Animal Farm

Animal Farm is an allegorical novel that highlights the meeting of animals at Mr. Jones’ Manor Farm. The animals gather to listen to Old Major, a pig, who inspires them to live free from the tyrannical control of their human master. Despite the death of Old Major, the animals push on with the mission of being free by plotting a rebellion against Jones. Snowball and Napoleon, two pigs, are on the forefront of this rebellion, which entailed a struggle to succeed. The ultimate fascinating thing about the novel is the interesting behavior of every character and the breakdown of the laws into a single law stating that all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. Thesis: Animal Farm is an epic novel that depicts the effective usage of animal characters to reveal world happenings.

Question 1

The decisions and actions of the characters in the novel play an instrumental role in revealing their personalities. For instance, the decision of Old Major to call animals to a meeting and the action to motivate them to fight for their rights brings out his personality as a democrat socialist who believes in equality. For instance, Old Major tells animals, “All men are enemies. All animals are comrades”. This is indicative of his stand as a fighter for the rights of his own kind. More so, the decision and actions of Napoleon to pretend to forge for the rights of animals reveals his personality to be utterly corrupt; he is able to ride on the coming opportunities for his own interests. Napoleon does not necessarily make a contribution to the struggle for animal equality, but is ready to exploit any loopholes for his own success. Boxer is another key character whose decisions and actions entail the exhibition of loyalty, dedication, and the huge capacity of labor. However, he seems to be exploited by his master because of his tendency to remain committed to the set rules and work in the required manner.

Question 2

One of the key questions and conflicts that the writer grappled with and is still relevant today is the use of violence and terror as the means to control populations. The author seems to be surprised that animals are only controlled through violence and terror from the time they are under Jones to the time Napoleon takes over. This is still one of the most disturbing issues in the contemporary world where dictatorial regimes do not give their population the chance to speak out on any given controversial matter. Jones would overwork, whip, and slaughter the animals at his own discretion hence exhibiting the use of violence and terror against the animals. In the same measure, when Napoleon takes over, Squealer threatens any dissenting voice with the return of Jones.

The second notable question and conflict that the writer grappled with and is still relevant today is the feeling that some humans are more equal than others. In the book, some animals are regarded as more equal than others because of their physical characteristics and tendency of movement. For example, the single law that was put up the end stating, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”. This is still a problem today where there is a tendency to believe in the aspect of human rights, but they are not practiced as it is supposed to be done in the best way possible. Equality is guaranteed to people based on their race, gender, ethnic origin, physical appearance, and even age.

Question 3

The historical setting/context of the novel is 1917-1945 where there was massive Russian Revolution. Accordingly, the writer epitomizes the events leading up to the Stalin era in the mid-1920s before the Second World War. The dictatorial regime of Stalin is clearly represented by the allegorical character, Napoleon, who takes over leadership after apparently leading a successful rebellion against human masters. The novel was set in this period to warn of the negative effects of Stalin's regime in terms of limiting the rights of individuals and using terror to rule. This setting contributes to the overall story by introducing conflicts that emanate from the struggles between citizens and their regime through the questions they ask and the responses they get. For instance, the contribution of this historical setting is seen in the statement, the sixth commandment decreed “No animal shall kill any other animal”. And though no one cared to mention it in the hearing of the pigs or dogs, it was felt that the killings which had taken place did not square with this. This simply means that Napoleon had taken over the power and killed some of the dissenting animals, however, no one wanted to question this. Such conflicts emanating from the historical setting push the story.

Question 4

My literature circle group discussions influence my understanding of literature through shared ideas among group's members. There are those instances when we agree on some points and some instances where we differ, and this contributes to deeper understanding of the novel through analysis. More so, my personal connections enhance my understanding of the novel through consultations with knowledgeable people on different aspects of literature. It gives me more room to consult on unclear literature elements hence boosting my understanding. Thirdly, my knowledge of the world enhances my understanding of the novel by enabling me to compare the happenings in the book to the real events that have happened in different parts of the world. The comparison of the contents of the novel and the real world happenings makes it easier to explain it and understand it deeply. Lastly, my own experience with other literary forms contributed to my understanding of the novel through application of allegorical characters to the real world. This is the experience gained from previous works that I have read.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is easier to understand the personalities of all characters such as Napoleon and Old Major through their actions. Despite the focus on one struggle of emancipating animals from torture by human masters, characters such as Napoleon take advantage of their leadership to further exploit their comrades. This raises pertinent issues of true equality and violence against other people, as is the case in the contemporary world.

The article was written by professional writer - Eshley Durst, you can find more her similar papers at https://cheap-papers.com/