Chapter 4: The Battle of the Cowshed

“[The sheep] rushed forward and prodded and butted the men form every side”

• the tricolon of verbs ‘rushed’, ‘prodded’ and ‘butted’ create a sense of fast-paced action

• the use of polysyndeton used to separate each of the verbs creates emphasis on each action taken by the animals

• ‘from every side’ alludes to the teamwork and unity of the animals, showing that the strength of the animals is great when they work as one unit

“The pellets scored bloody streak along Snowball’s back”

• violent imagery in the phrase ‘scored bloody streaks’, graphically emphasises the pain and sacrifice Snowball has endures for the battle

• the verb ‘scored’ suggest deep permanent wounds were left on Snowball, hinting at the consequences of violence

• the contrast to between ‘Snowball’ and ‘bloody streaks’ highlights the injuries obtained, the word ‘snowball’, evokes a sense of purity and alludes to the colours white like snow whereas the blood has imagery of staining and uncleanliness

“The most terrifying spectacle of all was Boxer, rearing up on his hind legs and striking out with his great iron-shod hoofs”

• the use of superlative in ‘most terrifying’ suggest that despite the animals being attacked by the humans, the most shocking sigh was Boxer’s raw power

• the active verbs ‘rearing up’ and ‘striking out’ depict Boxer as a dominant force, reinforcing his physical strength

• the adjective ‘great’ highlights his immense size whilst ‘iron-shod’ makes his attack sound mechanical and deadly, stripping away his usual gentle nature

“They were gored, kicked, bitten, trampled on”

• the asyndetic listing of verbs makes the violence feel relentless and chaotic, mirroring the unpredictability of the battle

• the use of passive voice depersonalises the victims, making them seem insignificant in the grand scheme of revolution