Animal Farm Essay Research Paper SETTING The — страница 8

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afternoon to their workloads. He insists that the labor on the windmill continue in spite of the cold and rain. He seizes the farmhouse for his own residence and begins trading with humans on the neighboring farm. He also confers titles and honors, expels animals who he feels are traitors, and silences dissenting voices. When the animals complain about any of his polkas, they are quickly quieted by the propaganda of Squealer. They are helpless to fight against Napoleon and his refusal to follow the seven commandments. Since they can no longer function as they choose, the animals think largely about their own lack of comfort. They begin to compare their present life to their past one under Farmer Jones. Ironically, there are many similarities, even though Napoleon and Squealer

constantly tell them that their present life is much better than their past one. Of course, like most dictators, Napoleon has tried to change their memories of the past, just as he changes the seven commandments to suit his needs. Napoleon works hard at keeping the animals in control, constantly assuring them that he is making a better society for them and trying to appear like a hero. He makes Snowball into his scapegoat and blames all bad events, including the weather, on him. By making Snowball a fearful character, Napoleon assures his subjects that he will protect them from this horrible creature. Such tactics make the animals dependent on his leadership and divert attention away from his dictatorial ways. The building and rebuilding of the Windmill and other such plans are

also Napoleon’s way of keeping the common “man” busy and at bay so they will not have time to think about what he is really doing. These plans are reflective of Stalin’s Five-Year Plans. CHAPTER 7 This chapter begins in the bitter winter with the animals trying their best to rebuild the windmill, but the cold and their hunger dampen their spirits. It is only Boxer’s never-failing cry of “I will work harder” that inspires them to continue. January brings a true food shortage, and they often have nothing to eat but chaff. Napoleon hides the bitter reality that exists on the farm. He instructs the sheep to talk about an increase in rations when Mr. Whymper is in hearing distance. He orders empty bins to be filled to the brim with sand and then covered at the top with

grain, in order to deceive Mr.Whymper, who would then report to the outside world about ‘no shortage’ on Animal Farm. As the situation worsens, Napoleon hardly makes an appearance. The weekly work orders for the animals are now given through the pigs. Squealer’s announcement that the hens should surrender their eggs, at least 400 per week, brings forth a terrible outcry, but the hens must obey. The dogs see to it that Napoleon’s orders are carried out, for the eggs need to be sold in order to survive until spring. Snowball continues to serve as Napoleon’s scapegoat and is blamed for everything that goes wrong on the farm. Napoleon goes so far as to claim that Snowball “was in league with Jones and was his secret agent”. It is difficult for the animals to accept this

explanation, and even Boxer questions it. Squealer, of course, quiets them with propaganda. One day Napoleon calls a meeting and emerges wearing medals, which he has awarded to himself. He arrives, escorted by his nine guard dogs. After surveying the crowd of animals, he gives a high-pitched whimper, and the dogs attack the crowd. They try unsuccessfully to attack Boxer, who holds one of them under his hoof. After the tumult, the dogs appear before Napoleon with the four pigs that had earlier raised their voices against his policies. Napoleon then orders the four pigs to confess that they had been contriving with Snowball to destroy the Windmill and that they had entered into a truce with him to hand over Animal Farm to Mr. Frederick. When Napoleon demands further confessions

about Snowball, the hens say that he appeared in their dreams and instigated them to disobey. As a result, Napoleon orders the hens to be slaughtered. The goose confesses to having stolen and eaten six ears of corn during last year’s harvest at Snowballs’ urging; he is murdered. The sheep confess to urinating in the drinking pool and murdering an old ram and blame their actions on Snowball; they are all killed instantly. By the end of the confessions, there is a pile of corpses lying before Napoleon’s feet. His reign of terror has truly begun. Frightened and shattered, the animals start singing ‘Beasts of England’. This anthem, which seems to inspire the animals, is soon forbidden by Napoleon. It is replaced by Minimus’s new song, which is bland and nationalistic.