ANIMAL FARM CHAPTER DISCUSSIONSCHAPTER 5

VOCABULARY • Blithely-happily, especially because you do not

realize that something is wrong.• Barley-A plant that produces grain used for

making food, beer and whiskey.• Silage-Grass and plants that are preserved and

used for feeding farm animals.• Unintelligible-Impossible to understand.• Aloof-Does not want to be involved.• Restive-Difficult to control.• Reared-To look after a child/young animal until

it is fully grown.• Advocated-To strongly and publicly support

someone or something.• Tactics- A particular method or plan for

achieving something

The Windmill

Represents Trotsky's 5-year Industrialisation Plan

It is a symbol of the useful fruits of hard work and fair

management / government. If such a project succeeds, the

standard of living of the masses will improve tremendously.

The windmill inevitably becomes a political pawn in the hands

of evil revolutionary leaders.

Chapter 5

The Windmill – yes or no?

Tension grows between Snowball and Napoleon as the two

battle for power.

Snowball wants to “upgrade” the farm with a windmill, which

can supply power to the farm – working machines will result in

the animals working less hours. He is truly committed to the

development of the farm.

Napoleon is power-hungry and jealous of the attention

Snowball is getting with his plans – he believes they should get

firearms and train themselves in the use of them (military

mindset). He is only interested in developing his own power.

The animals are short-sighted – they agree with the one who

was speaking at the moment.

Chapter 5

Convincing the others In his efforts to get the other animals on his side, Napoleon makes a very clever use of the sheep

The sheep represent the gullible, unthinking, uncritical masses who can be easily swayed

The sheep are important to Napoleon’s plan to ultimately have all the power, as they will mindlessly follow Napoleon and repeat whatever slogan he wants them to repeat

The sheep interrupt Snowball’s speeches with their bleating, thereby diverting the attention of the other animals away from what he is currently saying

Snowball’s speech is tragically ironic, as he paints a picture of an ideal, productive and happy farm – something that will never be.

Chapter 5

Snowball’s banishment

Snowball’s banishment marks the beginning of Napoleon’s

dictatorship

Because Snowball is such a good speaker, Napoleon knew that

Snowball had the ability to convince the animals to side with his

idea of the windmill.

Napoleon could not use language to convince the animals to

vote for him, so he uses force – the vicious dogs

The description of the dogs is effective – from now on the

animals will never be safe from harm, as they are in constant

danger of being ripped apart by the dogs – what happens to

Snowball can happen to the others as well

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Theme: Absolute power corrupts absolutely As soon as Napoleon’s position of power is asserted, he makes permanent changes:

no more voting – pigs make decisions privately; animals will receive orders

this changes the system from democracy to dictatorship Napoleon has no intention of sharing his position of power democratically The animals struggle to protest against Napoleon:

some are not smart enough to find words to express themselves

they are too scared of the dogs The animals’ lack of protest against Napoleon reinforces his power even more What Napoleon does is not true to the ideals of Animal Farm in its inception

Chapter 5

Making changes

Show respect for Old Major’s memory by marching passed his

skull before the Sunday meetings

A military, soldierly style of behaviour is adopted by the pigs and

the animals are expected to behave the same way

Squealer announces that the windmill is to be built after all,

and that it was in fact Napoleon’s idea from the start

Squealer starts to manipulate the animals by making them

believe that Snowball was a traitor and a bad influence

Chapter 5