Animal Farm

1. S5 Animal Farm

2. Structure • Animal Farm follows a conventional narrative structure. Its events are told in chronological order by the narrator. • The story is divided into ten chapters which trace the decline of the high ideals of the Animalist revolution. • The book is also structured in a more subtle way...

3. Structure • Once the revolution has happened, several chapters (5,6 and 7) open by referring to the suffering of the animals or the harsh winters they experience. • These chapters end with the gradual pervasion of one of the Commandments – these remind the reader of the gradual destruction of Old Major’s ideals.

4. Old Major • His speech is echoed and referred to throughout the novel, to provide a standard by which the pigs’ actions are judged. • The placing of the speech at the start of the novel, means that the reader shares the animals’ enthusiasm for the vision of the future and becomes progressively more disappointed as the ideals are destroyed.

5. Old Major • The repeated breaking of the Commandments and the animals’ continual checking of the wall, make clear to the reader, the gradual distortion of Major’s ideals. • We then reach the shocking climax, in which all pretence of following the Commandments is abandoned by the pigs, in favour of open terror and oppression.

6. Old Major • Look at Major’s speech. Go through the novel again and find exactly where each one of his ideals are destroyed. • 1) “In fighting against men, we must not come to resemble him...above all, no animal may ever tyrannise over his own kind.” • 2) “No animal must ever live in a house or sleep in a bed.” • 3) “No animal must ever touch money or engage in trade.” • 4) “No animal must ever kill any other animal.” • 5) “All animals are equal.”