Category: Animal Farm

In Animal Farms, George Orwell, a great social reformer, reflects that we should be cautious about the ‘future possibility of totalitarianism’ and he himself is skeptical of every ‘version of ideal society’ (White 73). The novella is said to be the masterpiece as it, very beautifully, exhibits the dystopia of society. Moreover, the novella is an allegory as both the setting and the characters have some deeper meaning and purposes, like the setting is at an Animal farm that has deliberately been utilized to represent Russia, and the animals on that farm represent the people participating in the Russian revolution. Both Napoleon and Snowball have significant roles to play in the story for the former, after the riot of rebellion, leads the Animal farm, while the latter encounters the former for being too authoritative and controlling.

Firstly, Napoleon is the most dominating character of the novel. Even he is described by Orwell as a ‘fierce looking’ boar who doesn’t talk much but has the tendency to get his own way. Since he is antagonistically cunning, hypocritical, and power-drunk, he represents Joseph Stalin, the Soviet political leader who is known for his dictatorial powers and evil deeds. On the other hand, Snowball is an ideal leader like Leo Trotsky who was also a Soviet politician but, unlike Stalin, played a vital role in the Russian revolution. Talking about their relationship with other animals, it can be said that both have far different perspectives. Napoleon, being a leader, believes that the subordinates should be in control. He believes in the use of power against those who confront him. That is why, he does not enjoy a good relationship with other animals-the animals are afraid of him but they don’t respect him. In contrast, Snowball believes in fabricating relationships with the other animals with a democratic attitude that gives them a lot of space (White 74). For example, he keeps arranging a meeting on Sundays with animals for the development of Animal Farm. He is the actual heir of Old Major for he follows the system called Animalism-that is a system designed for the well-being of animals. Napoleon is corrupt and selfish, as he changes the seven commandments in his own favor and seeks power, Snowball is a devoted and selfless leader who works for the welfare of Animal Farm. Moreover, Napoleon is the victimizer and Snowball is the victimized. For instance, Napoleon sends the vivacious dogs after Snowball to attack and kill him but he, like Trotsky escaped from Stalin’s conspiracy ran out of the country, runs out of Animal Farm.

Conclusively, both the characters are significant but Snowball is a better leader because of his being revolutionary and developmental attitude. He does not want power, a trait of totalitarianism, but wants social reforms. He, unlike Napoleon who walks on two legs like men so that he should gain powers like them, is Orwell’s reflection on freedom from slavery through strength and revolution (Moarse 89).

A Perfect World:

Would Clover’s idea from George Orwell’s ​Animal Farm​ be Feasible or a Fiasco? Clover, from Orwell’s ​Animal Farm, originally believed that the reformed farm would be a perfect world. In her mind, all animals would work peacefully alongside each other to benefit them all. Soon after Napoleon became the sole leader on the farm, his ulterior motives became clear and the originally ‘perfect’ animal farm became the breeding ground for propaganda and suspicion.

The so-called ‘perfect’ world that Clover dreams of could never have been possible in the long term. It would either require a leader who is not lured by the prospect of more power or no leader at all. Clover’s dream could have been a reality for some time, but eventually, something would go wrong. This was shown in Ancient Persia when Darius III was able to unite almost the entire Middle East, he allowed everyone within the empire to do their own thing as long as they paid some taxes. After around 250 years the Greeks got jealous and destroyed the majority of the Persian Empire. If something so perfect is created then there will always be someone mad or jealous of it that may eventually lead to its downfall. In ​Animal Farm, after the farm is taken over by the animals, people dislike it as shown by this quote: “The human beings did not hate Animal Farm any less now that it was prospering; indeed, they hated it more than ever.” This quote shows that people will dislike ideas that they didn’t think of themselves or that they feel threatened by.

Clover’s idea was that all the animals would work together to accomplish things and work in peace alongside their leaders. This would be impossible because even if all the animals worked together, most leaders feel the influence of power and might change their original opinions for ones that benefit themselves more.

Scapegoats for Supervisors: The Benefits of Having Someone to Blame

In Orwell’s book ​Animal Farm, ​Napoleon and Squealer often use Snowball and Mr. Jones as a way of bribing or threatening the rest of the animals to stay in line. Because all the animals remember or have heard about Jones’s tyrannic rule over Manor Farm, they are inclined to believe that nothing could be worse than Jones. This benefits Napoleon’s regime because if any animal doubts his orders, the mere reminder of how things used to be would immediately convince them that it is for the best. This is shown in the book after Napoleon murders many animals for supposedly committing treason and Boxer begins to doubt whether that was a good thing. Squealer reassures him with a simple “You don’t want Jones back do you?” Convincing the animals that Snowball and Jones would have made things worse, makes things seem better than they really are. Though Jones was already known to be dead around the time that this happened, Napoleon kept using him and Snowball as scapegoats to keep up the illusion of an outside threat so no one was suspicious of one within.

An example of real scapegoat used by leaders in the world is Trump making up the concept of fake news. By calling anything he doesn’t agree with fake, he provides himself with a scapegoat that will last through his presidency as proven by the amount of NY Times articles about him. Though this scapegoat is not a person it is certainly an easy thing to point fingers at.

Democracy gives one many rights, but when they are taken away; it creates a system where the only people prospering are the ones making the laws. Animal Farm is a symbolic novella by George Orwell. It is a story about the evolution of Communism in Russia, with each animal representing a different social class of that time period. Benjamin is a donkey on the Manor Farm, which was later known as the Animal Farm. He is one of the oldest animals on the farm as we see him alive in the last scene. Benjamin had very few appearances throughout the book, but his influence on the plot was very strong. The color black implies many things: observer, quiet, the unknown, mysterious, wise, and melancholy, and Orwell is successful in developing many of these characteristics in Benjamin. Orwell uses this color and shows Benjamin as the skeptical people of Russia while making some historical references.

Benjamin represents the skeptical people of Russia who believed that communism would not help their country, but they did not raise their voices in fear of losing their lives either. This goes back to the characteristics of the color black: the unknown and mysterious. He ensures that his opinions are not open to the animals of the farm. His thoughts are only expressed as words spoken under his breath. When the farm animals were asked to express their opinion through a vote, “Benjamin was the only animal who did not side with either faction. He refused to believe either that food would become more plentiful or that the windmill would save work” (Orwell, 50). This shows how Benjamin does not want to influence or object to anything happening on the farm while keeping his opinions to himself. The purpose of Benjamin acting this way is to create an image for the reader showing that Benjamin does not stand up for himself just like the skeptical people of Russia who did not voice their opinion.

Benjamin falls under the archetype of an observer, a character who often witnesses all that goes on but remains quiet and calm throughout. They are usually philosophical and every time they speak or act, it is important. Benjamin’s belief that nothing is worth reading changes at the end as he sees Boxer being taken away. Seeing his friend being taken away “[he] pushed [Muriel] aside and… read: “ ‘Alfred Simmonds, Horse Slaughterer and Glue Boiler, Willingdon. Dealer in Hides and Bone−Meal. Kennels Supplied.’… They are taking Boxer to the knackers!” ” (Orwell, 122) Only the pigs’ betrayal of his friend, Boxer, encourages him to take action, which results in no change because he is too late. This shows how he will keep to himself until the situation is dire and out of his control. It is important for Benjamin to behave this way because the reader sees the result of the pressure the communist government had on the skeptical people.

Benjamin states that ‘Donkeys live a long time. None of you has ever seen a dead donkey’ (Orwell, 30); this gives a lot of insight into his personality. Benjamin, using his life as an example, is telling the reader that major events, even revolutions, have little effect in the long run; eventually, everything will settle down. It does not matter if the Man or the pigs are in charge, democracy or communism in effect, things will neither improve nor get worse; ‘Windmill or no windmill, he said, life would go on as it had always gone on that is, badly.” (Orwell, 51). Going back to the color black, this reveals that his personality is very pessimistic and melancholic. The purpose of this is to character foil Old Major, who shared his life experience with the farm animals to spark hope of change, and Benjamin, who fails in his responsibility of reminding the other animals about the old laws and sparking hope of renewal.

In conclusion, George Orwell is successful in building Benjamin’s personality around the archetypal color black because Benjamin has developed all if not most, personality traits represented by the color black while representing the skeptical people of Russia through him. Orwell’s writing style has made it possible to develop a character with very few appearances while maintaining the reader’s interest.

If we were to combine strong leadership with strong workers, what could we achieve? It has been proven time and time again, that we as a human race have the capacity to stand up against times of crisis. Whether it be famine, hunger, or natural disasters, time and time again have we seen humanity stand firm together in times of need. Strong leaders make for strong people. But what happens when leadership turns corrupt? What damage is done to society and the everyday individual’s life? The flaws in human nature are what’s holding us back.

Today I am here presenting to you why this warning against corrupt leadership has stood the test of time, having been played out through the plot of ‘Animal Farm’. The book was written in 1945 by George Orwell, but not without getting a controversial response from the public, who were able to read into the deep meanings and representations found within the fable. After all, this book was released at times of war and unsettled politicians. The book being communicated in a fable genre meant that there was a broader target audience and was generally just more entertaining. But it also meant that, as it did not directly challenge leadership, it stayed politically correct.

The battle for power between the tyrannical pig Napoleon, representing the Russian counterpart of Stalin, and Snowball, who opposes him, representing Trotsky, reveals to us what a corrupt leader would do out of lust for power. This leads to the animals being ignored, starved and ultimately treated in many unfair ways, reflecting what actually happened in Russian society. And yet, the working class just kept on working harder and harder, trusting that their leaders were correct.

Snowball was one of the pigs who took charge of the farm after the abolishment of humans. He was an innovative leader. One who was constantly looking for ways to make life for the animals better and easier. He was well-educated, a good speaker, and had a relatively genuine passion for leading the animals to what he believed to be a better life. His adversary Napoleon, however, was none of these things. He was selfish, sneaky, and ultimately greedy for power so that he could lift himself above all the other animals and give himself special treatment. Between the two, Snowball represents the true, inspired leader who has a genuine belief that they can make the world a better place.

In the Russian Revolution, Snowball represents Leon Trotsky, a Russian politician. He stood for the people and genuinely believed in making life better for everyone. A large part of this was exploring the idea of true fairness. This included giving the poor land and wealth, whilst making the rich give up some of theirs. He was well fared with public matters, was a visionary, and was influential. All the animals trusted him and his word and he was good at public speaking and addressing the animals.

These are the kind of leaders that society should be electing and putting in charge. Ones who aren’t self-centered, but the ones who have a true passion for the individuals which they lead. Leaders like Snowball who are always looking forward to how society could be, are the leaders who are going to lead to success. Self-centered, dangerous, and threatening leaders who suppress the people through power are not going to have so much of a positive impact.

The next part of this speech will move on to address Boxer, the horse who resided on Animal Farm. Boxer was a strong and determined horse whose mottos were, “I must work harder”, and “Napoleon is always right.” Even through the toughest times, he stuck by these words, however in the end they did not serve him well. He had misplaced his trust in Napoleon and worked himself beyond what he could bear. This ultimately led to him facing a long-term injury, which meant he couldn’t work anymore; Napoleon, of course, saw this as a waste and hence ordered the horse to go to a ‘vet’, which was actually a horse dispatching company. Boxer was never seen again.

Now which group of people does Boxer symbolise in real life? Boxer represents the working class during the Russian Revolution. The people who put unwavering trust in their leader, and worked hard, ignorant of the corruption exploiting them, only to be continually suppressed and mistreated. And what happened when they couldn’t work anymore? Well, the Government was done with them. They had no more use. They didn’t matter, so why should the Government care for their safety or security?

The fact that the working class was suppressed and ignored, allowed for corruption to come onto the country. Readers of ‘Animal Farm’ see Boxer and truly realize what an asset he was to the farm’s economy, however, the stability he provided the farm with was never truly recognized.

The book reads, “The other animals found more inspiration in Boxer’s strength and his never-failing cry of ‘I will work harder!’” He was an inspiration and a driving factor in society, yet he was only suppressed and cast aside. And look what price was paid. Not long after Boxer was dispatched, ‘Animal Farm’ was falling more and more back into the hands of misfortune and a starving society.

But what if, after all this has been said, a strong leader had the opportunity to lead a strong working class? If we put Snowball and Boxer together, what could happen? What could ‘Animal Farm’ have achieved, if only corruption was not let in? Ladies and gentlemen, surely you can see that ‘Animal Farm’ has stood the test of time as it is a valued piece of literature, formed in the hands of a man with dreams. Dreams of a society that has no corruption, but has only strong leaders, leading strong people to create a strong future for all – not just the pigs or those in power. Is this not what inspires people to work harder and be better leaders? ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell is a book written about our structure of society, that challenges our leadership, work ethic, values, morals, and more.

From the Seven Commandments, the best phrase that explains these commandments is ‘Four legs good, two legs bad.’ However, as time passed by, the commandments were badly influenced by the resources of the rulers of the farm. Napoleon very cleverly broke the commandment and reintroduced it as ‘four legs good, two legs are better’ Since the pigs began out walking on two legs, the first commandment was once violated and moreover, the hero of the Battle of the Cowshed, Snowball grew to grow to be into an enemy of the Farm as he was thrown out with the useful resource of Napoleon and permitting trading through Mr Whymper ensuing in violation of their non-public rules. The pigs moved decrease returned to the farmhouse which end resulted in the alteration of the first commandment.

The 13 commandment restricts animals of the farm to sleep in the mattress which was as soon as forced to exchange via way of Napoleon with the modification of the commandment via way of adding ‘with sheets.’ After the revolt took location on the farm, the first commandment was overruled which used to be being ‘all animals equal.’ As we study the story the pigs keep on altering the ‘unalterable laws’ for their alleviation surely as we noticed above with drowsing in the bed. According to Napoleon, slumbering on beds is no longer a predominant exchange but it is no longer allowed earlier than when you reflect onconsideration on that people lived on the farm slept on the bed. The pigs changed the commandment so accurately that the different animals on the farm didn’t assume as a violation of the commandment.

The subsequent commandment to change is ‘No animal shall kill different animal’. This occurs now not long after the confessions and executions of animals on the farm that had been supposed traitors and in league with Snowball. After these executions, once extra Muriel, Clover, and Benjamin plus some different animals felt this did not rectangular with this commandment. Once again, the pigs have modified the Commandments in order to justify their actions. The animals study the Commandment even though did no longer agree, ‘No animal shall kill unique animal barring cause’, and then the animals see how certainly the Commandments had no longer been violated.

The subsequent commandment to alternate is when Napoleon abuses his power and makes existence harder for exclusive animals. The pigs impose more manipulation while reserving privileges for themselves. Squealer justifies each and every announcement Napoleon makes, even the pigs’ alteration of the Seven Commandments of Animalism. ‘No animal shall drink alcohol’ is modified to ‘No animal shall drink alcohol to excess’ when the pigs discover the farmer’s whisky. One would not anticipate that pigs ever made an alternative to the commandment about clothes as they had been enough powerful to rule exclusive animals. The seventh commandment explains that all animals in the world are handled equally barring distinction. Instead of wondering about the commandments as ‘unalterable laws,’ they have been modified by using the nugatory slogan ‘All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others,’ which is definitely contrary to what they had been delivered to different animals.

Mollie is a white mare at a farmhouse. She used to draw Mr. Jones’s carriage. She is good-looking and loves being pampered. She holds a very high opinion of herself. She is practical, able to acknowledge facts and make the right decisions.

Her habits are practical and unique. She is fond of wearing red ribbons in her hair. She is addicted to eating lumps of sugar. She is more concerned about her ribbons and sugar at the time of rebellion than anything else. She thinks about her food while other animals do not think that. Mollie asks Mr. Jones innocently if she will get sugar after the rebellion. Mr. Jone tells her that she will have hay and oats to eat after the rebellion she once again asks Jone if she may be allowed to wear ribbons after the rebellion Mr. Jone replies that she will not be allowed to wear ribbons after the rebellion as it is the mark of slavery. This shows that she is innocent and practical in her behavior.

She is a vain and proud creature. She decorates her body with ribbons. She wants to lead a comfortable life. She is not hard working at all. She does not get up early in the morning as other animals do. She always tells the other animals that there is a stone stuck in her hoof. One day Clover discovered a stash of ribbons and sugar in her stalk and pigeons watched her while the man from Fox Wood petted her nose. She seems a character who keeps her passions, interests, and tensions at the top of all her other loved ones.

She is also a wise creature. When Mr. Jones along with his men attack the farm in order to recapture it, all the animals fight but Mollie is absent from the scene. Later on, we find that she is hiding in her stall in the stable. She is lying there, with her head buried in the hay. She did this to save her life. This shows that she is wise and makes the right decision.

She knows when to bow out in the face of a lost cause. She is a shirker and gets up late in the morning. She complains of pain in her body. She runs away from work she begins to make contact with human beings, belonging to neighboring farms. Finally, she leaves the animal farm and takes a job with a tavern keeper in Willington to work as his cart horse. She thinks that she will get more facilities there, in animal farms she will starve to death and get nothing to eat. She leaves the animal farm and her colleagues and joins the enemy camp. This shows that she can do anything for her benefit.

Her character in the perspective of her time period and with the requirements of survival, she looks very clearly stands with full strength and wisdom and takes the correct decision to bow in the face of the lost cause of life without making any protest as well as speeches

It’s easy to think that the world, or your world, would be a better place if everything were “perfect”. Each of us has our own perspective as to what “perfection” means. We see the rules, problems, and scenarios of life and have ideas about the change we want to see. This is true today, especially in the political arena, but it isn’t a new concept. We see the way George Orwell portrays this in his book, Animal Farm. When a person or group decides to pursue their version of a utopia, it comes at a cost.

The members of the group may not realize it, or have the ability to do something about it, but we will see in both Animal Farm and Stalin’s rule that the cost was immense. In the politics of society, when an individual sees change that they believe should happen, for the betterment of mankind, they will often share their ideas with others, trying to convince as many as possible to join their way of thought. This often happens through speeches, or in today’s world, broadcasts via video or written words on social media. In the book, Animal Farm, we see this happen among the animals.

Old Major wants the animals to see things from his perspective, and the way he chooses to do that is by telling him that they are better than the humans who run the farm. “Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plow, and he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals.” (19) Old Major appeals to their sense of emotion and tries to stir a sense of dissatisfaction. Old Major inspired the uprising, but he didn’t get the opportunity to lead the animals through it. He died just a few days after encouraging the animals to rebel. After he dies, two other pigs, Snowball and Napoleon fight for control and power.

George Orwell wrote this book as a political fable based on circumstances happening in the Soviet Union in his lifetime. He saw similar events playing out before his eyes, during the Bolshevik Revolution and Joseph Stalin. His character, Napoleon, is based on Joseph Stalin. Napoleon, like Stalin, pursued military force to intimidate the others. After Lenin’s death, Stalin became the general secretary of his party. He rose to power through planned advances over more than a decade. Challenges by others to remove him from such a high position amongst his people were unsuccessful. “None of Stalin’s rivals could rally the necessary majorities at the party congresses; none could match Stalin’s skill in party infighting or in making rough and anarchic people into docile members of the Communist Party apparatus.” (455) Stalin used military force to advance his ideas. Both Napoleon and Stalin pushed their agenda at the cost of their people. More than 3 million people died from extreme persecution and abuse during Stalin’s reign in Ukraine.

Stalin wanted to push industrialization forward, and to do that he had to buy equipment from overseas. In order to have the money for the equipment, he needed to sell as much of Ukraine’s food as possible, at the expense of his own people. “Let the peasants in the Ukrainian breadbasket starve so that the country could grow strong!” (457) He believed in industrialization at all costs, even when that cost meant the starvation of his own people. We see a similar situation in Animal Farm, “In January food fell short. The corn ration was drastically reduced, and it was announced that an extra potato ration would be issued to make up for it. Then it was discovered that the greater part of the potato crop had been frosted in the clamps, which had not been covered thickly enough. The potatoes had become soft and discolored, and only a few were edible. For days at a time, the animals had nothing to eat but chaff and mangels.

Starvation seemed to stare them in the face.” (44) It is easy to see that George Orwell does not favor the concept of a utopia. In particular, he did not agree with Stalin’s cause and the cost. Orwell showed the dangers of Stalinism in a way that everyone could understand. Stalin’s ideas were based on a foundational lack of respect for life. “Stalin was untroubled by the waste of life. He believed that without the total obedience of the Russian people, the Soviet economy could not be effectively and quickly mobilized and that the terror was necessary to compel compliance.” (459) For the animals on the farm, “They were generally hungry, they slept on straw, they drank from the pool, they labored in the fields; in winter they were troubled by the cold, and in summer by the flies.” (77) Nothing about their lives was better in the end than it was in the beginning. The concept of a perfect society is not valid, and it is not attainable. George Orwell recognized this. He saw the way Stalin used force, abuse, and death to force his will on the people.

Stalin’s perspective of perfection was not positive, helpful, or anything close to perfect for the people beneath him. Similarly, Napoleon abuses, the animals, he withholds food, reduces their living conditions, and strips them of all personal freedoms. George Orwell takes a simplistic concept, a story about farm animals, and brings life to the living conditions of the people who suffered under Stalin’s reign. Perfection on earth is not possible, because it is swayed and forced by imperfect people.

The Little Prince

The Little Prince, a novella for children, was published in the United States in the year 1943, several years after its author Antoine de Saint-Exupery died. Today, it is one of the most promising French literary pieces ever written.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery who was a skilled aviator started writing the book in the year 1940 after he fleed France during the Second World War. The story is based on his own experience and creative imagination. Indeed, he and his confidants crash landed in Sahara in 1935 while attempting a speed record, but they managed to survive, barely enough, before a native arrived. At his plight, he claims to have seen a dessert fox and a plane.

I. Point of View

1st Person Point of View

• Example:

‘Once when I was six years old, I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature.’

(Antoine de Saint Exupéry – The Little Prince, Chap. 1)

At first glance, it can be inferred that the story used a first-person point of view where the author who is also a character of the story, relates the information based on their own perspective. It used the first pronoun I, which can be seen in the beginning paragraphs where the narrator recalls the events of his childhood, particulary about a picture of a boa constrictor. Unlike other narrators, the first person’s perspective is limited so it does not know much about other character’s thoughts and feelings.

3rd Person Point of View

• Example:

Thus you can imagine my amazement, at sunrise, when I was awakened by an odd little voice. It said:’

(Antoine de Saint Exupéry – The Little Prince, Chap. 2)

As the story progresses and the narrator tells his encounter with the little prince, the point of view changed into third person point of view and the narrator as the third person narrator. The narrator used the pronoun it to describe the little voice. He used it because he was not sure if the voice was that of a boy or a girl. But later when he saw that it was a little prince, he then used the pronoun he.

II. Maxims

Maxim of Quantity

• Example 1:

‘In the book it said:’ ‘Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole, without chewing it. After that they are not able to move, and they sleep through the six months that they need for digestion.’

(Antoine de Saint Exupéry – The Little Prince, Chap. 1)

ln the first chapter of the story, the narrator told facts about the boa constrictor. He gave the necessary information which was essential for the readers to know about what a boa constrictor is. This can be related to the maxim of quantity of Paul Grice’s Rules of Conversational Cooperation, where one tries to be informative as possible and gives as much information that is necessary.

Maxim of Manner

• Example 1:

‘But–what are you doing here?’

‘And in answer he repeated, very slowly, as if he were speaking of a matter of great consequence:’

‘If you please–draw me a sheep…’

(Antoine de Saint Exupéry – The Little Prince, Chap. 2)

In the statements above, the narrator asked the little prince what was he doing in the place but the little prince’s response did not answer the narrator’s question hence the little prince commited a flouting. He violated the maxim of manner whereas his response should be clear, brief and orderly to avoid obscurity and ambiguity.

• Example 2:

‘My little man, where do you come from? What is this ‘where I live,’ of which you speak? Where do you want to take your sheep?’

‘After a reflective silence he answered:’

‘The thing that is so good about the box you have given me is that at night he can use it as his house.’

(Antoine de Saint Exupéry – The Little Prince, Chap. 3)

The narrator asked the little prince where did he came from. After a reflective silence, the little prince responded but he did not answer the question made by the narrator, rather, he made a comment about the box that the narrator had given him. Hence, the little prince again committed a flouting and broke the rule of conversational cooperation which is the maxim of quantity.

III. Meaning of Speech Act

Suggesting/Commanding

• Example 1:

‘Tie him! What a queer idea!’

‘But if you don’t tie him,’ I said, ‘he will wander off somewhere, and get lost.’

(Antoine de Saint Exupéry – The Little Prince, Chap. 3)

The narrator gave the little prince a goat and he ordered the narrator to tie the goat so that the goat would not wander around and get lost. It seems that the little prince has the authority over the narrator because whatever the little prince suggests, the narrator is feeling obliged to do.

• Example 2:

‘I am very fond of sunsets. Come, let us go look at a sunset now.’

‘But we must wait,’ I said. ‘Wait? For what?’

‘For the sunset. We must wait until it is time.’

(Antoine de Saint Exupéry – The Little Prince, Chap. 6)

There came to the thought of the little prince that he is fond of sunsets, the little prince then suggested to the narrator that they can watch the sunset but they must first wait until it is time for the sun to set. He wanted to share to the narrator the experience of watching the sunset.

• Example:

‘If you please—draw me a sheep!’

‘What!’

‘Draw me a sheep!’

(Antoine de Saint Exupéry – The Little Prince, Chap. 6)

In the first meeting of the narrator and the little prince, the little prince’s first words were those of asking the narrator to draw him a sheep. The narrator seems to have not fully grasped what the little prince had said so he responded ‘what?’ The little prince reiterated what he said. Fist, it was an act of pleading since he used the word ‘please’ and then it became an act of commanding because there was no longer a marker, rather, he only said the action that needs to be done.

• Example:

‘I order you to yawn. It is years since I have seen anyone yawning. Yawns, to me, are objects of curiosity. Come, now! Yawn again! It is an order.’

(Antoine de Saint Exupéry – The Little Prince, Chap. 10)

In the little prince’s journey, he came a cross a planet where there lived a king. The king ordered the little prince to yawn because he has the authority. He is someone who has power because he is the ruler of the kingdom. That is why it was easy for him to order the little prince to do something just like yawning. The little prince also followed what the king had told him to do because he considered the king someone in authority.

IV. Politeness

• Example 1:

‘Goodbye,’ he said to the flower.

But she made no answer.

‘Goodbye,’ he said again.

The flower coughed. But it was not because she had a cold.

‘I have been silly,’ she said to him, at last. ‘I ask your forgiveness. Try to be happy…’

(Antoine de Saint Exupéry – The Little Prince, Chap. 9)

Saying goodbye is an act of politeness. Even if the flower did not respond to him, the little prince still said goodbye again because the little prince had so much liking for the flower. The flower did not respond, for a moment she thought. She had been silly. So, she asked the little prince for forgiveness, it was the only way she could be polite to the little prince.

• Example:

‘May I sit down?’

(Antoine de Saint Exupéry – The Little Prince, Chap. 10)

When the little prince met someone he asked for permission before to sit before sitting. Asking for permission from someone for you to sit down is an act of politeness. Using the word ‘may’ is an indicator that you acknowledge that someone who was there before you for permission upon doing something.

• Example:

‘Sire,’ he said to him, ‘I beg that you will excuse my asking you a question-

‘Sire–over what do you rule?’

(Antoine de Saint Exupéry – The Little Prince, Chap. 10)

Also in the journey of the little prince, he came across a planet where there lived a king. In their meeting, the little prince addressed the king as ‘Sire’. When someone talks with other people, especially to those people who have higher positions than them or older than them, they tend to use markers. These markers suggest respect.

V. Speech Presentation

• Example 1:

‘A sheep–if it eats little bushes, does it eat flowers, too?’

‘A sheep,’ I answered, ‘eats anything it finds in its reach.’

(Antoine de Saint Exupéry – The Little Prince, Chap. 7)

It can be seen in the excerpt above that the statements are the exact words that the characters have spoken. The narrator had nothing to do with the conversation. It is indicated by the quotation marks used by the author.

• Example 2:

‘I am drinking,’ replied the tippler, with a lugubrious air.

‘Why are you drinking?’ demanded the little prince.

‘So that I may forget,’ replied the tippler.

(Antoine de Saint Exupéry – The Little Prince, Chap. 12)

Throughout the story, it is evident that the author used direct speech since the conversations are mostly not filtered through the narrator. The statements were the exact words spoken by the characters in the story, it can be recognized through the use of quotation marks. Also, the reported clause came first before the reporting clause.

VI. Normal Nonfluency

• Example:

‘You know–a muzzle for my sheep… I am responsible for this flower…’

(Antoine de Saint Exupéry – The Little Prince, Chap. 25)

Normal nonfluency usually happens with a child, in this sense the little prince was a little boy, a child. So it was normal for him to make utterances that are containing fillers. In the statement above, the little prince used a voice filler and a pause to indicate the things that first came to his mind, the things that he must do when he comes home to his planet.

Animal Farm

Animal Farm is a novella written by George Orwell, it was first published in England in the year 1945. Animal farm tells the story of a group of farm animals who wanted to rebel against their unjust human owner. The animals were hoping to create a society where all animals are equal. However, they were betrayed by their own kind. The pigs led by Napoleon, formed a dictatorship and put the farm in a worse position.

The book was written by Orwell some time in 1943 and 1944 when the UK was in a wartime alliance with the USSR against Germany. British and American publishers initially rejected the manuscript and eventually delayed its publication. When international relations were restored, it became a great commercial success.

I. Point of View

• Example:

‘They had begun singing it for themselves. Even the stupidest of them had already picked up the tune and a few of the words, and as for the clever ones, such as the pigs and dogs, they had the entire song by heart within a few minutes.’

(George Orwell – Animal Farm, Chap. 1)

In the excerpt above, the narrator of the story is not a character of the story, he used the pronouns ‘them’, ‘they’, ‘he’ and ‘his’. Those were indicators that the story is narrated in the third person point of view. The narrator’s knowledge is not limited since he has full insight on the individual and collective mind of all the animals in the farm.

II. Maxims

• Example:

‘THE SEVEN COMMANDMENTS’

(George Orwell – Animal Farm, Chap. II)

The Seven Commandments was drafted by Snowball and Napoleon. They insisted that these commandments be followed by all animals. The commandment expressed a general truth and principle for all animals. It tends to teach moral values for the animals that will motivate them to lead a good life.

III. Meaning of Speech Act

Contradicting

• Example:

‘After much thought Snowball declared that the Seven Commandments could in effect be reduced to a single maxim, namely: ‘Four legs good, two legs bad.’

(George Orwell – Animal Farm, Chap. III)

After announcing the commandments, some animals still did not fully understand its contents. So, Snowball reduced the commandments into one commandment, ‘Four legs good, two legs bad.’

• Example:

‘Four legs good, two legs BETTER! Four legs good, two legs BETTER! Four legs good, two legs BETTER!’

(George Orwell – Animal Farm, Chap. X)

In the end the pigs who drafted the commandments tricked their own kind. What is more gruesome is that they’ve plotted it in the very beginning, they just waited for the perfect time to execute their plans and it the worse happened when they vanished Snowball. The pigs were so power-loving and selfish that they let themselves be exploited by another human. This was an act of betrayal.

IV. Politeness

• Example:

‘Some of the animals talked of the duty of loyalty to Mr. Jones, whom they referred to as ‘Master,’ or made elementary remarks such as ‘Mr. Jones feeds us.’

(George Orwell – Animal Farm, Chap. II)

At first, when the barn animals wer still plotting the rebellion, they still regarded Jones as their master. The use of ‘Mr.’ by the animals indicated that they still respect Mr. Jones and without Mr. Jones they would starve to death because Mr. Jones was the one feeding them. Even if Mr. Jones was kind of a ruthless master, the animals still have a place to live.

• Example:

‘Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! Surely, comrades,’ cried Squealer. ‘

(George Orwell – Animal Farm, Chap. III)

When the rebellion was over and the animals had successfully overthrown their master, Mr. Jones and his men from the farm, they regarded their former master as ‘Jones’ not ‘Mr. Jones’. It meant that the animals are finally the ruler of their own farm.

V. Speech Presentation

• Example:

‘Boxer!’ she cried, ‘how are you?’

‘It is my lung,’ said Boxer in a weak voice.

‘We must get help at once,’ said Clover. ‘Run, somebody, and tell Squealer what has happened.’

(George Orwell – Animal Farm, Chap. X)

In the excerpt above, we can notice that the reported clause came first and the reporting clause came the latter. The statements were the exact words that the characters have spoken. It can be recognized through the quotation marks used by the author.

VI. Normal Nonfluency

• Example:

‘That was our mistake, comrade. For we know now–it is all written down in the secret documents that we have found–that in reality he was trying to lure us to our doom.’

(George Orwell – Animal Farm, Chap. VII)

The other pigs have accused Snowball of treason. They made a secret document and said it was Snowball’s property. They did it because they wanted to rule over the farm. Squealer announced it to the animals in the farm that Snowball was a traitor. His speech contained fillers because he knows himself that what he is about to say is not true at all. He knew he had to make things up so that the other animals would believe him. At first they were doubtful of what Squealer said but they eventually believed him.

In societies where members of the elite class have access to tools that the majority do not, the elite group uses these tools to dominate and oppress the masses. In ‘Animal Farm’, the excellent author George Orwell raised the theme of ignorance and the importance of knowledge, enlightening that everyone can learn through understanding everyone’s thoughts and ideas on how to build good relationships with each other, that we deserve to be heard, we deserve to voice out everything we know, we deserve to be the voice of the voiceless.

Everyone should be more aware of their thoughts, feelings, and actions and not allow them to be ignored in all forms, because if other people are superior to you, they will use this to their advantage to defeat you in any aspect. In other words, ignorance is easily fixed, but it’s difficult to fix. They committed almost nothing to correct this based on the novel. Following this, the animals were easily deceived and manipulated because people who had the power to rule did not pay attention to what was really happening around the sphere. In his novel, George Orwell reveals that education is a powerful weapon and a tool that can be used to one’s advantage. Living in a world where power is easy to gain, the pigs use education to manipulate the other animals on the farm to serve their interests. This story ultimately reveals the underlying message that while education is important to all levels of society, when it is not, society is stratified, resulting in the mass’s hardship.

Old Major had a great impact when he was still alive in the scene, the role of Old Major was the good image and definition of a good leader in one society. But suddenly, it was deeply sudden for everyone when Old Major passed away because of an unintentional stray bullet coming from the incompetent owner of the manor farm. Old Major, a grandfatherly pig motivates the animals to revolt and create a better life for themselves. When Napoleon takes charge after Old Major’s death, there are a lot of changes. He manipulates some of the animals to follow his power in ruling the animal farm, he controls much of what happens on the farm. Some of the pigs acknowledge the significance of education and keep it confidential for that reason. Through this education, the pigs intend to gain power, so they do not intend to teach the other animals to keep power for themselves. Once they have used their education to gain power, they then use the power to begin manipulating.

“Knowledge is power”, said the novel, and I totally agree with that. Knowledge is a tool that people have. It’s something that makes us different from the living inhabitants of the world. The power of knowledge is incomparable and cannot be compared with other things in the world. You should put your knowledge to good use and increase someone else’s knowledge. When you do not put your knowledge in a good way, you will be wasting the knowledge you possess. You can’t decrease the knowledge you already have, but you can increase your knowledge with more inquiry. Eventually, George Orwell’s story demonstrates the underlying message that ignorance is a big problem and that education is essential at all stages of society’s development because without it society is stratified and the majority of people suffer.

Animal Farm, written by George Orwell in 1945, challenges the utopist perspective of Communism. The Fable starts by Old Major Dream in which animals out throw human beings. After Old major tragic death, animals were motivated to achieve his dream; two pigs, Napoleon and Snowball lead a successful revolution and defeated Mr. Jones, and after throwing him out Manor Farm was renamed The Animal Farm. At first Animal Farm prospers, however, it was a matter of time before this trial of Utopian Society fails. The fable uses irony to highlight shameless leaders’ betrayal. After spreading rumors and kicking Snowball out of the farm, Napoleon and the other pigs begin engaging in anti-animalism behavior, such as doing business with men and drinking whiskey. Morals changed and the dream of “All animals are equal” changed into the reality of “All animals are but some animals are more equal than others.”

Orwell creates his characters to imply the roles he needs them to play. The pigs play the role of the manipulative leaders who benefit from oppressive leadership. One of the pigs, Napoleon uses military force to intimidate the other animals and consolidate his power, and he uses Squealer as the manipulative tool in the farm. The other pig was Snowball, who challenges Napoleon for control of Animal Farm after the Rebellion. They are also another group of loyalist who are misused by the system to gain advantage over the common person as Boxer, the cart-horse whose incredible strength, dedication, and loyalty. He was quick to help but rather slow-witted, He naively trusts the pigs to make all his decisions for him. His two mottoes are “I will work harder” and “Napoleon is always right.” Boxer character leads me to conclude that true power neither lays in strength nor in authority but it lays in knowledge, making me realize that if you want to control another country just destroy their education system and brain wash them to whatever you want. Another character I was really affected by was Benjamin; however he was minor figure in the plot of Animal Farm, the old mule Benjamin represents an important point of view in the novel. He shows great insight into the thought processes of what is happening, recognizing the pigs’ strategies of social control and seeing through their promises of a brighter future. Benjamin appears to be the only animal in a position to set things right, but, for whatever reason; he chooses not to organize the lower animals or to oppose the pigs openly, which make me think of the idea that we are surrounded with people who have the same mentality of having knowledge but not enough power, voice or even courage to declare that.

In my opinion, George Orwell manages to highlight the fact that the biggest political problem is not capitalism but authoritarian rules because of the insatiable nature of human beings. It clearly portrays the social tendency toward class satisfaction. New leaders like Napoleon, who takes on power on the platform of change; abandon the idea as soon as they come to power. Most of them end up being worse than the ones they replaced. It also clarifies the danger of a naive working class, Orwell sketch how situations of oppression arise not only from the motives and tactics of the oppressors but also from the naive of those who are oppressed, who are not necessarily in a position to be better educated. One of the most touching theme for me was Boxer death a noble but naive horse that lives by his twin mottos. In the end, Napoleon abuses Boxer’s loyalty by working him to the breaking point, then vending him to a glue factory. When the animals realize what is happening, they attempt to warn him that the supposed “veterinary” van he is riding is taking him to his death. One of Orwell’s central concerns is the way in which language can be manipulated as an instrument of control. In Animal Farm, the pigs gradually twist and distort rhetoric of socialist revolution to justify their behavior and to keep the other animals in the dark. Orwell’s novella also uses the trappings of fables to create a world that is accessible to a wide audience.

There are some problems however, with Orwell’s fable. One of these concerns the theme he uses all over the fable of all simply remains constant. It suggests revolution is useless, that things will remain how they have always been neither getting better nor worse. Can’t agree with what Orwell has to say on that as humans have a strong desire for control, as a result most of them are afraid to take an action towards things they hate so I can’t provide them with “NO” as an answer, and this what Orwell did. He simply takes the readers by hand to show them that no matter how hard you are trying everything will stay the same.

An alternative ending to animal farm, as I’ve always imagined it, after Boxer’s death, Clover his closest friend got very affected by his death and start to realize what Napoleon is doing in their farm. So she trusted her inner voice that always told her that the pigs are violating one or another of the Seven Commandments, and started to teach herself to read and write. After mastering those skills she dedicated herself to begin her operation to remove the brainwashing Napoleon had implemented upon animals by teaching young animals the true animalism principles from old major song, besides reading and writing, as she realize the knowledge is their only way out. A few meetings were hold animals were supporting her, seeing their present life as hell, to defeat Napoleon. The day come, animals took over the dogs due to the element of surprise, Napoleon was easily arrested because of his old age, and the animals return their farm back. Yet there was still too much to do, so Clover told animals that the best thing for the farm is to work collaboratively with no one to tell them what to do instead the love of the farm is what motivates them. Animals were relived; they start making schedules, and deadline for renewing their farm. The educated animals deducted themselves to teach young animals everything they knew, a senate was chosen to discuss important decisions, and all animals are equal again.

An alternative name for animal farm can be “Frailty” as it helps employing the main theme of the fable which speaks so much of human nature, as Orwell rightly exposes the hypocrisy and corruption of the ruling classes in whatever from they may appear (human and animal).