Saturday, January 17, 2009

There is no ultimate victory for the animals on Animal Farm. To what extent do you agree with the above statement?

In answering this question, it is important to define the term 'animal' because some of the animals on the farm fare far better than the others. The pigs, for example, are the ultimate victors in the story. Led by Napoleon, the pigs eat better than the other animals, live in the relative luxury of the farmhouse and spend their evenings drinking whiskey. As the absolute ruler on the farm, Napoleon is completely free to exert his will over the others and has created his own personal bodyguard (the puppies he took from Bluebell and Jessie in Chapter Three) to punish those who do not obey his will


For the other animals on the farm, however, life under the pigs is just as bad as it was under Mr Jones. Food is scarce, the work is hard and their everyday lives are controlled by the pigs. The only hint of democracy on the farm, for example, is the Sunday-morning Meetings and these are abolished by Napoleon in Chapter Five. Indeed, for some animals, life under the pigs is even worse: Boxer, for instance, is sold to a glue manufacturer after he receives an injury.


In sum, then, the pigs are the ultimate victors in Animal Farm while the other animals are subjected to violence and manipulation on a daily basis. 

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