Orwell, George - Animal Farm (Reading Log)

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Chapter I: Summery of chapter 1 – Old Majors Speech

Chapter II: Characterization of Moses the tame raven

Chapter III: Mind map - Changes in the dailey routine of animals life on Animal farm after the establishment of the animal republic

Chapter IV: A new title for chapter 4 – The Battle of the Cowshed

Chapter V: Snowball writes in his diary about the situation in chapter 5

Chapter VI: A new title for chapter 6 – New rules and new problems on Animal farm

Chapter VII: Summary of chapter 7 – Rebuilding of the windmill and the hard winter

Chapter VIII: The Poem – What’s my thought about it?

Chapter IX: A dictionary of new words in the chapter

Chapter X: A picture about: The pigs – animals or humans?

About the book

INTRODUCTION:

Animal Farm was first published in 1945. Animal Farm is a satire on Stalinism and the Russian revolution. As Russia was an allied of England in 1945, Orwell had a hard time publishing it. The British author George Orwell, pen name for Eric Blair , achieved prominence in the late 1940's as the author of two brilliant satires attacking totalitarianism. Familiarity with the novels, documentaries, essays, and criticism he wrote during the 1930's and later established him as one of the most important and influential voices of the century.

SETTING:

The story takes place on a farm somewhere in England. George Orwell did not give an accurate description of the farm and we do not know when the story takes place. When he started writing his book, he did not want people to know that he was writing about the Russian revolution. Many publishers who declined to publish Animal Farm in Britain and America did so because they considered there was no market for "children’s books".

Chapter I: Summary Old Majors speech

Mr Jones, the owner of “Manor Farm”, was often drunk, did not care about his animals, and for this reason the animals wanted to fight against him.

One night the 12-year-old pig Old Major calls all the animals together and talks to them. The animals are three dogs (Bluebell, Jessie and Pincher), pigs, hens, pigeons, sheep, cows, two horses (Boxer and Clover), the white goat Muriel, the donkey Benjamin, the oldest animal on the farm, and Mollie the cat. First Old Major mentions his reason for holding a speech. His speech is about the life of an animal which is very miserable, hard, short and like slavery, the rebellion and a song:

Old Major says, that no animal is happy and is killed when it is not longer useful. The man is the only creature that consumes without producing, yet he is the lord of all the animals. He sets them to work and gives them nearly nothing back. He even keeps the productions for himself (for example the milk of the cows and the eggs of the hens). So all men are enemies and all animals are comerades. If the animals wants to live a better life, they must get rid of man. So he requests for rebellion. Old Major doesn’t know when the rebellion will come, but it will happen. And he says that all animals must hold together and they are all equal. He wants, that the animals fight against man and at last he warns them not to resemble their enemy: no animal must ever live in a house or sleep in a bed. Then Old Major tells them about his dream, which is about the earth as it will be when man has vanished. He sings them a song calledBeasts of England, a song of rebellion. And then all animals sing the song for five times. Finally their lowing, whining and bleating wake up Mr Jones. Every animal flee to his sleeping place and the whole farm is asleep in a moment.

What does Old Major to effect with his speech?

Old Major wants to effect that the animals must do something. They have to defend themselves, because they are treated bad by man and man takes everything of their products away, but he returns them only the minimum. Old Major demands a rebellion of the animals. They must work hard day and night to prepare it, but it′s important that the animals always suppose that all animals are comrades and that man is their enemy.

Chapter II: Characterization of Moses

Moses is a tame raven and Mr Jones especial pet. Moses spy for Mr Jones and so the raven is his tale-bearer.

Ravens are often very cunning and eloquent. Moses is a good and clever talker, too. The animals hate him, because he’s very lazy. He only tells beares and never works. Moses reports the animals about a mysterious country, to which all animals go to when they die. It is called Sugarcandy Mountain and its position is somewhere up in the sky behind the clouds. In Sugarcandy Mountain no animal has to work and it is summer with high grass and clover on the meadows* all the time. On the hedges grew lump of sugar and linseed cakes. I don’t think that’s true, so the raven makes other animals illusions of live after death. That is very mean and unfair opposite the others. So you can see: Moses is not very considerate to other animals. He is selfish and I think he has no friends except Mr Jones. Perhaps he wants reputation** and to be popular on account of*** things he knows and nobody else. A tale-bearer like Moses has to be creative and curious. So the raven is not shy.

Moses’ appearance is like a normal raven I think. Ravens have got black feathers and their nature is to be cheeky, also Moses probably is cheeky, too. A raven cannot sing very well, so Moses can only be croake.

Moses is:

- cunning (listig)
- eloqunet (redegewandt)
- clever
- lazy
- mean (gemein, boshaft)
- unfair
- not considerate
- selfish
- creative
- curious (neugierig)
- not shy

- cheeky (frech)

*meadows = Wiesen

**reputation = Ansehen

***on account of = aufgrund von

Chapter III: Mind map

Changes in the dailey routine of animals life on Animal farm after the establishment of the animal republic

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Chapter IV: A new title The Battle of the Cowshed

I think chapter 4 should calledThe Battle of the Cowshed,because the most important event in this chapter is the battle against Mr Jones and the other men and this battle is called “The Battle of the Cowshed”.

On October the twefth, Mr Jones and all his men with a half dozen others from Mr Pilkington, the owner of Foxwood, a neighbour farm, and Mr Frederick, the owner of Pinchfield, the other neighbour farm, went to the farm. They were all carrying sticks except Mr Jones, who was carrying a gun. When the human beings approached the farm buildings, the battle began with a attack of the pigeons. Then the second attack with Snowball at the head and Muriel, Benjamin, and all the sheep behind him started. They used a ruse to decoy the men inside the yard and then all other animals like the horses and the pigs, who came out of the cowshed, cutting them off. Suddenly Mr Jones fired with his gun. The pellets striped Snowball’s back and hit a sheep. The sheep died. Then Boxer killed Mr Jones. So all other men ran away.

After war the animals sang “Beasts of England”. The animals decided that the battle should be called “The Battle of the Cowshed”, because in the cowshed the ambush had been sprung. From this day on the anniversary of the Rebellion was “The Battle of the Cowshed” - day.

The Battle of the Cowshed is perhaps the most important event in the book. So the new title of this chapter is called like this event.

Chapter V: Snowball writes in his diary about the situation

Changes in the animals’ dailey rutine after the Rebellion - Snowball and Napoleon Diary of Snowball

Dear diary,

winter drew on. I and all other animals except Mollie get out of bed early every morning and go to work (on field). Mollie is very lazy and curious at the moment. She always comes late and runs away from work. I don’t know why. Clover speaks with her, because she often goes to the neighbour farm and there the men stroke her nose. Then Clover tells me about this situation and I say to do nothing. That’s all for today. Bye!

Dear diary,

it is three days later. Mollie disappeares. She flees to the neighbour farm. I am very sad of it, because I like Mollie. Will she come back? I don’t think so...

It’s late now. I will go to bed. Bye!

Dear diary,

it is January. The bitterly hard winter comes. I often freeze and the earth is like iron. At the moment we cannot do anything on the fields, but we held many meeting in the barns. I often dispute with Napoleon at this meetings, because I want to sow a bigger acreage with barley and he wants to sow a bigger acreage with oats. He doesn’t know what he is talking about. I always win the majority of the other animals, because my suggestions are better than Napoleons and I can talk better than him. I am brilliant and I am the greatest speaker. At the meetings the stupid sheep interrupt them often by bleating “Four legs good, two legs bad”. They annoy me, because the always are bleating in my speeches. It’s Napoleons work. I hate him. I have got many plans of innovation and improvement , because I study “Farmer and Stockbreeder”. We had found it in the farmhouse. So I have got schemes for me ideas, but Napoleons hasn’t got any. He only speaks great. My great idea is to build a windmill on the highest point on the farm to supply the farm with electrial power. Am I not brilliant? I am, dear diary, I am. Through the windmill we will have light in the stalls and warm in the winter, a circular saw, a chaff-cutter, a mangel-slicer and an electric milking machine and so on. I’m full of ideas. And now I will work out my plans for building a windmill. Bye!

Dear diary,

now it is a few weeks later. My plans for the windmill are fully worked out. I have got three books for help. They are from Mr Jones. It was really hard and difficult to make the plans, but now I am the king!!! All animals are impressive about them! Napoleon the unfair pig held aloof. It is anyway to me. He can do what he wants to do. I am the greatest of all. I do not deny that it’s a difficult business to build the windmill, but it could all be done in a year. Napoleon contradicts my plans again. He says that all must work for food and so on. He annoys me again with this. We have got two groups now. The first group are for, and the second group are again my plans and for Napoleons. My group is, of course, the greatest one. Now I will finish my contribution for today. See you soon, dear diary!

Dear diary,

the best and the worst day in my life is today! My plans are completed! I do all to convince the animals at a meeting. And I know I had won! But suddenly Napoleon utters a high-pitched whimper and nine enormous dogs run in the barn. The want to kill me – I am sure. I jump from my place just in time to escape their snapping jaws! And then I run, I run as fast as I can! I am frightend! Very frightend! The dogs are beasts, great beasts. One of them bites me in my tail, but I run forward. From this time on I don’t know more about the other animals. I hate Napoleon and his beasts! I hate him! He know that I had won the majority for building the windmill! He is a cheater! A very, very unfair cheater! I will go to revenge myself. He will see. He he he! Now it’s a time later. I will carefully go back and see what they do...

Dear diary,

I were at the farm once more. Napoleon is the leader now. He is a damned bastard. I hate him over all! He had no rigth to do this!!! And Spuealer is his speaker now. He sad I am a criminal. Who is the criminal? Napoleon is it!

Chapter VI: A new title New rules and new problems on Animal farm

The erection of the windmill and its destruction by a strom I think the chapter should be called“The erection of the windmill and its destruction by a storm”,becaue this are the main things or events in this chapter.

The farm lose the best leader they could have had – Snowball. The animals loose their chance to give orders on what direction the farm should go. That’s a new problem like Napoleons blaming. Napoleon begins blaming Snowball for things that he did not do. So for example that he should have destroyed the windmill. He is the scapegoat for all the bad things on the farm.

Napoleon sets the animals to work on Sunday and acquires Mr. Whymper as the farm’s broker. So they get new rules for example to work like in slavery. Napoleon starts to sell some of the farm’s produce and the pigs start sleeping one hour later – in beds. At the end the Windmill is blown over and Snowball is blamed.

So the half of name of the chapter“destruction by a storm”says that Snowball is not guilty. Now all readers know it at the first look.

Chapter VII: Summary Rebuilding of the windmill and the hard winter

Violent against one Commandment

The chapter 7 of the fairy story “Animal Farm” by George Orwell is about the rebuilding of the windmill, the problems in the winter and violent against the Commandment “No animal shall kill any other animal”.

The human beings don’t belive that Snowball had destroyed the windmill, but rather the walls were too thin so the animals rebuild the windmill with bigger walls. This is hard work and the animals have not enough food, because of the bitter winter their harvest had been frosted. So Napoleon made use of Mr Whimper.

Anybody who says or thinks something against his regime will be killed, because Napoleon says this is typical of Snowball’s friends. So four young pigs had been killed by Napoleons order, because he thought they were friends of Snowball. The hens were killed, too, because they protested and broke their eggs. So he uses violent against the Commandment “No animal shall kill any other animal”.

The most animals like Snowball more than Napoleon, because he is their hero in the Battle of the Cowshed. So the life for them is very dangerous, because Napoleon will kill them.

When Old Major stirred them to rebellion they did not expect these scenses of terror and slaughter. At last Napoleon abolished “Beasts of England”, because that was the song of the Rebellion and the Rebellion is completed now.

Chapter VIII: The Poem What’s my thought about it?

The Poem:

Friend of the fatherless!

Fountain of happiness!

Lord of the swill-bucket! Oh, how my soul is on

Fire when I gaze at thy

Calm and commanding eye,

Like the sun in the sky,

Comrade Napoleon!

Thou are the giver of

All that thy creatures love,

Full belly twice a day, clean straw to roll upon;

Every beast great or small

Sleeps at peace in his stall,

Thou watches over all,

Comrade Napoleon!

Had I a sucking-pig,

Ere he had grown as big

Even as a pint bottle or as a rolling-pin,

He should have learned to be

Faithful and true to thee,

Yes, his first squeak should be

“Comrade Napoleon!”

My thought about the poem:

The poem sounds like a part of bible, because it has an old fashion style. This poem exist, because Napoleon is the leader of all animals and he seems to be like god. It is a hymn to praise Napoleon, because he is a very important person on Animal Farm.

“Friend of the fatherless”: The animals are all friends of the fatherless, because they haven’t got a father (Mr Jones) and don’t want a father once more. They only have got a leader (Napoleon). So instead of “Friend of the fatherless” there could stand: “Follower of the leader Napoleon”.

“Fountain of happiness”: The fountain is Animal Farm. At this place all animals are happy. So there is the founfain of happiness

“Oh, how my soul is on fire when I gaze at thy calm and commanding eye”: This means that every animal should be happy, faithful, delighted and praise Napoleon when they see him. “thy” = Napoleon. The “commanding eye” shows Napoleons leadership. The “calm eye” means that every animal is calm when it sees Napoleon, because the animals trust him. So he is a good leader in the poem.

“Like the sun in the sky”: Many people are happy and feel good when the sun is shining. So the animals shall be happy and feel good when they see Napoleon.

“Thou are the giver of all that thy creatures love”: “Thou” = Napoleon. He is the giver of all love. So he is good and nice and all shall be faithful. All animals are Napoleon’s creatures. He is the leader of all.

“Full belly twice a day, clean straw to roll upon”: Every animals can eat twice a day until his belly is full. This is a great lie. The animals are hungry all the time. So there you can see: Napoleon is a liar. I don’t think that the animals have got clean straw, because this is too expensive. So this is a lie, too.

“Every beast great or small sleeps at peace in his stall”: I do not think that the animals sleep at peace. In winter the stalls are very cold and the animals are hungry. How can sleep at peace when he/she is hungry and freezes? Nobody - not the animals either.

“Thou watches over all”: “Thou” = Napoleon. This is a lie, too. Napoleon lives in the farm house and drinks alcohol. How can he watches over all when he is drunk?

“Had I a sucking-pig, ere he had grown as big”: Ths means that he will have a young pigs

“He should have learned to be faithful and true to thee”: Before the young pig grow up he should have learned to be faithful and true to Napoeon.

“Yes, his first squeak should be ‘Comrade Napoleon!’ ”: The young pigs first squeak should be “Comrade Napoleon” to praise him and to show that Napoleon is the only leader.

Chapter IX: A dictionary of new words

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Chapter 10:

A picture about: The pigs – animals or humans?

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