Blog #22
Isabella Ng
Period 09
April 27, 2020
Aim: How does Orwell criticize society through Boxer and Benjamin?
Orwell criticizes society through Boxer and Benjamin’s allegorical implications. As a tragic hero, Boxer’s hamartia is his steadfast discipline and obedience. Boxer’s mantra “Napoleon is always right” showcases the extent of his blind faith. Ultimately, Boxer’s inability to form independent conclusions led him to exhaust his own life for a system that would never recognize his achievements, resulting in his downfall. Through Boxer’s character, Orwell criticizes the danger of complacency and unchecked power. Furthermore, Benjamin’s character symbolizes how unused intelligence and unwillingness to act can lead to grave circumstances. Throughout the novel, Benjamin never used his knowledge to help others. However, this changes in Chapter 9 when he reads out Boxer’s true fate. Orwell uses Benjamin’s character to emphasize why it’s important for civilians to speak out against the wrongdoings of their leaders.
Classwork & What We Learned:
For our “Do Now” assignment, our class discussed why most of us wouldn’t trust those in positions of authority to always make decisions for our best interest. Many students agreed that it’s difficult to put our full faith in politicians/officials because we can never be sure of a person’s true intentions. Consequently, a corrupt figure (as we’ve seen throughout history) could possibly take advantage of this unchecked power to further their own agendas, especially when civilians lack the education and freedom to think for themselves. Similarly, the animals of Animal Farm do not have the ability to protest injustices when Napoleon makes “tactical decisions” involving reduced rations. Furthermore, we discussed the moral values associated with helping others at the expense of our own security. We connected this conversation to Benjamin, who spoke his truth about Boxer’s real fate.
Additionally, we practiced identifying persuasive techniques by analyzing advertisements. For example, two PETA flyers promote veganism using emotionally compelling slogans that read, “I’m ME, not MEAT.” By emphasizing the perspective of the animals, PETA successfully highlights the individual life behind each animal killed for meat consumption. This causes the audience to consider the ethics of eating meat when there are other options available.
Our class also considered how Boxer might fit into the archetype of a tragic hero. We also discussed some common characteristics of tragic heroes, which include nobility, hamartia, hubris, and poor judgement.
We learned several new definitions:
a) A tragic hero (originally developed by Aristotle) is described as a potentially great character whose inevitable downfall evokes both pity and fear among the audience.
b) Hamartia: a tragic flaw that causes a hero’s downfall
c) Hubris: excessive pride and disrespect for the natural order
d) Peripeteia: a hero’s reversal of fate
e) Anagnorisis: the moment in which a hero makes an important discovery; “Oh Crap Moment”
f) Nemesis: a hero’s unavoidable punishment, usually occurring as a result of hubris
g) Catharsis: feelings of pity and fear felt by the audience after a tragic hero’s downfall
Perhaps the most important trait of a tragic hero is his/her effect on the story and on the audience. Tragic heroes often prompt catharsis with their downfalls, which gives the audience a chance to reflect on how the hero’s own traits and actions affected his/her fate.
Current Events: Our Community/Society & My Personal Feelings
Bad times often bring out extreme reactions from humanity. I think it’s beautiful how kind our neighbors can really be. There have been so many heartwarming stories—about helping out vulnerable neighbors, about volunteer work, about the grandness of generosity. These are the things that propel humanity forward. On the negative side, anti-lockdown protests sprang up across a few states this past week. A lot of protesters are advocating for their states to reopen, and many of them are concerned about the national economy. I can sort of understand their perspectives; it is disheartening to watch the international economy crumble overnight. It’s hard to imagine how quickly we’ll be able to bounce back. Still, it's no excuse to prioritize finances over family. Economics over ethics. We have to stay home, no matter what. It's the right thing to do if we want our country to really recover. But things will be okay. When tragedy strikes, humanity has one instinct—survival.
I feel achingly grateful that my family and I are safe. You never really know how important things like health and safety really are until one day you’re at a risk of losing them. I miss a lot of things. I miss school. We still have homework and classwork and projects and assessments, but it’s not the same. I miss the classroom. The people. Sometimes it’s hard to get myself to do schoolwork and it’s always hard to read the news. I feel more stressed than usual because I know there's not much I can do to control what's going on. I hate not knowing. I miss laughing until my stomach hurts, I miss my friends. (But these are small sacrifices we all have to make, for there are more important things in our world right now.)
Reflection:
Today I learned about how tragic heroes fit into society and how Animal Farm displays these connections. During our class discussions, we had meaningful conversations about whether or not we should trust leaders and their initiatives. Also, we analyzed modern forms of propaganda to strengthen our familiarity with identifying persuasion techniques. We read through slides about the characteristics of a tragic hero, as well as their impact on readers and audiences. Furthermore, we worked in groups to discuss Boxer’s connection to this archetype.
Learning about obedience, corrupt leaders, and persuasion techniques emphasizes the importance of free-speech and independent thought, which cease to exist in societies like Animal Farm. In our democratic republic, we place a profound importance of education in order for our government to function. Without informed voters, we would never elect capable leaders. Furthermore, free-speech and independent thought are crucial in a developing world where change is essential in fostering growth.
I will definitely use the concepts from tragic heroes to sculpt my worldview. There’s something I can’t get out of my mind, and it’s the painful and startling realization that the world is very unfair. I’ve come to the conclusion that this is just how life is, and that we cannot dwell on losses for our entire eternities. Nor should we look upon others with a judgmental eye. Life holds so much more, and it’s up to us to decide the perspective we wish to carry into our lives.
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