Question

On pages 3 - 10 of the novel, Old Major expresses his vision of a society free of human influence and control. Compare and contrast this against what eventually plays out on Manor Farm once the animals have taken over. What, if any, concepts or goals remain the same?

Answer 1

Answer and Explanation:

At the beginning of the novella "Animal Farm", the pig Old Major gathers all the farm animals and tells them about the utopian dream he has. Old Major wishes for a future when animals will no longer be dominated by man. Man, according to him, is the worst of all beings. He uses and abuses animals for his own profit and comfort, as if animals were under some sort of obligation to provide for him. Old Major eventually passes away, but the animals take his words to heart.

The farm animals end up expelling their human owner and taking over the farm. Based on Old Major's ideas of a free society, they come up with commandments to ensure the utopia is carried out:

1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
7. All animals are equal.

The pigs soon become the ones in charge, since they are by far the most intelligent animals. They are the ones making decisions and coordinating everyone's work so that the farm can support all of them.

However, some of the pigs soon realize their position gives them privileges and advantages. It isn't long before they begin to change the commandments, making adjustments that suit themselves. For instance, commandment number 4 is changed to "No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets." Pigs were sleeping in beds, like the humans they once despised, so they altered the commandment to justify their actions. Also, commandment number 7 eventually becomes "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

By the end of the story, not much is left of Old Major's ideas and dreams. The farm animals in Manor Farm may not have a human owner, but they are forcefully trading and negotiating with humans. The pigs control them with threats and traps. They kill the ones who go against their new government. They lie and use false propaganda to spread their twisted ideas. The free society Old Major wished for is long dead. The pigs are the new man, and the animals are as enslaved as they used to be before the revolution.