April 29, 2020
Jacqueline Ramirez
Sophomores 2020, Period 9
Aim: How does Orwell criticize society through Boxer and Benjamin? Response to aim to display mastery of lesson:
Boxer plays the role of the tragic hero in Animal Farm. He becomes the model of a loyal, strong, determined hard worker and trusts his leader, Napoleon, to be as good of a character as he is. This blind trust and enthusiasm ends up becoming Boxer’s hamartia, his tragic flaw, because he ends up being sent to his death since he didn’t question the actions of his selfish leader. Orwell criticizes complacency in society through Boxer by showing that blind faith can have fatal results.
Benjamin plays the role of the quiet bystander until Chapter 9. He is very smart and is aware of everything happening but he never takes any action. That is, until his friend Boxer is in trouble. He finally uses his intelligence for good in Chapter 9 by trying to save Boxer from being sent to his death. Orwell criticizes silence in society through Benjamin who stands by this whole time despite having knowledge that could’ve prevented bad events from occurring such as the taking over of Animal Farm by the pigs.
Lesson & What We Discussed
For our do now, we discussed our views on a few prompts.
1) The first prompt posed was: Agree/Disagree: “I can trust those in positions of authority to make decisions that are in my best interest.”
a) The class generally agreed that while we need authority in our lives and in society, constant questioning and independent thinking is necessary. When it comes to trusting a politician or someone with the ability to make big decisions, it is important to stay active all the time. Since politicians aim to satisfy one group of people since they can’t satisfy everyone, staying informed is important for choosing someone who reflects your morals and views.
2) If you had knowledge about a situation that could help someone else would you tell them, even though you might get in trouble? Explain.
a) The class discussed their individual opinions and then drew the connection between this question and Animal Farm:
i) When Benjamin realizes that Boxer is being sent to his death and not the hospital, he immediately jumps in even though he might get in trouble for revealing the truth. Benjamin has been relatively passive the whole novel but he shows his loyalty to Boxer when he tries to save him from being sent to the slaughterhouse.
Next, we were presented with images and asked to identify the audience, the bias, the message, the perspective, and the persuasive technique (Aristotle’s) being implemented in at least two of the images.
Example of discussion:
I’m ME, Not MEAT
- This ad focused on an appeal to pathos (appeal to emotions). PETA hoped the audience (people who eat meat) would sympathize with animals being killed for food and will be convinced to go vegan.
Are you beach body ready?
- The advertisement is aimed at women without this body type and telling them that they should buy the weight loss product to reach this specific body type since according to them, this body is what is “beach ready”.
Sugary drinks
- The NYC department of health is spreading a message to consumers that having too many sugary drinks can lead to health problems using an appeal to logos (using statistics to persuade).
Important Vocabulary from this lesson:
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
Link to video enrichment from lesson--Losers & Tragic Heroes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip97YDkvbtY
Link to 60 sec videos summarizing their characters in quotes (not from lesson):
Boxer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qngz4PMAIC4
Benjamin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8fHC0LhzMg
Lesson Reflection
From a young age, we have been taught by teachers and various people in our lives that our opinions are valid and individual thought is important. Today, I was reminded of this. The main take from this lesson and these chapters was that while it can feel difficult to trust oneself to know what the right path is, it is important to stay informed and act on the current situation accordingly to make decisions for ourselves. We learned this because as shown in Animal Farm, if we don’t think and act for ourselves, we can be taken advantage of since no one else will look out for us besides our own selves. Going forward, I will continue staying active in society by staying updated with the news and I will continue making decisions in my life that reflect my values and my needs.
Current Events Update & My Personal Feelings/Thoughts
Just yesterday, my parents told me that a father of an acquaintance from nursery school had died from the coronavirus. Honestly, this whole time, while I took care to follow all the precautions and to keep updated with the news, I wasn’t very panicked about the coronavirus. When my mom sat down and told me that this man had died, I was shocked. We hear about thousands of people dying but the reality of death doesn’t register until it is someone that you knew even if it was an old acquaintance. It is also hard to process when it is unexpected. I really hope that everyone personally affected is able to manage and heal from any losses.
On a more positive note, I have been taking advantage of quarantine to work on myself. A few weeks ago, during the week originally meant to be our spring break, I decided to delete instagram to stay away from social media and focus on myself. During that week, I began writing in a journal which helped me release my feelings and keep track of time/daily accomplishments. I have gotten insta again because I communicate with my friends through this platform, however, one change I noticed and have been trying to maintain is that I am more independent and clear-headed. Overall, while I miss a lot in quarantine, I am doing my best to enjoy the time I have.
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