4/30/20
Ethan Parilla
Period 7
2020 Sophomores
Aim: How do George Orwell's themes of literary protest transcend time?
- Elitism is leadership by a socially superior minority group. In what ways is elitism fostered among the pigs of Animal Farm?
Elitism is fostered among the animals by pigs and dogs. The pigs and dogs undoubtedly have the best lives on the farm, with the pigs eating the most and doing the least manual labour. Through a mix of fear, belief, and not knowing any better, the other animals follow whatever the pigs say without much question. Even Napoleon’s 300 offspring who have no immediate merit to the success of the farm and aren’t needed that much are treated much better than the common animal, even receiving an education. The pigs walking on two legs, which was originally against the commandments, and wearing special green armbands is the biggest physical sign of elitism and harkens back to Nazi Germany with the Nazis.
- Is there evidence that Elitism still exists in our society? If so, how?
Elitism does exist in our society today, as can be seen with people in higher power such as politicians and celebrities. People are more inclined to believe these kinds of people, an example of ethos, for various reasons, such as their credibility or that they look up to them. However, sometimes like in Animal Farm, some of these people lead without any intrinsic merit and are an emulation of the pigs, though to a much lesser extent.
After these do now questions, the class discussed a situation given to us. This was about what we would do if we were sent embarrassing photos of another student who was visibly upset by them. Most of us agreed that we would help them in some way, though we differed in the way we’d do it. Some people suggested simply going to a person in charge, like the principal, to report whoever sent the photos. Others suggested a more passive suggestion which was not showing any emotion towards the photo and just letting the student know we would help them get through it. As a final question, we were asked if we would stand up to the bully directly, and most of us agreed it would be better than remaining a bystander.
When we finished with the situation, we then had a discussion surrounding Richard Wright’s quote, “All literature is protest. You can't name a single novel that isn't protest.” In general, the class agreed with the statement. All forms of literature serve to make some kind of point, and we aren’t even conscious of it sometimes. Animal Farm in particular is a prime example of protest, as it was a direct allegory of communism. It’s main purpose was to show how atrocious the communist society was and to provide a warning against it for future generations.
After we finished this discussion, we moved on to the themes of the novel, specifically irony and bullying. The irony in the novel is especially present in the final line of the book, “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 is true irony at play because the animals went full circle and became what they swore never to become and fought against. Further themes include bullying and its effects, which we talked about after. Napoleon uses bullying as one of his tactics to subdue the rest of the farm animals under his will. The most effective of this was his use of his indoctrinated dogs to subdue the animals, and even gaslight them into killing themselves. After this, we watched two videos on bullying, both relating to bullying in social media. One featured a girl and her soccer team helped a goalie who was being bullied for “letting” goals in feel better and see that it wasn’t his fault. The other video was a TED talk with another girl who studied the effects of cyberbullying and talked about how she is trying to reduce it completely.
The final slide in the lesson talked about satire and themes. Satire is a type of writing meant to mock human weaknesses and follies as a form of protest against them. It over exaggerates its topic in order to show how absurd it is to the people reading or watching. Animal farm is a prime example of satire, as all of the figures in the book are talking animals, which are often only seen in children’s books. The absurdity of animals talking with each other and forming a farm and trading with humans is only there to heighten the point that the communist society it was portraying was absurd. The narrative is also presented in a way that makes it so that while a bit unbelievable, it doesn’t seem impossible that humans would come to the same conclusion that the animals did. Another topic discussed was themes. Some of the most important themes were “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” “Language can be manipulated as an instrument of control,” and “Unquestioning allegiance to authority invites abuse of power.” The first theme can be seen with Napoleon, as he originally started out with the intent to change the farm for the better, but the power from his new role corrupted him into becoming who he was at the end of the book. The phrase “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” can also be used here. Language is used against the largely dumb and illiterate animals by the more educated pigs, especially Napoleon and Squealer. Squealer throws around buzzwords that the animals don’t really understand, but does it with a certain energy, such as him hopping from side to side whenever he spoke, that they believe what he says. This also ties into the last theme, as the animals never really questioned Napoleon’s methods and leadership until the end, when it was too late.
What did I learn?
- I learned the themes present in Animal Farm and why they were important. Leaders and the way they run their societies are very important, but the people’s response is just as important. If we say nothing in the face of tyranny, then we are just as bad as the dictators.
Why did I learn it?
- I learned this in order to become aware of it, and to try and help prevent or stops such a path before it gets out of control. Since we finished the novel, it gave us a good understanding of what it was talking about and what it was warning about.
How will I use what I learned?
- I will use what I learned to keep watch for any of the warning signs present in the book. I will especially use it’s message on bullying to a great extent as that is common for my demographic. I will also use what I have learned about analyzing a book’s theme on other books I read in order to gain a better understanding of them.
Personal Questions
- The updates surrounding the world/community regarding this virus are coming out at a steady pace, as they have been for the past month. However, data has shown that the US may hit the apex soon, so that is destressing to say the least.
- I am learning that some people are extremely selfish when it comes to their reaction to this virus. A glaring example are the protests in Michigan against the lockdown, citing they “need a haircut” and other such claims. I am also learning that the best in people truly comes out during times of need, and that the healthcare workers are truly selfless people.
- When it comes to my personal feelings to this, I am largely indifferent, as the change in my life wasn’t as drastic as others. I do empathize with those who have been affected, however, and I truly only hope for the best for everyone.
No comments:
Post a Comment