Animal Farm

1. Animal Farm By Will Rowe, Jake Warren & Laura Hayward

2. Define the words dictator, tyrant and totalitarian. Explain how they can be applied to the novel and characters in it The definition of a Dictator is someone that takes absolute and sole power over a country, this relates to Animal Farm because the first dictator of Animal Farm was Mr Jones then after the rebellion the point was to not have a dictator however, Napoleon takes sole power over the farm and it was clear from the start that Napoleon was a leader along with snowball, but its clear that napoleon was the leader to come out of all of this. We know this because it says “Snowball and Napoleon were by far the most active in the debates, but it was noticed that they were never in agreement whatever suggestions either of them made the other one could be accounted on to oppose it”. - Laura Hayward

3. Define the words dictator, tyrant and totalitarian. Explain how they can be applied to the novel and characters in it The definition of Tyrant means when a leader is harsh and cruel and places their interests over the wellbeing of a population this relates to Animal Farm because when Mr Jones was in power he took charge and starved the animals and neglected them, but when Napoleon took over he done the same as what Mr Jones done even though it was said that there would be no leader and everyone would be equal, so Napoleon ruled/rules in a tyrant way, we know this because he kills the animals for no reason and takes all the milk and apples for just the pigs what shows that he's putting his health and needs before the rest of the animals. - Laura Hayward

4. Define the words dictator, tyrant and totalitarian. Explain how they can be applied to the novel and characters in it. The definition of Totalitarian means when a leader/ruler is in total control on their own, its all about what they want and need, like when napoleon takes the milk for himself and the house, because it states in the seven commandments that “no animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets” and because he wants to be a human and wants everything his way. He changes it to fit his needs, also when he gets drunk it also says in the commandments that no animal shall drink alcohol, but then Squealer changes it to “no animal shall drink alcohol to excess” - Laura Hayward

5. In your opinion, which characters in the novel are powerful? What kind of power do they have? In this novel Boxer, Squealer and Napoleon are the animals with power on the farm but they have 3 different types of power. Napoleon has the power to control the animals, he tells them what to do he is the “President”, the book quotes “in April, Animal Farm was proclaimed a Republic, and it became necessary to elect a president. There was only one candidate, Napoleon” this shows that Napoleon was given power to control and decide what was to happen on Animal Farm. Squealer has the power of speech, the power of propaganda. He uses this power under Napoleon’s orders to twist the minds of the animals and manipulate their thoughts, for example “Squealer easily convinced them that the veterinary surgeon in Willingdon could treat Boxer’s case more than satisfactory than could be done on the farm.” This shows that Squealer (the propaganda machine) has a way with words and can easily convince the animals to think anything even if it goes right against their beliefs. “He had gone out alone to drag a load of stone down to the windmill" this sentence shows that Boxer “He had, he said, only one real ambition left-to see the windmill well underway" this shows that Boxer will use all of his strength to finish the windmill before he “retires”. - Jake Warren

6. How does privately educating the puppies assist the pigs gaining power? Napoleon privately brings up the puppies which everyone thinks was really kind of him and generous. But it turned out that he was using them for his own use . He was training them to obey his every word . When Snowball was giving a speech he called the dogs to chase Snowball of the farm.” Napoleon stood up and, casting a peculiar side ways look at Snowball, uttered a high pitched whimper of a kind no one had ever heard him utter before.” At this there was a terrible baying outside, and nine enormous dogs wearing brass studded collars came bounding into the barn.” After they had chased Snowball off the farm no one knew were they had come from but then they guessed that it was the puppies that Napoleon had taken away from their mums to rear.” they were the puppies whom Napoleon had taken away from their mothers and reared privately.” The pigs took power pretty easily because they used the dogs as bodyguards and were very powerful so the animals obeyed the pigs without protest because the dogs were always there to back the pigs up and reinforce their orders. - Will Rowe

7. Do the pigs deserve to be the most powerful? No they don’t because the whole point of the rebellion is to not have a leader or have someone dictate ,but Napoleon just takes charge! And all animals are supposed to be equal, and when they have power they just abuse it! - Laura Hayward

8. Do those with power use it well or do they use it badly? Explain your answer. 2 out of 3 animals with power use it well. Squealer uses his power to tell lies to convince the animals that what happens is good and doesn’t brake the commandments (which he changes), Squealer makes the animals believe the lies and persuades enough to get them to question there memories and their beliefs, squealer uses is power well to do this but he uses it for the wrong reasons, just like most propaganda machines. Boxer - Boxer uses his power to help the animals to build the windmill and to help the animals do as much work as possible. Boxer wants to give as much as he can to help the animals with his work such as his helping with building the windmill. He also uses his strength to do the jobs no one else can do although he believes that Napoleon is right he still does good in a good way. - Jake Warren

9. Do those with power use it well or do they use it badly? Explain your answer. Napoleon uses his power badly to control the animals to do his greedy work. Napoleon uses his power to control the animals and control the farm but instead of using his power to give back to the other animals he becomes greedy and uses his power to get what he wants. For example, he uses Squealer to justify his act of taking milk and apples, instead of giving them to the working class which would produce a faster work force and better efficiency, so this suggests he uses his power to be bad and uses it badly. - Jake Warren

10. How does language become a tool of power? Language is very well used by Squealer. Squealer used his ability to make the animals question their beliefs, to question right and wrong and to question their memories. He is a very smart pig and to the animals very trustworthy. However, he twists words and makes the lies believable and to Napoleon Squealer is like an army, to Napoleon Squealer is his own propaganda machine. -Jake Warren

11. How does the behaviour of the pigs differ to Old Major’s ideas for the revolution? The pigs’ behaviour differs from the ideas of Old Major because they seize ultimate power after chasing Snowball away and make it a republic with Napoleon at its head leading. But Old Majors ideas were of an farm were every animal is equal but Napoleon ignores of all of that and becomes pretty much just a dictator . In the beginning of the rebellion there were 7 commandments they were 1: Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy, 2: Whatever goes upon 4 legs, or has wings, is a friend, 3: No animal shall wear clothes, 4: No animal shall sleep in a bed, 5: No animal shall drink alcohol, 6: No animal kill any other animal and 7: all animals are equal. But in the end before Napoleon invites all the farmers and starts walking on 2 trotters and wearing clothes Squealer changes the commandments to just, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”. This implies the pigs think that they are the best and smartest animals in the farm so they are better than the rest or “more equal”. - Will Rowe