Animal Farm Triple Entry Journal

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Erykah Foss

Mr. Pace
DC English IV
Triple-Entry Journal
15 May 2020

Animal Farm​ by George Orwell


Quote Significance Interpretation

“Why then do we continue Old Major is a high-regarded animal on During Old Major’s speech, he wishes
in this miserable condition? Mr. Jones’ farm. He calls all the for a utopic future where humans
Because nearly the who of animals for a meeting in the barn. disappear. He sings a song of this
the produce of our labour is Major is trying to assign a cause for the future to inspire the other animals and
stolen from us by human reason animals suffer. He explains how make them think of their beautiful
beings” (3). humans take advantage of their work, home in England where they live
while the animals slave all day to freely. They all share this dream of
produce. His speech is the start of the living without humans, and they create
pig’s rule. a government to work towards it. It is
important to share a common goal
when in a community. However, power
can easily corrupt people into
manipulating others, as demonstrated in
Animal Farm​. The pigs want to help
others at first until they realize that
their superior education and knowledge
helps them stay in power.

“It is all lies. Many serve the Old Major makes the argument that the In George Orwell’s other novel, ​1984,​
interests of no creature world could be a paradise if mankind all the people in Oceania are against
except himself. And among was overthrown. He does not imagine Goldstein. Like in ​1984​, all of the
us animals let there be any form of just government and he animals are enemies with all humans.
perfect unity, perfect ignores the prospect that animals might Having a common enemy helps a group
comradeship in the struggle. act as selfishly and cruelly as humans. work together even if they have little in
All men are enemies. All He thinks that as long as they all agree common. Since all the animals in
animals are comrades” (4). that humans are bad and animals are Animal Farm all agree humans are bad,
good, then all animals will agree and they gladly work together to overthrow
not have to change. them.
“THE SEVEN The Seven Commandments represent We hear on a daily basis about the
COMMANDMENTS the best intentions or ideals of a values of equality for all people,
1. Whatever goes upon socialist society, based on the premise however, our major cities are filled
two legs is an enemy. that all men are created equal. As the with homeless people living without
2. Whatever goes upon story progresses, each of the the basic accommodations for health
four legs, or has commandments is altered from its and safety. We live in an era of
wings, is a friend. original intention as the Marxist dream political correctness where you can be
3. No animal shall wear deteriorates into the Stalinist reality. “cancelled” for saying the wrong thing,
clothes. but that somehow never translates into
4. No animal shall sleep an improvement in the well-being of
in a bed. the people who need the most help. A
5. No animal shall lot of people get rich by saying the
drink alcohol. “right” things.
6. No animal shall kill
any other animal.
7. All animals are
equal” (13).

“Nobody stole, nobody The animals’ new leaders, the pigs, The structure of their system worked
grumbled over his rations, come up with ideas on how to use well in the beginning. They had weekly
the quarreling and biting and human tools to help their comrades meetings to discuss certain matters and
jealousy which had been complete their daily farm work. As debate. Although it was peaceful for a
normal features of life in the long as they follow the rules, all the while, it is a matter of time before
old days had almost animals are content with their work, things start going downhill. The
disappeared” (16). which means no one poses any simplicity of the motto does not force
problems. The motto “four legs good, the animals to learn any more than they
two legs bad” was created because need to. Most of the animals are not
some animals could not or refused to avid readers, and they have no
improve their literacy skills, but the incentive to become one. I think this is
slogan turned into propaganda. why power eventually is given to the
pigs, who are fluent in reading and
writing. If people are not willing to
educate themselves and think
independently, then someone else will
dictate their life.

“Many of us actually dislike Squealer demonstrates his speaking If you don’t listen to the science, you
milk and apples. Milk and skills when he presents the argument must be ignorant and your opinion
apples (this has been proved that pigs require apples and milk for doesn’t matter. This is a popular
by Science, Comrades) their well-being. He side-steps the issue argument that we hear on a daily basis.
contain substances by describing pigs as animals who Whether about global warming or
absolutely necessary to the make great sacrifices for the benefit of COVID-19, if science is referenced, it
well-being of a pig. We pigs others without ever putting themselves is never without a motive. As the
are brainworkers. The whole first. He appeals to science in his argument goes, if you do not accept
management and “our” interpretation, you are the enemy.
organization of this farm argument, skillfully moving the burden Science is intended to be purely
depend on us. Day and night of proof away from himself. objective, like Justice wearing a blind
we are watching over your fold. Unfortunately, science funding is
welfare. It is for your sake extremely competitive. Scientists
that we drink that milk and compete fiercely for grant monies.
eat those apples” (19). Grant monies are rarely connected to
pure science, they are connected to
political issues and the agendas of
powerful corporations. It is little
wonder that some of the most amazing
scientific discoveries were born of
serendipity, where science was allowed
to happen outside a biased bubble.

“At first they pretended to Mr. Pilkington and Mr. Fredrick are Pilkington represents the capitalist
laugh to scorn the idea of farmers who do not like each other, but government leaders, like Churchill and
animals managing a farm for they both become anxious about their Roosevelt, and Fredrick represents
themselves. The whole thing animals learning about the rebels in Hitler. Before World War II, Stalin
would be over in a fortnight, Animal Farm. To dismiss their fears, seemed to be an ally of the U.S. and
they said” (21). they laugh it off and pretend it does not Great Britain until he signed a
bother them. nonaggression pact with Germany. In
the novel, Napoleon, the totalitarian
leader of Animal Farm, seems to be an
ally of Pilkington until he decides to
sell to Frederick.

“‘I have no wish to take life, Boxer is a hardworking, uneducated, Boxer’s actions remind us that extreme
not even human life,’ cart horse. He represents the Russian actions can cause unintended and
repeated Boxer, and his eyes working class who overthrew the Tsars, undesirable consequences. When
were full of tears” (24). but who were deceived and betrayed by arguments among friends get heated, it
the Bolsheviks. In this scene, Boxer is easy to say things that forever change
unintentionally kills a stable boy as he the trust dynamic. A trusting friendship
forgot he was wearing iron shoes. He is is based not just on what we are willing
deeply sorry for the incident even to do for each other, but on the
though the other animals awarded him boundary, we are not willing to go
a medal for his heroic behavior. beyond.
“Three days later Mollie Mollie was shunned for breaking the Shunning is widely practiced among
disappeared. For some rule, “Four legs good, two legs bad.” certain religions. It is also sometimes
weeks nothing was known of She left to be closer to humans. Molly used as a punishment within families
her whereabouts, then the put material possessions before her and communities. Shunning is effective
pigeons reported that they fellow animals and before political in most cases because humans have a
had seen her on the other principles. This shows the other social nature, and when they are
side of Willingdon[...] A fat animals that if they go against the rules, isolated from those they love or admire,
red-faced man[...] was they will be ignored, giving even more they will change in order to receive
stroking her nose and power to the pigs. their attention again. I do not agree
feeding her with sugar. Her with shunning. There is little
coat was newly clipped and compassion, and it is used for control.
she wore a scarlet ribbon To make amends with family, they
round her forelock. She should be talked with and taught better
appeared to be enjoying for next time. However, when people
herself, so the pigeons said. are shunned within a church or other
None of the animals ever large community, I think it is used for
mentioned Mollie again” power. I think the leadership mentality
(26). is this: if someone does not agree or
does something against the leaders,
they will be shunned until they believe
and behave the way I want them to.

“Nine enormous dogs The nine enormous dogs represent the Trotsky represented a particular
wearing brass-studded brute force with which Stalin ousted interpretation of Marxism which
collars came bounding into Leon Trotsky. Trotsky was a leader of embraces a revolutionary class which
the barn. They dashed the Red Army from 1918 to 1925. He pursues its own interests independent
straight for Snowball, who was a key player in winning the from opposing sections of society. The
only sprang from his place Russian Civil War and he was one of goal of the revolutionary class is to
just in time to escape their the seven members of the first overthrow feudalism and continue their
snapping jaws. In a moment Politburo. Trotsky was expelled from revolution to defeat the capitalist class.
he was out of the door and Russia in 1929 and he spent the rest of This would establish a workers’ state
they were after him [...] his life in exile. He was assassinated in which would appeal to the working
Then he put on an extra Mexico City in 1940 by Ramon class of advanced capitalist countries
spurt and, with a few inches Mercader, a Soviet agent. around the world. Trotsky’s ideas have
to spare, slipped through a been influential in shaping politics in
hole in the hedge and was South America and Asia.
seen no more” (30).
“No one believes more In this quote, Squealer is presenting the We are in election season this year. The
firmly than Comrade argument for Napoleon’s leadership to propaganda machine is in full swing on
Napoleon that all animals the other animals. Squealer is a smooth both sides of the ticket. Squealer could
are equal. He would be only talker. He is second in command only equally be played by Tom Perez or by
too happy to let you make to Napoleon. He is in charge of Ronna McDaniel. It is their job to use
your decisions for Napoleon’s propaganda. In this speech every technological, psychological, and
yourselves. But sometimes he makes his argument by claiming that emotional resource to win an election
you might make the wrong Napoleon only accepts his leadership for their party. Their advertisements (if
decisions, comrades, and role begrudgingly, that his is uniquely you can bear to listen to them) make for
then where should we be?” qualified due to his incomparable great analysis based on ethos, pathos,
(31). intelligence. and logos.

“If a window was broken or Snowball is a pig with dreams of Leon Trotsky literally comes up as the
a drain was blocked up, continually making conditions better definition of “scapegoat” on an internet
someone was certain to say not only for Animal Farm, but for search. Stalin purposefully kept him
that Snowball had come in farms across the land. He implements alive for a while as Trotsky served his
the night and done it, and technology like the windmill. He is purpose as the recipient of blame for
when the key of the passionate and idealistic. Snowball any and all ills.
store-shed was lost, the represents Leon Trotsky, who is Another example for a scapegoat is
whole farm was convinced defeated by the brute force of Napoleon Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow:
that Snowball had thrown it (Stalin). After defeat, his name and
down the well. Curiously ideals are sullied by Squealer so that all Mrs. O’Leary left a lantern in the shed.
enough, they went on problems and inconveniences are Her cow kicked it over
believing this even after the blamed upon him. Then winked her eye and said,
mislaid key was found under “There’ll be a hot time in the old town
a sack of meal” (43). tonight!”

This is a reference to the great Chicago


fire of 1871 which killed nearly 300
people and destroyed 17,450 buildings.
The cow supposedly kicked over a
lantern, causing the fire. In 1997, Mrs.
O’Leary’s cow was exonerated by an
insurance investigator who discovered
that the fire was actually caused by a
pipe smoking neighbor to the DeKoven
Street barn who discarded a match
which set the city on fire.
“If she herself had had any This quote is spoken by Clover, a stout, Clover’s motherly instinct is one of the
picture of the future, it had illiterate, but not foolish work horse. most special aspects attainable by a
been of a society of animals She takes on a motherly figure for the living organism. The great poet Rumi
set free from hunger and the other animals. She wanted what any said, “We are born of love; love is our
whip, all equal, each mother would want for their children, a mother.” This eternal form of love is
working according to his better life free from hunger and pain. sacred, which makes the actions of
capacity, the strong Ironically, her loyalty, which is her best those who would exploit that instinct
protecting the weak” (48). quality, becomes a key factor to especially evil.
Napoleon’s domination of the farm.

“And though no one cared to Clover, recovering from the terror This reminds me of the way China
mention it in the hearing of caused by the executions, had Muriel treats Hong Kong and Taiwan, the way
the pigs or the dogs, it was read the Sixth Commandment to her. China blatantly steals intellectual
felt that the killings which Muriel read the revised commandment property. In 2018 China promoted Xi
had taken place did no and they decided that the killings were Jinping to “President for life” by
square with this… [The justified as the killed animals were in removing term limits. They
Commandment] ran: ‘No league with Snowball. This scene conveniently changed the rules to
animal shall kill any other represents the concentration of power support a concentration of power in
animal WITHOUT towards a totalitarian mindset, where their leadership structure. China readily
CAUSE’” (51). the rules can be manipulated by the changes the rules when it suits their
powerful in order to serve their own objectives.
narrow interests.

“All animals are equal, but Benjamin reads this single When the US overthrew Saddam
some animals are more equal Commandment that was written on the Hussein in 2006, soldiers found a toilet
than others” (75). wall to Clover. In this scene the pigs made of solid gold in his bathroom. In
have all but become human, installing addition to the gold commode (installed
telephones, smoking pipes, and wearing in at least two of his palaces), he owned
breeches and silk dresses. At this point numerous planes and yachts.
in the story the pigs no longer pretend Concentrated power leads to a disparity
they are striving for equality. They are in wealth and a standard of living that
absorbed in the indulgences of the is hard to rationalize. A topic of
power which they have successfully discussion that rarely gets entertained is
taken from the other animals. that of self worth. What am I really
worth? As a doctor, am I really worth
millions of dollars per year for working
4 days a week? As a politician, am I
justified in taking in millions of dollars
in soft money brokered at the expense
of ordinary citizens? As a hedge fund
manager, am I justified in syphoning
off the retirement monies for people
that worked their entire career in order
to get ahead? As long as people give
away their power, there will be
someone there to take it from them.

“The creatures outside This last paragraph in the book makes The following quotes ring true and
looked from pig to man, and the transformation from Marxist make an interesting juxtaposition on
from man to pig, and from idealism to Stalinist absolute power the themes found in Animal Farm:
pig to man again; but complete. The pigs who originally
already it was impossible to targeted humans because they were in “All things are subject to interpretation
say which was which” (79). power have attained a status and degree whichever interpretation prevails at a
of control that is equal to humans. given time is a function of power and
What started as an innocent desire for not truth.”
equality resulted in a concentration of -Friedrich Nietzsche
power by a ruling class.
“Power is of two kinds. One is obtained
by the fear of punishment and the other
by acts of love. Power based on love is
a thousand times more effective and
permanent then the one derived from
fear of punishment.”
-Mahatma Gandhi

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