Leadership*and*Corruption*
There's'a'reason'you'don't'want'your'prom'queen'to'also'be'your'school'president:'absolute'power'corrupts'absolutely,'and'pretty'
soon'she'll'be'sending'out'her'minions'to'stake'out'the'best'parking'spot.'In'Animal'Farm,'the'pigs'no'sooner'weasel'their'way'into'
power'than'they'start'taking'milk'for'themselves—and'pretty'soon,'they've'moved'on'to'harder'stuff.'Like'whiskey.'So,'is'there'any'
hope?'Does'Orwell'offer'any'model'of'government'that'doesn't'just'get'corrupted?'
Questions'
1.
2.
3.
Are'the'pigs'selfIserving'from'the'start,'or'are'they'corrupted'by'their'power?'(By'the'way,'the'world'has'never'been'able'to'
agree'on'this.)'
What'qualities'allow'the'pigs'to'gain'power'in'the'first'place,'and'what'qualities'enable'them'to'keep'their'power?'Are'these'
different?'
How'do'you'define'power,'anyway?'What'does'it'mean'to'have'power'on'Animal'Farm?'Is'it'possible'for'leaders'to'have'this'
kind'of'power'without'abusing'it?'
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Intellectually*Inferiority*and*Ignorance*
American'conservative'William'F.'Buckley'once'said'that'he'd'rather'be'governed'by'the'first'2000'names'in'the'Boston'phonebook'
than'the'2000'faculty'members'of'Harvard.'(Somewhat'ironic,'coming'from'a'guy'who'went'to'Yale'and'then'founded'an'
intellectually'rigorous'journal.)'But'our'point'is,'Orwell'might'have'agreed:'in'Animal'Farm'pigs'take'control'because'they're'the'
smartest'animals'on'the'farm'and'then'turn'right'around'and'start'abusing'that'power.''
But'you'can't'just'blame'the'eggheads.'The'pigs'would'never'have'succeeded'if'the'other'animals'hadn't'blindly'gone'along'with'it.'
Moral'of'the'story:'you'don't'need'to'go'to'Yale,'but'you'do'need'to'form'some'opinions'of'your'own.''
Questions'
1.
2.
3.
Truth:'the'sheep'seem'completely'useless.'But'are'they,'really?'At'the'end'of'the'day,'do'we'actually'need'these'less'
intellectual'workers'to'keep'everyone'all'nice'and'cozy'in'merino'sweaters?'
Do'the'sheep'have'a'certain'power?'You'know,'the'kind'of'power'that'only'a'numerous'group'of'brainwashed'and'
brainwashing'individuals'can'have?'
Is'Orwell'suggesting'that'intellectuals'are'inherently'untrustworthy,'or'does'being'smart'just'make'people'susceptible'to'
thinking'other'people'are'abuseIworthy?'
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Lies*and*Deceit*
Animal'Farm'runs'on'pig'fat'and'lies.'By'the'end,'"truth"'has'become'so'malleable'that'the'animals'can't'even'remember'what'
actually'happened.'A'lie'is'something'that'contradicts'the'pigs''agenda;'a'truth'is'something'that'supports'it.'Napoleon'might'try'to'
justify'the'lies'by'thinking'they're'for'the'good'of'the'cause,'but'his'propaganda'machine'is'still'cranking'out'the'myths.'Is'our'
narrator'the'only'source'of'unbiased'fact?'Or'could'you'say'that'Animal'Farm'is'a'kind'of'antiIcommunist'propaganda'of'its'own?'
Questions'
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2.
3.
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What'specific'tools'does'Squealer'use'to'deceive'the'animals,'and'why'do'they'work'so'well?'
You'might'have'noticed'that'several'different'animals,'and'humans,'use'deception.'How'do'the'animals'use'it'differently,'if'at'
all?'Are'the'motivations'different?'The'outcomes?'The'style?''
The'animals'are'dumb,'but'they're'not'that'dumb.'Well,'the'sheep'are.'But'the'rest'have'an'inclination'that'something'is'
rotten'in'the'state'of'Animal'Farm.'So'why'don't'they'do'anything'about'it?'
Rules*and*Order*
Out'with'the'old,'in'with'the'new:'in'Animal'Farm,'the'animals'get'rid'of'an'old'set'of'rules'just'to'find'themselves'oppressed'by'a'
new'one.'At'first,'new'commandments'and'traditions'are'supposed'to'energize'and'unite'the'animals.'But'these'rules'turn'out'to'be'
not'so'much'rules'as'easily'changed'suggestions—especially'because'most'of'the'animals'don't'read'so'good'(and'don't'remember'
so'good,'either).'Instead'of'preserving'order,'rules'are'used'to'deceive'and'abuse.'Gee,'it's'a'good'thing'that'never'happens'in'our'
world.''
Questions'
1.
2.
3.
The'animals'establish'tons'of'traditions'on'the'farm,'and'certain'routines'become'cyclic'and'expected.'Is'the'action'of'the'
plot'itself'—'that'is,'the'cycle'of'oppressionIrebellionIcorruption,'a'routine'tradition?'Could'it'be?'Maybe'Benjamin'hints'at'
this'when'he'says,'"Donkeys'live'a'long'time.'None'of'you'has'ever'seen'a'dead'donkey."''
What'rules'change?'Why'do'they'get'altered'in'this'order?'Which'changes'are'the'most'significant?'
Do'the'Seven'Commandments'seem'like'solid'rules?'Could'a'society'that'truly'lived'by'those'rules'succeed?'
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Religion*and*Faith*
Karl'Marx'may'have'said'that'religion'was'the'opiate'of'the'masses,'but'he'also'said'that'it'was'the'"sigh'of'the'oppressed'
creature,'the'heart'of'a'heartless'world,'and'the'soul'of'soulless'condition."'In'other'words,'it'just'might'be'the'only'thing'
that'gets'you'out'of'bed'in'the'morning—if'you're'an'oppressed'laborer,'that'is.'So,'what'does'Animal'Farm'do'with'this?'
Moses'might'be'a'manipulative'liar,'but'his'little'tale'about'"Sugarcandy'Mountain"'is'also'the'only'thing'that'keeps'the'
animals'going'after'a'long'day'of'hauling'hay.'We'don't'blame'them'for'wanting'to'believe'it—but'we'can'blame'the'pigs'for'
using'it'against'them.'
Questions'
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2.
3.
Why'would'Orwell'choose'a'raven'as'the'main'proponent'of'religion?'What'associations'do'we'have'with'ravens?'
Why'call'the'raven'Moses?'It'sounds'like'a'biblical'reference,'i.e.,'Orwell'beating'you'over'the'head'with'the'club'of'literary'
significance.'Yet'Moses'the'raven'doesn't'do'anything'resembling'Moses'the'man'(leading'a'great'big'horde'of'people'out'of'
oppression'and'into'freedom).'What'gives?'
What's'going'on'with'Moses'and'the'Joneses?'Is'there'really'a'connection'between'corrupt'power'and'religion?'
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Violence*and*Control*
For'a'fairy'tale'about'a'selfIgoverning'farm,'Animal'Farm'sure'does'pile'up'the'bodies.'Old'Major'may'have'dreamed'about'animals'
frolicking'in'green'pastures,'but'the'reality'is'more'like'bloody'corpses'and'split'hooves.'From'the'violent'Rebellion'to'the'violent'
Battle'of'the'Windmill'to'the'violent'executions,'Napoleon's'reign'is'one'big'ickIfest.'Does'Animal'Farm'use'violence'to'invalidate'Old'
Major's'ideas?'Or'is'violence'the'reason'everything'goes'wrong?''
Questions'
1.
2.
3.
What'different'kinds'of'violence'do'we'see'in'Animal'Farm?'What'are'the'tools'of'violence,'and'who'is'fighting'whom'here?'
Do'the'sides'shift'over'the'course'of'the'book?'
How'is'it'that'Napoleon'executes'such'extremes'of'violence,'and'still'has'the'other'animals'convinced'he's'a'good'guy?'
Are'there'any'animals'who'don't'become'violent'if'provoked?'Why'or'why'not?'
EXAMPLE:*Guilty*until*proven*innocent*Napoleon*decides*you’re*not.''