In your dashboard, click on settings, then time zone. Then click UTC 4, and that will make the time our time. That way our posts won’t show up as having been written at 3:46 in the morning, which is kind of weird.
Your dad is right, Animal Farm is political. It’s got to do with how some governments try to fool the people, which really happens in this book.
The author wanted to warn the US, Britain, and its allies after WWII that we needed to be very cautious about embracing Communism, which many people didn’t know much about in those days, and which looked pretty good to some people. So we call the book an allegory – a simple-looking story in which the characters represent larger, more complex ideas, and which is intended to draw our attention to a situation that we need to be careful about, or to change.
The main pigs – Napoleon, Old Major, and Snowball – are based on Russian leaders of the 20th century, and the other animals are types of citizens, or government worker-types. I’ll post you a link to some helpful commentary on my blog. Of course you can read the book as a disturbing story of a good idea gone wrong, or you can dig around in history to see what was bugging Orwell.
I am only half way through the book now, but I am liking it. I usually don’t understand books the first time or have a completely wrong idea about what it’s about, so help me if I’m wrong! I think even tho Jones is gone, I think Napoleon is trying to take his place, or trying to become the ruler over the animals. Napoleon thinks Snowball is going to ruin his plan so he made everyone think that his idea’s where wrong, and no one should listen to him.
You are EXACTLY right! Yaay!
The book is brilliant at showing us how governments can manipulate its citizens into thinking they are safe, well-taken-care-of, and prosperous.
Look at the writing on the wall – the barn. What are they doing with the original rules?
You are doing a good job.
MsW
I have Finished the book now! The pigs ( the smarter animals) are taking advantage of the other animals because they aren’t smart enough to realize what they are doing. They are taking the place of Mr. Jones and his men. I understand that in The Manor Farm the animals were giving all their food and labor to Mr. Jones. So they decided to rebel and then their prosperous labor and produce would be theirs. But they ended up living a communist farm. All their food and labor went to the pigs. I don’t understand what this has to do with politics tho?
The pigs are changing the 7 rules in the middle of the night so the animals can’t say they are breaking the rules. The pigs are bending the rules, and got away with it.
Yes, you are exactly right; all that sneaky rule-changing was going on behind the backs of the working animals. How is it possible that the working animals don’t remember what the rules used to say?
About the politics: the author was concerned about the Communists in Russia fooling the people into thinking their way of government was better than what they had had. The same thing is going on right now in Iran – have you been watching the demonstrations against what they say is a rigged election? People are always striving for freedom. I guess we don’t know how fortunate (blessed) we are in America, especially us women.
What did you think about the ending of the book? Were you disappointed?
The working animals don’t remember the original rules, I guess be cause the animals aren’t smart enough to learn how to read, or the pigs don’t want them to read so they aren’t teaching them the whole alphabet.
Is democratic and Communism the same thing? They both seem similar.
I have heard about the rigged election but I don’t know anything about it. At church my pastor asked us to pray for the people over in Iran. I wasn’t sure what he was talking about.
At the end of the book I was shocked. I didn’t think it would end like that. In the Middle of the book I was thinking that Snowball would come back with help for Animal Farm. I guess I was disappointed. But I do understand Orwell’s point in making it have a bad ending. He wanted people to see what would become of communism.
You seem to understand Animal Farm very well.
I bet if you wrote a new ending to the book, you would have Snowball come back, maybe even before Boxer dies? I always feel sad for the animals too.
Democracy – a real quick definition here – is where the people get to vote and talk about the issues, and where we can talk to our congressional representatives to express our opinions. Of course, sometimes they don’t listen, but the idea is that the voice of the people (us) is heard by those in power. In Communism, the people work all the time, like the animals, for the benefit of the government, in this case, the pigs. The government people get all the benefit, and the regular people get nothing but old and worn out. It has to do with capitalism, too; in our country the government (mostly) stays out of business affairs (well, until lately, with all these bailouts lately of banks and big corporations), and leaves it up to the individual to make a success of his or her business. That’s why so many people are upset that the government has been giving big companies like General Motors huge amounts of money to keep them from going bankrupt.
In Iran, some of the people think the recent election was rigged, so they took to the streets in protest. The oppressive government there began to shoot them, and won’t let them gather on the streets now. Our country always supports people who want freedom of speech, like we have here.
Sorry to type so much – but you can help me tell these things to our class when we get together.
What is your next book?
My next book is To Kill A Mockingbird. I read it last year at PCMS, but I wanted to read it again! It seems like the book is two stories in one book, one about Boo Radley and another one about Tom Robinson. Right before chapter 24, Jem says, ” I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley stayed shut up in the house all the time….it’s because he wanted to stay inside.” Why would he want to stay inside all the time?
write9 said,
June 12, 2009 @ 12:51 pm
In your dashboard, click on settings, then time zone. Then click UTC 4, and that will make the time our time. That way our posts won’t show up as having been written at 3:46 in the morning, which is kind of weird.
Your dad is right, Animal Farm is political. It’s got to do with how some governments try to fool the people, which really happens in this book.
The author wanted to warn the US, Britain, and its allies after WWII that we needed to be very cautious about embracing Communism, which many people didn’t know much about in those days, and which looked pretty good to some people. So we call the book an allegory – a simple-looking story in which the characters represent larger, more complex ideas, and which is intended to draw our attention to a situation that we need to be careful about, or to change.
The main pigs – Napoleon, Old Major, and Snowball – are based on Russian leaders of the 20th century, and the other animals are types of citizens, or government worker-types. I’ll post you a link to some helpful commentary on my blog. Of course you can read the book as a disturbing story of a good idea gone wrong, or you can dig around in history to see what was bugging Orwell.
Ms.W
McKala said,
June 13, 2009 @ 5:44 pm
I am only half way through the book now, but I am liking it. I usually don’t understand books the first time or have a completely wrong idea about what it’s about, so help me if I’m wrong! I think even tho Jones is gone, I think Napoleon is trying to take his place, or trying to become the ruler over the animals. Napoleon thinks Snowball is going to ruin his plan so he made everyone think that his idea’s where wrong, and no one should listen to him.
Am I at least in the right ball park?
write9 said,
June 19, 2009 @ 9:56 am
You are EXACTLY right! Yaay!
The book is brilliant at showing us how governments can manipulate its citizens into thinking they are safe, well-taken-care-of, and prosperous.
Look at the writing on the wall – the barn. What are they doing with the original rules?
You are doing a good job.
MsW
McKala said,
June 22, 2009 @ 2:39 pm
I have Finished the book now! The pigs ( the smarter animals) are taking advantage of the other animals because they aren’t smart enough to realize what they are doing. They are taking the place of Mr. Jones and his men. I understand that in The Manor Farm the animals were giving all their food and labor to Mr. Jones. So they decided to rebel and then their prosperous labor and produce would be theirs. But they ended up living a communist farm. All their food and labor went to the pigs. I don’t understand what this has to do with politics tho?
The pigs are changing the 7 rules in the middle of the night so the animals can’t say they are breaking the rules. The pigs are bending the rules, and got away with it.
write9 said,
June 22, 2009 @ 9:16 pm
Yes, you are exactly right; all that sneaky rule-changing was going on behind the backs of the working animals. How is it possible that the working animals don’t remember what the rules used to say?
About the politics: the author was concerned about the Communists in Russia fooling the people into thinking their way of government was better than what they had had. The same thing is going on right now in Iran – have you been watching the demonstrations against what they say is a rigged election? People are always striving for freedom. I guess we don’t know how fortunate (blessed) we are in America, especially us women.
What did you think about the ending of the book? Were you disappointed?
MsW
McKala said,
June 23, 2009 @ 1:48 pm
The working animals don’t remember the original rules, I guess be cause the animals aren’t smart enough to learn how to read, or the pigs don’t want them to read so they aren’t teaching them the whole alphabet.
Is democratic and Communism the same thing? They both seem similar.
I have heard about the rigged election but I don’t know anything about it. At church my pastor asked us to pray for the people over in Iran. I wasn’t sure what he was talking about.
At the end of the book I was shocked. I didn’t think it would end like that. In the Middle of the book I was thinking that Snowball would come back with help for Animal Farm. I guess I was disappointed.
But I do understand Orwell’s point in making it have a bad ending. He wanted people to see what would become of communism.
write9 said,
June 30, 2009 @ 3:45 pm
You seem to understand Animal Farm very well.
I bet if you wrote a new ending to the book, you would have Snowball come back, maybe even before Boxer dies? I always feel sad for the animals too.
Democracy – a real quick definition here – is where the people get to vote and talk about the issues, and where we can talk to our congressional representatives to express our opinions. Of course, sometimes they don’t listen, but the idea is that the voice of the people (us) is heard by those in power. In Communism, the people work all the time, like the animals, for the benefit of the government, in this case, the pigs. The government people get all the benefit, and the regular people get nothing but old and worn out. It has to do with capitalism, too; in our country the government (mostly) stays out of business affairs (well, until lately, with all these bailouts lately of banks and big corporations), and leaves it up to the individual to make a success of his or her business. That’s why so many people are upset that the government has been giving big companies like General Motors huge amounts of money to keep them from going bankrupt.
In Iran, some of the people think the recent election was rigged, so they took to the streets in protest. The oppressive government there began to shoot them, and won’t let them gather on the streets now. Our country always supports people who want freedom of speech, like we have here.
Sorry to type so much – but you can help me tell these things to our class when we get together.
What is your next book?
McKala said,
June 30, 2009 @ 5:02 pm
My next book is To Kill A Mockingbird. I read it last year at PCMS, but I wanted to read it again! It seems like the book is two stories in one book, one about Boo Radley and another one about Tom Robinson. Right before chapter 24, Jem says, ” I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley stayed shut up in the house all the time….it’s because he wanted to stay inside.” Why would he want to stay inside all the time?