Animalism and Snowball/socialism

Context for old major’s speech

Old Major’s speech bears similarities to Marx’s communist Manifesto.

Context for “Beasts of England”

the song ‘Beasts of England’ parodies the ‘internationale’ (a communist anthem)

Context for Snowball

1924-25 as Lenin grows ill, Stalin and Trotsky compete for power. Trotsky is ousted and goes into exile.

(chapter 1 - Old Major’s speech) “man is the only ==creature== that consumes without producing. ==He== does not give milk, ==he== does not lay eggs“

lexis - diminishes status of man + empowers animals. Singular pronouns - firmly establishes enemy

(chapter 1 - Old Major’s speech) “What do you have except your ==bare== rations and stall?”

hyperbole - compelled to react + exposed and exploited

(chapter 1 - Old Major’s speech) “comrade”

symbol of unity + equality

(Chapter 1 - Beasts of England) “golden future time”

song designed to inspire animals to work together for a common goal - promise of land after working and fighting. Sacrifice.

(Chapter 2 - overthrowing Jones and burning symbols of man, e.g “whips” and Boxers “straw hat”) “they could ==hardly== believe it was all their own”

celebration + euphoric disbelief. Adverb - innocence - foreshadow (to easy)

(chapter 2 - snowball’s initial description) “snowball was a more ==vivacious== pig than Napoleon, ==quicker== in speech and more ==inventive==”

adjs - highlights leadership strengths + foreshadows initiative-driven leadership style

(Chapter 3 - animal’s hard work + dedication) “sometimes work was hard”

declarative - no complaining - community spirit

(Chapter 4 - successful spread of animalism) “Beasts of England… had spread with ==astonishing== speed”

adj - extreme pace - impressive success

(Chapter 5 - Snowball and Napoleon disputes about the Windmill) “in a ==glowing== sentence he ==painted== a picture if animal farm as it ==might== be”

Enthusiastic. Modal verb “might” - unrealistic.

(Chapter 5 - Snowball and Napoleon disputes about the Windmill) “Electricity could operate threshing-machines, ploughs, harrows..”

list - advanced technology. Promises become exaggerated and idealistic.

Context for the pigs turning into men

Western leaders, e.g Churchill, meet with Stalin

(Chapter 5 - Snowball’s expulsion) “there was a ==terrible== ==baying sound outside== and nine ==enormous== dogs … came bounding into the barn”

Imagery of attack and viciousness. adj strength.

(Chapter 10 - pigs turning into men) “it was a pig walking on his hind legs”

Symbol of return to Jones hierarchy + diminished old major’s values

(Chapter 10 - pigs turning into men) “he carried a whip in his trotter”

burnt all whips earlier - symbol of man

(Chapter 10 - pigs turning into men) “the ==creatures== outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig… but already it was impossible to say which was which”

direct divide - creature used in Old Major’s speech to divide animal and man

(Chapter 10 - “Beasts of England had been ==abolished==. From now onwards it was ==forbidden== to sing it”

dictatorship - disregarded Old Major’s values - symbols of animalism fading away