Lecture Notes: Manor Farm and Animal Rebellion
Background
- Manor Farm resembles any typical English farm.
- Owner: Mr. Jones, who is often drunk.
Old Major's Speech
- Old Major, the prize boar, had a dream and gathers animals in the barn.
- Announces his life is ending, reflecting on the miserable lives of farm animals:
- Conditions: Short, miserable, exhausting lives.
- Problems: Underfed, overworked, and slaughtered cruelly.
- Key Question: Why accept this injustice when the land is fertile enough for all to live in luxury?
- Conclusion: Man is the tyranny; remove man for life to be paradise.
- Call to Action: Unite and rebel against man, keeping the ideals of brotherhood and equality.
Beasts of England
- Song taught by Old Major in his dream.
- Becomes the anthem of the animals.
- Mr. Jones interrupts with a shotgun after the animals sing loudly.
Aftermath of Old Major's Death
- Old Major dies and is buried in the orchard.
- Secret preparations for rebellion ensue under the pigs’ leadership.
Formation of Animalism
- Led by pigs Napoleon and Snowball, derived from Old Major's teachings.
- Pigs educate other animals, face challenges from:
- Moses the raven: Spreads misinformation about Sugarcandy Mountain (afterlife).
- Pivotal Support: Cart horses Boxer and Clover are loyal and help persuade others.
The Rebellion
- Triggered by Mr. Jones's negligence in feeding the animals.
- Animals fed up and hungry, a cow breaks into the store shed.
- Animals retaliate when Jones and his men attack with whips, leading to their flight.
- Mrs. Jones and Moses the raven leave too.
Post-Rebellion Actions
- Animals destroy tools of oppression.
- Snowball burns horse ribbons.
- Declare that all animals shall be naked.
- Napoleon leads them to a feast in the store shed.
Exploration and New Beginnings
- Animals explore The Farmhouse, shocked by past luxury.
- Decision: The Farmhouse to remain a museum.
- New Name: Farm is renamed "Animal Farm."
- Pigs learn to read and write, paint the new name on the main gate.
Establishment of New Rules
- Snowball writes the Seven Commandments on the barn wall, laws for the new society.
- Problem: Milk disappearance raises suspicion.
Conclusion
- Pigs likely kept the milk, foreshadowing potential future inequity.
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