Questions at post wsheet62.
LONG QUESTIONS _ ================= ANSWERS ch 5
5.1_What evidence in Animal Farm Chapter
5 indicates that Mollie may not have voluntarily left the farm to live with a
new owner?
Mollie never really buys into the principles of Animalism, which makes
her a target for expulsion from the farm, or worse. When Clover finds Mollie's
stash of ribbons and sugar cubes, Clover
presumably tells someone, because Mollie
disappears from the farm three days later. In this case the evidence of Mollie's fate lies in the details the
novel does not provide, such as whom Clover
told or what exactly happened to remove Mollie.
As a result the mystery surrounding her disappearance feels ominous. The story
circulates that Mollie has been seen
in the village, but the pigeons are the only source. No other animals from the
farm have seen Mollie themselves,
and the pigeons could have been instructed by the pigs to tell this story. It
would not be the first or the last time the pigs have manipulated or falsified
information given to the animals. Most tellingly, Mollie's disappearance appears in the same chapter that sees Napoleon use his dogs to chase Snowball from the farm. The two exiles
bookend the chapter, so the structure of the chapter itself sets up a parallel
between them. Given the violent nature of Snowball's
expulsion shortly after Mollie's
departure, it is not a stretch to imagine Napoleon
using his dogs to chase her away or kill her, possibly as part of their
training.
5.2_How does Napoleon use the sheep to his advantage as he takes
control of the farm in Animal Farm Chapter 5?
The sheep's
affinity for chanting the slogan "Four
legs good, two legs bad" is well established shortly after Snowball introduces it as an
abbreviated version of the Seven
Commandments. The propaganda technique of sloganeering appeals to the sheep
in particular. The sheep frequently break into chanting at critical moments
when Snowball makes speeches, most
likely not coincidentally but because Napoleon
encourages them in private to do so. It benefits Napoleon to have Snowball's
speeches interrupted because Napoleon
is not a strong speechmaker himself. When he finally makes his move against Snowball, unleashing the dogs to run
him off the farm, the sheep begin chanting their slogan, only adding to the
chaos after Snowball flees. The chaos
ensures that the other animals will be too confused and disoriented to attempt
to defend him or question what has just happened, which guarantees Napoleon's success.
5.3_How does Napoleon change the running of the farm after
Snowball's exile in Animal Farm Chapter 5, and
how do his changes help secure his position as leader?
Immediately after Napoleon expels Snowball from the farm, he implements a number of changes designed
to solidify his total control over the farm's activities. His first act is to
end the practice of Sunday morning meetings, which until now have provided a
forum for the animals to discuss, debate, and offer input into decisions that
affect the farm. Historically the animals' active participation in the
decision-making process has been limited, but the elimination of the meetings
altogether closes the door to any possible participation from the animals.
Instead Napoleon decides the pigs
will make all decisions in a special committee that will meet in private, and
they will issue their conclusions to the animals afterward. The private
meetings close off any opportunity for the animals to participate in the
decision-making process. The animals continue to come together on Sunday
mornings to receive their orders, salute the flag, and sing "Beasts of England", but the
new system effectively shuts off any opportunities for the animals to oppose Napoleon or question his policies.
5.4_How does Squealer smooth over Napoleon's actions after the
takeover of the farm in Animal Farm Chapter 5?
As a master of
propaganda and public speaking, Squealer
puts his skills to work after Snowball
is exiled and Napoleon takes over.
He relies on his standard strategies, opening by saying Napoleon's assumption of leadership is an act of self-sacrifice for
the animals' own good, denying any personal benefits Napoleon may derive from controlling the farm. He questions the
animals' ability to make decision for themselves, which is a valid point, but
his mention of it also serves to undermine the animals' confidence in their own
knowledge and abilities. He undercuts the animals' confidence in their own memories
when he declares Snowball a criminal
and counters their claims that Snowball was brave in the Battle of the Cowshed by saying Snowball's role has been much exaggerated. Once the animals lose
confidence in what they think they know, they are more open to Squealer's version of events. He
concludes with his appeal to the animals' fear that Mr. Jones might return to the farm if they don't do as they are
told, and as in the past, this statement effectively ends all discussion.
5.5_ Why are the animals so vulnerable to the pigs' manipulation
in Animal FarmChapter 5?
Even before the
rebellion, the other animals acknowledge the pigs' superior cleverness, so they
initially allow the pigs to take charge of the farm's management. Although the
other animals have a limited ability to read and write, they also choose to
participate only minimally in the Sunday meetings and debates. They do not ask
questions when the pigs take any sort of action. Because the animals do not
make a point of actively participating in their own governance after the
rebellion, they too often learn what is really happening around them only after
it is too late to protest or change what is going on. While it is possible the
pigs would find other ways to suppress the animals' questions and preferences,
the animals' lack of engagement and resistance makes the pigs' job of
manipulating the situation much easier.
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ANSWERS ch 6
6.1_ What evidence appears in Animal Farm Chapter
6 to indicate the animals are actually working harder for less food?
The amount of
labor required to build the windmill is huge. It often takes a whole day just
to get a boulder into position to drop it into the quarry and break it apart
into useful building stone, and often the drop does not crack the boulder,
requiring the animals to repeat the whole process. The animals believe they are
saving labor in other areas because they no longer have to maintain fences and
their weeding processes are more thorough, but the elimination of these
activities hardly balances the labor involved in the large construction
project. Furthermore the construction of the windmill has eaten into farming
time, so crop yields are lower, resulting in smaller stores of food. However,
the animals ignore these realities. After all, they are working for the common
good, and they think any shortcomings in their current situation are mitigated
by the fact that they do not have to answer to humans.
6.2_ What case can be made that the decision to trade with other
farms in Animal Farm Chapter 6
actually violates the Seven Commandments?
When the pigs
announce the decision to engage in trade with the human owners of other farms,
the animals hesitate to accept this decision. Squealer assures the animals that no resolutions to avoid trade
with humans or to avoid using money were ever passed, taking advantage of the
animals' poor memories again. Technically Squealer
is correct in that the Seven Commandments
contain no explicit limitations on trade or the use of money, but the act of
trading with humans does undermine the principle that anything that walks on
two legs is an enemy. Furthermore the first items slated for trade with the
other farms are the hens' eggs. When Old
Major outlined his vision for the animals' free future, he specifically
cited the hens' loss of eggs, which could have become offspring, as a gross
violation the humans inflicted upon the hens. Now the pigs, encouraging the
hens to make a sacrifice for the good of the farm, are committing that very
offense.
6.3_ After the rebellion
how has the humans' relationship with the farm changed in Animal
Farm Chapter 6?
Even though the
humans have decided to do business with the animals and refer to the farm by
its new name, Animal Farm, they
continue to wish it ill. In fact the humans hate the farm even more now that it
appears to be prospering, because they are even more fearful that their own
animals will be inspired to rebel. Likewise the humans want the windmill to
fail for the same reasons. Any success at Animal
Farm represents a threat to their own farms. However, their willingness to
trade with the farm speaks to the depth of the humans' own self-interest.
Business and the opportunity to profit still trump any personal reservations
the humans have about Animal Farm.
6.4_ How does blaming the windmill collapse on Snowball benefit
Napoleon in Animal Farm Chapter 6?
When the
windmill collapses, Napoleon has a
few options for placing blame. He can blame the weather, which is the most
likely cause of the collapse, but the animals may be demoralized and reluctant
to rebuild if they believe they are working against forces of nature. He can
blame the design or quality of construction—other likely factors—but that would
place himself and the pigs in line for criticism, which would undermine their
position of power. The animals know the humans wish the project to fail, but if
Napoleon blames the humans for
sabotaging the windmill he kills the opportunity to trade with them. Snowball makes an appealing scapegoat
because making him into a villain only solidifies Napoleon's own support, and Snowball's
participation in the alleged sabotage is impossible to disprove. Issuing the
directive to bring Snowball to
justice also serves Napoleon's
purposes because if Snowball is still in the area, this directive provides a
chance to eliminate him permanently. Lastly, using Snowball as a scapegoat offers a propaganda opportunity. He can
been presented as an external threat like Mr.
Jones that the pigs can unite the other animals against to preserve their
own power.
6.5_ Why does Napoleon offer a greater reward if Snowball is
captured alive in Animal Farm Chapter 6?
After Snowball is blamed for sabotaging the
windmill, Napoleon offers the honor
of Animal Hero, Second Class and a half bushel of apples to the animal who
kills Snowball. Then, in a chilling
turn, he offers a full bushel of apples to any animal who brings in Snowball alive. Of course, there is a
slim chance the animals will find, capture, or kill Snowball at all. At the same time, Napoleon's edict and offers indicate that his interest in finding Snowball is personal. Perhaps he would
rather have Snowball alive so he can
make Snowball suffer and inflict the
suffering himself. Alternatively, he could be trying to show a benevolent side
of himself to the animals. Mostly, though, a sadistic and vindictive side of Napoleon's personality shows itself
here, indicating that some of his cruelty may not be simply about
self-interest. He may also like inflicting it.
