; there she purned contentedly “ ‘throughout Majors spooch without listening toa ward of what be was saying. All the animals were now present except Moses, the tame raven, who slept on a perch behind the back dooe When Major saw that they had all made themselves comfortable and were waiting attentively he cleared his throt and be: “Commades, you have head already about the strange dream, that Thad lastnight But I wil come to the dream later | have something else to say frst I donot think, comrades, that I shal, ‘be with you for many months longer and before Ide felt my duty to pass on to you such wisdom as [have agaieed. have hha long life, [have had much tie for thought a lay alone Jny stall and I hink may say that understand the nature of life on this earth a8 well as any animal now ving. Iti about this that I wish o speak to you “Now, comrades, whats the nature ofthis eof ours? Lotus facet ourlivesare miserable laborious, and short. Weare bor, we are given just $0 much food as wll keep the breath in cur bodies, and these af us who are capable of it are force to work to the last atom of our strength and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty. No anim in England knows the meaning of happiness of lesure ater he is year old. No animal in England is fee ‘The life of an animal & misery and slavery: that isthe plain south ‘Bur is this simply part of he onder of ature? Is itbecause this land of ours sso poor that tant atfond a decent life to those ‘who dwell upon it? No, comades,a thousand times no! The ei of England is fertile, climate i go iis capable of aor, food in abunclance tan enormously greater numberof animale than nove inhabit it This single farm of ours wold support a dozen horses, twenty cows, hundred of sheep ~and al of them living in comfort and a dignity thot are nave almost beyond four imagining. Why then do we continue in this miserable 15condition? Because neatly the whole of the proce of our |nbour i stolen from us by human beings. There, comrades, i ‘he answer tall our problems. Itissummed up ina single word Man. Man is the only real enemy we have. Remave Man fo the scene, and the root eause of hunger and overwork i sholished forever, ‘an is the ony creature that consumes without producing He does not give mil, he does mot ly es, het wank 0 pall the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch mbbits, Yet heislord of al the animals. He sets them to work, be gives hack ‘tothem the hare minimus tat will prevent them from starving, and the rest he Keeps for himsel, Our labour tls the si, ou ‘lung fertiizes it, and yet there snot one of us that owns more ‘than his bare skin. You cows that I sce before me, how many thousands of gallons of milk have you given daring this lat year? And shat as happencs to that milk which should fave been breeding up sturdy calves? Every drop oF thas gone down, the throats of eur enemies. And you hens, how many eggshave you ad this your and how many of those eggs ever hatched into chickens? The rest have all gone to market to bring in money for Jones and his men. And you, Clover, where ane those four eals you bore who should have been the support and pleasure of your old age? Each was sold ata year old ~ you Will never see one of them again. In retuen for your four coafinements and all your labour inthe field, what have yout ever hal except your bare rations and a tall? “And even the miserable lives we lead are not allowed to ‘ach thei natural span. For ays do not grumble, for Lam ‘one ofthe lucky ones, Lam twelve years old and have had aver four hundred children, Such isthe natural life ofa pig. Bat animal escapes the cruel kaif in the end. You young porkers ‘whoa siting in front of me, every one of you wll scream your lives out atthe block within a year. To that horror we all must ‘come ~ cows, pigs hens, sheep, everyone. Even the horses and 16 ‘the dogs have no better fate. You, Boxer, the wery day that those treat muscles of yours lose their power Janes will sel you tothe ‘nacker, who willeut your throat and boll you down fr the fx hounds. As forthe dogs, when they grove old and toothless, Jones ties a brick round their necks and drowns them in the nearest pond, 1s It not crystal clear, then, comvads, that all te evil ofthis lite of ours spring frm the tyranny of human beings? Only get rid of Man, and the produce of our labour would be our own, Almost overnight we could become rich and fre. What then must we do? Why, work night and day, body and sou forthe ‘overthrow of the human race! That is my message (© you, comrades: Rebellion? donot kaow when that Rebellion will come, it might be in a week or ina hanced years, but I know, as surely as Ise this trae beneath my fet tha sooner of ater justice will be done. Fix your eyes on that, comrades, thyonghout the short remainder of your lives! And above all, ass on this message of mine to those who cme after you, so that future generations shall camry on the struggle until it & “And remember, comrades, your resolution must never falter [No argument must lad you astray. Never lstn when they tell you that Man and the animals have a cominon interest, that the prosperity of the one isthe prosperity of the others. Its all Hes. Man serves the interests of no reat except hime ‘And ameng us animals let there be perfect unity, perfect ‘comradeship in the struggle. Al men are enemies. All animals fare comrades [Atthis moment there was. a tremendous uproar While Major ‘was speaking four lage rats had crept out of thei holes and were sitting their hindgusrtors listening t him, The dows hha suddenly caught sight of them, and it was only by a swift dlash for their holes that the rats saved their lies. Majo raised, his teoter foe silence wv“Comrades he sald, “here is a point that must be settle. The ‘will creatures, such as fats and rabbits ~ are they our friends or ‘ur enemies? Let us put it tothe vote. T propose this question 10 the meetings Ate rats comrades?” "The vote was taken at once, and it was agreed by an ov Wwhelming majority that rats were comrades. There were only four dissentients, the three dogs ane the eat, who was afterwards discovered to have voted on both sides. Major contied “Thave litle more to say. I merely repeat remember always {Your duty of enmity towards Man and all his ways. Whatover ‘30e9 upon two legs, an enemy. Whatever goes upon fou eg for has wings 62 friend, And remember also tha in fighting ‘against Man, we must not come to rescmble him. Even when {you have conquered him, do not adopt his vices. No animal ‘must ever live ina house, o sleepin a bed, or wear dothes or dink aleahol, or smoke tobacco, or touch meney oF engage in trade. All the habits of Man are evil. And, above all, no animal ‘must ever tyrannize over his own kind. Weak or strong, clever for simple, we are all brothers. No animal must ever kill any other animal All animals are equal “And now, comrades wil tll you about my dream of lst fight cannot describe that dream o you. It was a dream ofthe cach as it wil be when Man has vanishes. Bt it reminded me of something that I ha long forgotten. Many years ago, when | was ait pig, my mother andthe olter sows used to aig an ld song of which they knew only’ the tune and the fist thee words [had known that tune in my infancy, buts hac Tong, since passed out of my min. Last night, however, it came back to me in my diva. And what is more, the words of the song also came back - words Iam certain, which were sung by the snimals of long ago and have been lost to memory for [generations | wll sng you that song now, comrades, am old and my voice is hoarse, but when T have taught you the tune, ‘you can sing it etter for yourselves. It is called "Beasts of England” ‘Old Major cleared is throat and began to sing. As he had ‘ad, his voice was hoarse, but he sang, ell enough, and it was 2 stirring. tune, something. between ‘Clementine’ and ‘La ‘Cucuracha’ The words ran Bests of England, boasts of Ireland, Bons of cory lad ond cme, ark tomy jf sings (Of the golden fate ime Soon lat the dy is cming Tyrant Mon sal be ort, And her felis of England ‘Shab re by bts lone. Rings al canis from our noses ‘And the harness from or ack, Bie on spr shat fore (Cruel ips no ores ruck Riches more han und cam pct, West eed kart, ats ad ay, Clover, ns, and me sources ‘hal be urs up that dy. Bright it sine the ils of England, ayer salts waters be, Siete ye shal lw its breezes (Oe hed tha sets fe For that day a all st abr Thogh se de bf i vk Coes alors, geese a takes, Al must for fda’ sob, 1°Bans of England, bast of elon, Berstsof evry ln and cline, Haaren land spend my tidings Of the golden future time ‘The singing of this song threw the animals into the wildest excitement. Almost before Major had reached the end, they had begun singing it for themselves. Even the stupestof them had already picked up the tune and few ofthe wonds, and a for the clever ones, such as the pigs anc dogs, they had the enti song, by heart within a few minutes. And then, after a few preliminary ties, the whole farm buist out ita “Beasts of England” in temendows unison. The cows lowed i, the dogs ‘whined it, the sheep bleated it the horses whined it the ducks quacked it They wore so delighted with the song tha they sang, right through five times in succession, and might have continued singing ill night they had not buen interrupted, Unfortunately the uproar avvoke Mr Jones, who sprang, out of bed, making sure that there was af inthe yand. He seized the gun which always stood ina comer of his bedroom, and let Ay a charge of number 6 shot into the darkness. The pellets buried themselves in the wall ofthe barn and the mestng broke up hustedly: Everyone fled to his own sleping pice. The birds Jumped on to theie porches the animals seit! down ithe ‘raw and the whole farm was aslep i 3 momentNotes for Chapter 2 Nw hat the cee as been st the action cn bain ani the ton can tron foraod wih Or desebing very dy the man ety eves the Reteion. We are aso roduced tothe thee man pg, Napoleon, Sheba and quel, ho played veri pt the rst copter. ut thes chaparenot ust conceea hevet the pales of Anal ane ao oeelped byte Bis, What do you think? We big fossa of the events rough the je of he ata TS Blows Orel tke an rnc ven af whats beganing fo happen, As you eo hs rape nave ‘utere Te ea flere bengcen what we brows happening and tata the ris thins happen 1 ot eee 5 of ths way of ling the tony Questions Tink abou he answers to hee quasons, ad he eet or wre in the te which sige the reer {To have te pg ‘elaborated off Mars teachings to 2 carpet ye of thought (ge 23)? What deencs ae tare between the Ste Conmandents nd wht Major tk the armas ot to do? 2.be you tne the questions asked by the zaman the edcaton ‘ts fou? 2. Why a youtnk tat Orel chooses tall operand Cine the pas ‘noe atl dscpes? ‘4. des th Reelin happen? Does hs tellus anrhing about the Infueae f Anima on the aia? Sy do you tink Oral has Snow ake mistakes in his tng? Further setnity In ing the tl, Oni ges hi ners bat human and anil Caractere, Fr each man character r group of carats ike the Shee daw up a fourclumn chart hed Anima Craters ‘aman Caran, eve, Page. Sin oi char an ad to tasyou read though the book. Yeu wil ned odd sch things 6 what ne sas doar say and what Ors wes about er, 2 Chapter 2 THREE nights later old Major died peacefully in his shep. His boy was buried atthe foot ofthe orchard ‘This was early in March. During the next three months there was much see aetivty. Major's speech had given to the more Intelligent animals on the farm a completely new outlook on Ife. They didnot know when the Rebellion predicted by Major ‘would take place they had no eason for thinking that it would be within their own lifetime, but they saw clearly that K€ was ‘ther duty to prepare fort The work of teaching and organizing, the others fll naturally upon the pigs, who were generally recognized as being the cleverest ofthe animals, Pr-eminent among the pigs were yo young boars named Snowball and [Napoleo, whom Me Jones was breeding up forsale. Napoleon was a lage, mther flrcedooking Berkshire boat, the only Berkshire on the form, not much of a talker, but with a reputation for getting his own way. Snowball was & more vivacious pig than Napoleon, quicker in speech and. more inventive, but was not considered to have the same depth of character ll heather male pigs on the farm were porkers. The best known among them was a smal ft pig named Squealer with very round cheeks, winking eyes, nimble movements, and a shrill voice. He was a brliant taller, and when he ws arguing some dificult point he had a way of shiping from side to side and whisking his tail which was somehow very persuasive. The others sad of Squealer that he could tum black into white, “These three had elaborated old Majr’s teachings into a complete system of though, to which they gave the name of ‘Animals, Several nights a week, after Me. Jones wns aslep, ‘thay hold Sect meeting i the bam andl expounded. the principles of Animolism to the others Athe beginning they met 2With much stupidity and apathy Some ofthe anieals talked of the duty of loyalty to Mr. Jones, whom they refered to as "Master, of made elementary remarks such as ‘Me. Jones feds tas, IF he were gone, we showld starve to death.’ ters askee such questions as ‘Why should we care what happens after we sre dead?’ or I this rebellion Isto happen anyway, what tiference does it make whether we work frit oF not and the pigs had great difficulty in making them seo that this 35 ‘contrary tothe sprit of Animalism. The stupidest questions of all Were asked by Mollie, the white mare. The very fist question she asked Snowball was: "Will there sl be sugar ser the Rebellion?” “Noy sail Soovsball Rrmly, "We have no means of making sugar om this farm, Besides, you do-not need sugar. You will have ll the ots and hay you want” “Anal shal sil be allowed to wear ibbons in my mane?! ssked Molle, “Comade,’ said Snowbal, ‘those ibbons that you are so devoted to are the badge of slavery: Can you not understand that liberty is worth more than rbons? Molle agreed, but she did not sound very convinced, “The pigs had an even harder struggle to counteract the les put about by Moses, the tame raven. Moses, who was Mr; Jones especial pet, wasa spy and a fal-bearer but he was also aclever talker. He lames to know the existence of a mysterious ‘country calle Sugarcandy Mountain, to which all animals went ‘when they dled, [twas situated somewhere up in the sky aie distance beyond the clouds, Mases said. In Sugarcandy Mountain it was Sunday seven days a week, clover was in seoson all the year round, and limp sugar and linseed cake grew on the hedges. The animals hated Moses because he tld lales and did not work, but some of them believed in Sugarcandy Mountain, ad the pigs had to argue very hard to persuade them that there was no such plac, a “Their most faithful disciples were the two cart-horses, Boxer and Clover. These two ad great dificulty in thinking anything ‘ct for themselves, but having once accepted the pigs as their teachers, they absorbes everything that they were told, and passed it on to the other animals by simple arguments. They ‘were cnfiling in ther attendance athe secret mostngs in the bom an ed the singing of "Beasts of England’ with which the meetings always ended. Now, as it tured out the Rebellion was achieved much ‘earlier and more easily than anyone had expected. In past ‘years Me. Jones, although a hare! master, had been a capable farmer, but of late he had fallen on evi days, He had become much disheartened ater losing money in 8 lawsuit, and had taken to drinking more than was good for him. For whole days ata time he would lounge in his Windsor chair i the kitchen, reading the newspapers, drinking, and occasionally feeding ‘Moses on ers of bread soaked in heer His men were ide and clishonest, the fields were fll of weeds, the buildings wanted roofing, the hedges were neglected, and the animals were ‘underfed June came and the hay was almost ready for cutting. On Midsummer's Eve, which was a Saturday, Mi Jones went into ‘Willingdon and got so drunk at the Red Lion that he didnot comeback till midday on Sunday. Themen had milked the comes Inthe early morning and thon had gone out abbiting, without bothering fo feed the animals. When Mr fones got back he immediately went to sleep on the drawing-room sofa wth the [Nes ofthe Ward over his face, so that when evening came, the snimals were stil unfed. At last they could stand it no longer ‘One ofthe cows broke in the door of the store-shed with her hhoms and all the animals began to help themaslves from the Dns. twas ust then that Me, Jones woke up. The next moment he and his fur men were inthe store-shec with whips in their hands, lashing out in all diwctions. This was more thar the 2hungry animals could bear With ane accord, though nothing of the kind had been planned beforehand, they Fang themes ‘upon their torments. Jones and his men ssxdenly fund ‘thomsces being butted and kicked from ll sides, The situation was quite out of their contro, They had never seen animals tehave lke this before, and this sudden uprising of creatures whom they were used to thrashing and mallet just as they ‘hose, frightened them almost out of thet wits. Aer only 3 ‘moment or two they gave up trying to defend themselves and took to their heels, A minute lateral five of them were in full, flight down te cartrack that led tothe main oad, withthe snmals pursuing them i tramp, Mrs. Jones looked oat of the bedroom wind saw what was happening, hursedly flung few posession into a carpe ba, and slipped ut ofthe fare by another way: Moses sprang off his perch and lapped ater her, croakng kn. Meanwhile the imal had chased Jones and his men oat om tothe road and Slammed the fivebaered gato behind them. And so, almost before they kneve what was happening, the Rebellion had been, suocesflly cased dheough Jones was expelled and the Manoe Frm wo this. Forth fist few minutes the animals could handy believe in their good fortane Their fst act was 0 gallop ina body right ‘ound the boundaries of the farm, as though to make quite sure that no human being was hiding anywhere upon it then they raced back tothe farm buildings to wipe out the last taees of Jones's tel reign. The harmess-o0m atthe end ofthe stables was broken open: the bits the noserings, the dogrchains, the cruel knives with which Mr Jones had been use oeastrate the plas and lambs, were all ung down the well The reins, the hates the blinkers, the degrading nosebags, were thrown onto ‘he rubbish fre which was burning in the yard. So seer the Whips. All the animals eapered with jay when they saw the whips going up in tames. Snowball aso threw on the fie the % ribbons with Which the horses’ manes and tails Ras usualy ‘been decorated on market days Ribbons he sid, should be considered as clothes, which ane ‘the mark ofa human being, All animals should go naked.” ‘When Bose heard this he fetched the smal straw hat which he wore in summer to keep the flies out of his eats, and fang i fom to the fie with the nest Ta very litle while the animals had destroyed everything ‘hat reminded them of Mr Jones. Napoleon then led them back to the storeshes and served out 8 double ration of com to everybody, with two biscuits for each dog. Then they sang, “Beasts of Englan! from end to end seven times running, and after that they settle down for the night and slept as they had never slept before. Bue they woke at dain as usual. and suddenly remembering the glorious thing that had happened hey all raced out into the pasture together: lite way dove the pasture there was knoll that commanded a view of most of the farm. The animals rushed to the top of it and gazed round them in the dear ‘moming light. Yes, twas thts everything that they could sce was thet! In the cestasyof that thought they gambolled round and round, they hurled themselves int the rn great leaps of ‘excitement. They rolled in the dew, they cropped mouthful of ‘the sweet summer grass, they kicked up clods ofthe black earth and snd its rch scent, Then they matte a tour of inspection ofthe whole farm and surveyed with speechless admiration the ploughlan, the hayfeld, the orchard, the pool, te spine. It was as though they had never sean these things before, and ‘even now they could haraly believe that it was all their own, "Then they filed. hack to the farm buildings and halted in silence outside the door ofthe farmhouse. That was theirs! ‘but they were frightened to goinside. Alera monen, however, Snowball and Napoleon butted the door open sith their shoulders and the animals entered in single file, walking with 2the utmost care for fear of disturbing anything. They tiptoed from room to oom, afraid to speak above a whisper and gazing with 4 kind of ave atthe unbelievable luxury, atthe beds with their feather matteses the looking lasses, the horsehair soa, the Brussels carpet, the lithograph of Queen Victoria over the drawing-room mantelpiece, They were just comting down the ‘ais when Mollie was discovered to be missing. Going back, the others found that she had remained behind in the best bedroom. She had taken a piee of blue ribbon from Mrs. Jones's Arocsng-able, and was holding it against her shoulder and fadmiring herself in the glass in a very folish manner. The ‘others seproached her sharps, and they went outside. Some hams hanging inthe kitchen were taken out fr burl, and the barrel of beer inthe scullery was stove in th a kik from Boxers hoot, otherwise nothing in the house was touched. A ‘unanimous resolution was passed on the spot that the farenhonse should be preserved as a museum. All were agreed ‘hat no animal must ever lve there The animals had their breakfast, and then Snowball and [Napoleon called them together agai “Comade,’said Snowball,‘ is half past sx and we havea Jong day before us. To-day we begin the hay’ harvest. But thre ‘another matter that must be altended 4 ist” “The pigs now roveled that during the past three months they had taught themselves to read and write fom an old spelling book which had belonged to Mr Jnes'scilésen and which had ben theowa on the eubbish heap. Napoleon sent for pots of black and white paint ana led the way down to the fwebareed gate that gave on to the main road. Then Saarsball fr it was ‘Snowball who was bos at writing) fook a brush betoecen the "ovo knckles of his totter, painted out MANOR FARM from the top bar ofthe gate and ints place painted ANIMAL FARM. “This was tobe the mame ofthe farm from now envwaeds. Alter this they went back tothe farm buildings, where Soil and 2% [Napoleon sent fra adder which they caused tobe set agains the end wallof the bg bam. They explained that by theirstudies ofthe past three months the pigs had sucesced In reduc the principles of Animalism to Seven Commandments. These Seven ‘Commundmenss would now be inscribed on the wall: they would form an unalterable law by which all the animals on ‘Animal Farm must liveforever afte, With some dificuty (for itis not easy fora pig to balance himself ona ladder) Snowball, limba up and set to work, with Squealer afew rungs below him holding the paint pot. The Commandments were seiten ‘on the tarred wall in great white letters that could be read thirty yrs away They ran thus ‘THE SEVEN COMMANDMENTS 1. Whatece goes upon fi es enemy. 2 Whateee goes apn four es Flas wings, fend, ‘3. Nos! shal sar clothes 44 Nonna sal sep on a 5. No mal bal rink als 6. Noam! sal kl ny oder ania 7, All anil are eu was very neally writen, and except that end was writen “Wend” and ane of the ‘S's! was the serong way roan, the spelling was comectall the way through, Snovrbll read it aloud, for the benefit of the others. ll the animals node in complete agreement, and the cleverer ones at ance began to learn the ‘Commandments by heat. ‘Now, comrade’ said Snowball, throwing dawn the paint ‘bush, to the haya! Lats make ita point of honour to gen the harvest more quickly than Jones and his men could do, But at this moment the tnce cows, who had seemed uneasy for some time pas, set up a loud lowing, They had not been rked for twenty-four Bours, and their ders were almost 2»bursting, Afer a litle thought, the pigs sent for buckets and riled the cows fay successflly, thei trotters being adapted to this task. Soon there were five bucket of frothing creamy amilk af which many of the animals looked with considerable interest ‘What is going to happen to all that milk?” said someone ‘Jones used sometimes to mix some of iin our mash, said one of the hens. "Never mind the milk, comrades, cried Napoleon, placing himself in font of the buckets, That will be attended to. The harvests more important: Comrade Snowtall will lead the way: 1 shall follow ina few minutes. Forward, comrades! The hay waiting” So the animals oped dowa to the hayfield to begin the harvest and when they came back inthe evening was noticed that the milk had disoppearedNotes for Chapter 3 The inital sages of the Reilion are nw compete and he animals zope tobe hating some sucess managing We own aa Buta thesame ime dficaies ae begining to appa wth Mole ae tect ard by the end of te chapter the ital eal of Aneralio are bing treated bythe sige actors esanng al the apples and ik for ttemeles en Mr ones dd not. doth ‘What do you tink? ‘Genge Orel ad ha the cient with the ik an the apps waste ey assage of Anima Fam. He calle he tune pom af the oy As jou rea the chapter tink about fy the pas actors wth the mi and apples oe so porta to the stor how queer ist just theater anima wht the pis ae org ‘Questions Look er placesin tet which support your answersto these questions {Lat scutes th amas hae n gating nthe harvest ana how ai thy overcome thse difeuies? al gong wel? 2. nat does te beau of Moll, theca and én tl ut about ther atte othe Rabon? 3. dou tink now as espe igo wing asses, wore ales? 4.Whot Sagres of sucess othe cee animals haven aning to ead ana ite? What oes the eu bout he enaactes? '5.What kindof pele do you thnk the Seep represen? Further activity ‘You wl sou Be becoming Tani with the characters of Napolecn | 2nd Showbal ara thle erie vary On a sheet of ner, aaBh acer pcterably, daw a graph wth oe ln fer Nepales ad one Ine for Srowbal 10 lusrae the way that be taance of omer shits between them athe novel pageses. Powe ake to he charges Yous Ines welersng to the imgorant nents tht aceaut for these hanes 2 Chapter 3 HOW they tiled and sweated to get the hay in! But their efforts were rewarded, forthe harvest was an even bigger success than they had hoped. Sometimes the work was hard: the implements he been signed for human beings and not for animals, and it was a great dranback that no animal as able #0 use any tol that Jnvolved standing on his hind legs. But the pigs were s clever that they could think ofa way rou every dificuty. AS forthe horses, they knew every inch ofthe fil and in fact understood the business of mosey and raking far bettor than Jones and his men had ever done, The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others. With their superior knowledge it wos natural that they should assume the leadership, Hoxer and Clover would hamness themselves tothe cutter or the horserake (no bits or teins wore needed inthese days of course) and tramp steadily round and round the field ‘witha pig walking behind and calling ot "Gee up, comrade’ of “Whoa hock, comrade! the case might be. And every animal down tothe humblest worked a turning the hay and gathering ‘it. Even the ducks and hens toiled to and fo all day inthe sun, carrying tiny wisps of hay in their beaks. In the end they’ finished the harvest into days’ loss time than it had usually taken Jones and his men. Moreover it was the biggest harvest ‘that the fara had ever seen, Thee was no wastage whatever ‘the hens and ducks with thee sharp eyes had gathered up the very last stalk. And not an animal on the fat had stolen so ‘much asa mouthful . All through that surhmer the work of the frm went lke clockwork. The animals were happy as they had never ‘cneeived it posible tobe. Every mouthful of food was an acute positive pleasure, now that it was truly thelr on food, 2prccuced by themselves and for themselves, not doled out t0 them by grudging, master WIth the worthless parssitical human beings gone, there was more for everyone to eat There ‘was more lsu, to, inexperienced though the animals were. They met with many difficulties for instance, later inthe year, ‘when they harvested the corn, they had o tad tout in the ancient style and blow away the cha with their breath, since the farm possessed no threshing machine ~ but the pigs with thelr clevemess and Boxer with his tremendous muscles always pulled them through. Boxer ws the admiration of everybexy. He had been a hard worker even in Jones's tim, but now he seemed more ike three horses than ane; there were days when, the entire work of the farm seemed to nest upon his mighty shoulders. From moming to nlght he was pashing an pling, always at tho spot where the work was hardest, He had mace fan arrangement with one ofthe cockerels to cll him in the :noenings half an hour earer than anyone ese, and would put fn some volunteer labour at whatever seemed to be most read, before the segular day's work hogan. His answer to ‘every problem, every sethack, was will work hater! — which he had adopted as his personal moto But everyone worked according to his capacity The hens and ‘lucks, for instance, saved five bushels of corn athe harvest by gathering up the stray grains, Nobody stole, naboxy grumbled ‘ver his ations the quarreling and biting and jealousy which Ina been normal features of life in the old days had almost dlsappeared. Nobody shtkod ~ or almost nobody, Moe, i695 true, was not good geting up in the morning, and had a way oF leaving work early on the ground that thers was a stone in her hoof And the behaviour ofthe ct was somewhat pectin, Iwas scon noticed that when there was work to be done the cat could never be found. She woul vanish for hours on endl and then reappear at meabtimes, ar inthe evening after Work Was ‘over as though nothing had happened. But she always made ot such exellent excuses, and pursed so affectionately that it was impossible not to believe in her good inteations. Ol Benjamin, the donkey, semed quite enchanged since the Rebellion. He