Chapter 1 Flashcards
Summary for chapter 1?
After mr jones (owner) falls asleep in a drunken stupor all the animals meet in the big barn requested by old major (12yrs).In major’s speech he talks about the evil inflicted upon them and their need to rebel against the tyranny of man.Major mentions a strange dream of his to which he saw vision of the earth without humans.He then teaches the animals a song named ‘beasts of england’ which they sing repeatedly until jones awakes.He fires a gunshot from his bedroom window thinking there’s a fox,frightened by the shot the animals disperse and go to sleep
KEY QUOTES FOR CHAPTER 1
OLD MAJOR: ‘‘man is the only creature that consumes without producing’’
This shows propaganda:
-shows the exploitation of man whilst the animals are in ‘misery and slavery’
-this also shows the short-sightedness of old major becue he says that man is simply evil and that the animals are simply good is too simplistic this message serves to unite the animals and to view Man as the only enemy
-Old majors emphasis on the word ‘only’ shows there are no exceptions to this and his repeated focus on Man means the other animals fail to see that the pigs are also their enemy
KEY QUOTES FOR CHAPTER 1
Narrator: ‘‘the others said that squealer could turn black into white’’
This shows
-Orwell presents squealer as a skilful orator who is able to manipulate language to opress the other animals on the farm
-The juxtaposition of the word ‘‘turn black into white’’- how he is capable to persuade anyone of anything and how he is able to blatantly lie to suit his own agenda
KEY QUOTES FOR CHAPTER 1
Narrator: “a more vivacious pig than Napoleon, quicker in speech and more inventive” - orwell highlights the differences between napoleon and squealer
This shows leadership:
-Snowball is described as “quicker in speech and more inventive” which alludes to his skill as an articulate orator who is able to convey his ideas to the animals
-word “vivacious” indicates that he is a spirited character who passionately believes in the principles of Animalism
-“more inventive” also alludes to his great imagination which is demonstrated through the many ideas/plans
KEY QUOTES FOR CHAPTER 1
Old major: ‘‘all animals are equal’’ to ‘‘all animals are equal but some are more equal than others’’
-Old major indicates his aspirations for equality
-Second quote is conveyed at the end of the novella and the revision of the original phrase reveals the corruption that has taken place on the farm
- paradox reveals the impossibility for someone to be “more equal” than someone else as contradictory to the concept of equality
-hypocrisy of those who assert the desire for equality but who give power and authority to a small elite
