Blog #25 for May 1, 2020 about April 30, 2020 Lesson
Sophomores 2020
-Lauren Peysakhova Pd. 7
Aim: How do George Orwell’s themes of literary protest transcend time?
Do Now:
1. Elitism is leadership by a socially superior minority group. In what ways is elitism
fostered among the pigs of Animal Farm?
Elitism is fostered by the animals through the pigs and the dogs. The pigs and the dogs are viewed as superior on the farm and they are given better treatment than the other animals. The pigs and dogs are fed more and are blindly listened to by all the other animals. Additionally, there are over 300 pigs on the farm, all offspring of Napoleon and all are taken well care of. The pigs are all given an education. Furthermore, the pigs are all starting to walk on their hind legs and are given green bands to wear around their arms, displaying their superiority to the other animals. A symbol in history relating to this are the swatsikas that the Nazi’s wore around their arms.
2. Is there evidence that Elitism still exists in our society? If so, how?
In today’s society, there is elitism among the celebrities and journalists reporting about COVID-19. These celebrities and journalists are held to a higher regard and their viewpoints are respected. Many people look up to them to understand what is going on in the news.
After the do now, our class discussed what we would do if a student were to be embarrassed with a picture of them posted online. Our class came to a few different conclusions. We decided that we would go to a person in charge, such as a dean or assistant principal, and report the situation to them. Additionally, we also said that we would not engage in the situation to make sure that the student knew we were not involved and would help ensure the student that we were standing by them. Lastly, we also discussed that if we were the student, we would not show our anger or embarrassment because then we would be satisfying the person who posted the picture. After our discussion, Ms. Peterson asked us if we would stand up to the person who posted the picture. The class was unsure but ultimately decided that it would be good to stand up to the bully rather than be a bystander.
Next, we talked about Richard Wright. Some background information on him is:
- Richard Nathaniel Wright was an American author of novels, short stories, poems, and non-fiction.
- Much of his literature concerns racial themes, especially related to the plight of African Americans during the late 19th to mid-20th centuries, who suffered discrimination and violence in the South and the North.
- One of his most famous works is a memoir called, Black Boy, which describes his youth in the South: Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee, and his eventual move to Chicago, where he establishes his writing career and becomes involved with the Communist Party.
A famous quote by Richard Wright is “All literature is protest. You can't name a single novel that isn't protest." Our class agreed with this quote. We stated that in one way or another, all forms of literature were written to get a certain point across, whether we realize it or not. Animal Farm is a great example of protest. In Animal Farm, George Orwell protests communism and bullying. The allegorical meaning behind the novel Animal Farm is to illustrate the happenings of the Soviet Union and how it rose to power. Therefore, through this novel, we are able to see the negative impacts of communism and the abuse of power that happens. Furthermore, Orwell also addresses the problem of bullying. He showcases the fear of the animals and the unfairness presented by them to Napoleon. Napoleon constantly takes advantage of the animals by giving them more work and less food, while he sits back and does nothing. He intimidates the animals using his dogs and his high power.
Afterwards, we discussed the irony in the novel. Oftentimes, in significant pieces of literature, there is a certain phrase that is always remembered. In Animal Farm the phrase that is usually taken away by most people is “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.” This was the last sentence in the novel stated by George Orwell. This phrase is ironic because it shows that the animals have come full circle again. The pigs have become the one thing they swore never to become, humans. They are acting exactly as the humans have and there is almost no difference between before the expulsion of Jones and after the rise of Napoleon. This led to the class discussion about what themes were found in Animal Farm. In the novel, we were able to see the themes of bullying often come up. Napoleon uses bullying and manipulation to rise to power and influence the animals. We continued to analyze different themes by looking at these ideas in everyday life. We watched two videos about bullying and how students made a difference. In the first video, a student and her team helped make a difference by supporting her peer positively online. The goalkeeper was feeling upset because he felt that he was at fault for losing the game. The girl and her team helped show the boy that he was not at fault and he was a great soccer player. In the second video, we were able to see a girl analyzing the effects of cyber bullying. She conducted a study to see that if she were to put a message on the screen stating “This comment might be harmful, are you sure you want to post?” before an adolescent was going to post something. The results show that teens were more likely to rethink their actions before posting harmful messages. These videos demonstrate the relatable issues of bullying outside of the novel.
Next, we reviewed the literary techniques satire and theme. Satire is a kind of writing that ridicules human weakness, vice, or folly in order to bring about social change.It often tries to persuade the reader to do or believe something by showing the opposite view as absurd or even more forcefully vicious and inhumane. As stated by Ms. Peterson, “Animal Farm incorporates a cast of naïve animal characters that are blind to the reality of their situation, a series of ineffectual human characters who are unable to control a group of barnyard animals even with the use of weapons, and the characters of the pigs, whose efforts to become powerful and human often turns them into the most ridiculous characters of all.” Furthermore, we also discussed the theme. Themes from the novel that were brought up are “Language can be manipulated as an instrument of control,” “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” and “Unquestioning allegiance to authority invites abuse of power.” All three themes can be found in the novel and are proven by all the characters. For example, language was constantly manipulated by Squealer and Napoleon. Squealer told the animals that they did not remember different events and influenced their minds to see something that did not really happen. Additionally, Squealer would also change the rules and tell the animals that they remember incorrectly. Furthermore, power corrupted Napoleon. At first, he had good intentions to help the farm. However, as time went on, he only rose to power to benefit himself, and ultimately became the one thing all the animals despised the most, human. Lastly, all the animals had unquestioning allegiance towards Napoleon. They did not question his power and blindly followed all his rules.
For homework, we have a discussion board to answer. The two prompts are:
- How would George Orwell want to inspire your generation?
- What is one thing you could do this week?
We must answer both prompts and respond to another classmate's response using the discussion board techniques.
Student Reflection:
- What did I learn?
Throughout this lesson, I learned about the important themes present in Animal Farm. The purpose of this novel was to protest against communism and to influence future generations to have honest and hardworking leaders, unlike Napoleon. Orwell cautions that it is important to have good leaders to lead a country because many people will look at them for support. Leaders of countries are very important because they have great power over their citizens and therefore have a lot of influence on those who listen. Orwell instructs that having a leader like Napoleon can corrupt society and negatively influence its evolution. Additionally, the author also cautions readers not to blindly follow their rulers. The animals of the farm blindly listened to Napoleon and Squealer and therefore led their farm to ruins. Leaders are not always correct and it is important to have the public listen and carefully think about what they are saying. It is necessary to keep a check in power so that no leader grows too powerful. This balance in power is maintained by the government and by the public to make sure that they agree with their leaders’ decisions.
- Why did I learn it?
- How will I use what I learned?
Personal Experience:
After finishing reading Chapter 10, I was really surprised about everything that had happened. Historically, the Soviet Union fell because of the death of the leaders and its inability to sustain itself. Therefore, I thought that there would be a similar ending in Animal Farm. However, it ended with the total conversion of the pigs into humans rather than the downfall of the farm. This illustrates Owell’s socialist position. Additionally, by showing that the farmers are making deals with the pigs and that the farm is prospering under Napoleons’ reign, this demonstrates that Orwell could have predicted the rise of the USSR and their technological advances. I greatly enjoyed this book and found it very interesting. The allegorical connection was very well thought out and I was constantly at the edge of my seat reading this novel. I can’t wait to read 1984!
Working from home is a new and interesting experience. Since we have only three class periods a day, I am able to focus more on each class individually rather than all my classes as a whole. Additionally, I have had more time for things I do not usually have time for. I started reading more often and have had more time for watching TV. Furthermore, I have also been able to hang out with my family more, practice piano, and go on walks.
In the United States, the virus has clearly had a huge impact. The amount of testing kits has greatly increased and many more people are getting confirmed. During this time, the curve is greatly flattening, as can be seen. There are less people being hospitalized and the amount of cases found each day is decreasing. Mayor Deblasio and Governor Cuomo are constantly reminding all people to stay home or socially distance each other and are implementing harsh rules to ensure this. The lockdown is currently in effect until May 15 and people are hoping that businesses and other necessities will start to open slowly. Stay safe!
A quick cartoon regarding the events in Chapter 10:
Enrichment:
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