Boekverslag George Orwell

Info over dit verslag

Geschreven door:	Arianto
Niveau:	5VWO
Kwaliteit:
Waardering:
Taal:	Engels
Woorden:	1812
Opvragingen:	41

Hulpmiddeltjes

Openen in tekstverwerker

Printen

Emailen

Waardering

Gemiddelde waardering: 3 uit 5 (119 stemmen)

Heb je er iets aan gehad? Geef zelf je waardering:
Erg goed bruikbaar
Goed bruikbaar
Bruikbaar
Een beetje bruikbaar
Niks aan gehad

Titels van George Orwell

• A hanging (0)

  1931

• Animal farm (50)

  1945

• Burmese days (1)

  1934

• Down and Out in Paris and London (0)

  1933

• Nineteen eighty-four / 1984 (30)

  1949

• Shooting an elephant (0)

  1950

Book: Animal Farm
First Published: 1945
Author: George Orwell

A. Facts
1. When/where did the author live? Does this shed light on the book?
George Orwell was born in England. The story took place in England itself on Manor Farm.

2. Background: place and setting of the story. Is this important for the story?
The place where this book starts and ends is on Manor Farm, whereas it later changes into Animal Farm and yet once again changes into Manor Farm. It is important to the story because the main part of the story takes place on Animal Farm.

3. Characters: What do they look like? Do their names have any significance? Are characters round or flat? Why? Do they develop; if yes, how? Because of what circumstances? Do they learn anything?

Major: he the oldest pig on the farm and he doesn’t change at al, because he died in the beginning of the story.
Snowball: he’s the smartest of the pigs and a true leader.
Napoleon: as his name refers to the Great Napoleon; he is swift and clever. As the story develops he says he likes to help out Animal Farm to profit the entire farm, but later on it would only profit in his favor.
Boxer and Clover: the horses of the Farm, these 2 are the strongest and know true workmanship. They work hard to help others. Yet Boxer is a bit stubborn in thinking that everything Napoleon says is right.
Mollie: a selfish mare, but she was sensible to escape from the farm.
Benjamin: the donkey. He works, but he is always quiet. Only when Boxer was taken away to the slaughterhouse, he alerts the other of the betrayal by the pigs.
Squealer: he is the talker of the farm. He can persuade anyone to believe that everything Napoleon says and does is right.
Moses: the raven, which leaves when there is work to be done and returns when there is a meal to eat. He keeps talking about “Sugarcandy Mountain.”

The other animals:
the dogs are like the bodyguards of Napoleon and the Taliban of the Farm. They make sure that nobody talks back and everybody does their work; the sheep: they are so annoying, man…they keep repeating “Four legs good, two legs bad” drowning out every opportunity of free speech; the hens: nothing much with them; the cows: they don’t defend the theft of their milk; the cat: do nothing much either; the pigeons: serve as the farm messenger, lookout and spies.

The humans: Mr. Jones: he is a drunken sadistic bastard. One night he comes to beat his animal (with extra men) but becomes the victims. Mr. Whympers: the farm’s agent, he supplies the farm to help the animals out. Mr. Frederick is cruel farmer who twice attacks Animal Farm and is unscrupulous in trade. Mr. Pilkington of Foxwood is a self-obsessed asshole, cares for nobody or nothing.

4. Who tells the story? Does the author comment on the story?
The story is told from a know it all perspective.

5. Structure: Is the story divided into chapters/ books/ parts? How does this relate to the passing of time? Is the story told in chronological order- are there flashbacks or “flashforwards?”
The story is divided into 10 chapters. I think the story takes place over a period of 2 or 3 years. Everything is in chronological order; no flashbacks or flashforwards.

6. Motifs: Are there any ideas, facts, objects that recur? Why?
Turning Manor into Animal Farm is the main importance of the book. Animalism is about freedom.

7. Genre: It’s a fable, dystopian didactic. Well for one thing, the animals talk, and Napoleon is ruling the farm as a dictatorship.

B. Interpretation
1. Central theme: why was the book written? What is the ideas/message behind it?
The book was written to symbolize the fallen U.S.S.R. The idea was to progress the freedom and choice of the people instead of one person choosing everything for the people where greed and power is very attractive.

2. What is the writer saying/proving/explaining/showing/wondering?
He is showing how dictatorship can ultimately destroy the rulers. Greed and power can kill a person. Freedom is the way to go.

3. What is the connection theme-title? Why?
I don’t see any connection between communism and Animal Farm. Maybe it has to do with what’s happening on Animal Farm, instead of the title. In the end the pigs become communists themselves.

4. Atmosphere and language: tone/mood/use of symbols? What sort of language, style (ironic, satirical, pessimistic)?
Simple English.

C. Personal evaluation
1. What emotions does the book call up in you (moving/upsetting/boring)? Why?
All I can say it that it’s a cool book. The reason why is that some animals make me laugh and some make me angry, especially Napoleon. I get so agitated. It makes me hate him so much. He was supposed to stand up and represent every single animal on the farm. Instead he becomes a wanker. He becomes a dictator. He doesn’t even help the others. All the work that the other animals do, mostly benefit him.

I became also surprised when the pigs in the end of the story, begin to walk as bi-pads. It kind of freaked me out. And I hate those sheep. They’ re so annoying. They constantly repeat “ Four legs good, Two legs bad.” But it was funny to hear them say “Four legs good, Two legs better.” This is one of few books that I truly understand, at least partially!

2. Is the world described realistic, idealized, a warning? Why?
I consider it more of a non-fictional book. Because the book is/was about the fallen U.S.S.R. Where people where maltreated if they didn’t do what they where told. It is also realistic, because of the fact that it does happen and still is in this still very young world.

D. Summary

Mr. Jones, the drunken owner of Manor Farm, was one day expelled from his property by the rebellious farm-animals who, under the leadership of the pigs, took possession of it and named it Animal Farm. The theoretical foundation of the revolution had been laid by an old boar named Major, after whose death the doctrine was made into a complete system of thought - called Animalism - by the most prominent pigs Napoleon, Snowball and Squealer. The animals happily set about the difficult task of running the farm by themselves, the intelligent pigs undertaking the management and the others doing the manual work. The pigs also instructed the animals in the Seven Commandments of Animalism. Unfortunately, the pigs' character was not equal to their intelligence and they immediately began to take advantage of their position by reserving an increasing number of privileges to themselves.

The farm-animals looked towards the future with enthusiasm, but there were exceptions. The foolish mare Mollie was only interested in ribbons for her mane and lumps of sugar; when she found that from now on she had to do without such things she became a renegade and went over to man, the common enemy to do animals. The tale-bearing raven Moses tried to shake the animals' faith and determination by spreading lies about a wonderful country called Sugarcandy Mountain, to which they would go after death. The old donkey Benjamin regarded the new system with cynicism and the wily cat only thought of herself. On the other hand the pigs had faithful disciples in the dull-witted, idealistic, hard-working carthorses Clover and Boxer.

Thanks to the organizing ability of the pigs the animals ran their farm successfully and though they had to work harder than before they felt happy. It was a great day when they repulsed an attack made on Animal Farm by the human masters of the neighboring farms Foxwood and Pinchfield. But serious troubles came when a rivalry developed between the brilliant, eloquent Snowball and the persevering, silent Napoleon. When an election was held to decide which one of them was to be Leader, Snowball seemed to carry it. But Napoleon unexpectedly produced a bodyguard of murderous dogs who drove Snowball away, leaving Napoleon the unchallenged dictator.

Napoleon consolidated and strengthened his position with the help of his dogs who terrorized rebellious animals into submission, his bleating yes-men to the sheep, and his propagandist Squealer who used his smooth tongue to reconcile the animals to the ever harsher measures the Leader and his clique of pigs were taking. Instead of enjoying the luxuries they had been promised, the animals had to toil and sweat, while their lords and masters, the pigs, prospered and moved from the sty into the deserted farmhouse. The doctrine of Animalism and the original Seven Commandments were changed again and again to suit the interests of the ruling class. Whenever anything went wrong, such as the destruction of the mill, which the animals had built at a great sacrifice, Napoleon threw the guilt on Snowball, who was reputed to be undermining Animal Farm in secret. Comrade Napoleon's ruthlessness culminated in the execution of many animals who had voluntarily confessed to various acts of sabotage and espionage.

The animals lost all their former confidence and enthusiasm, except Boxer who worked himself almost to death trying to do more than even his huge strength could bear. When there was no more left of Boxer than a pitiful, useless wreck, Napoleon had him sold to a horse slaughterer. Meanwhile Napoleon had come to terms with the human masters of the farms in the neighborhood who had given up hope that Animal Farm would either destroy itself or give way under the pressure they put upon it. After many years the farm had become much richer, but the life’s of the animals had become even worse than it had ever been, for the pigs were the only ones who reaped the fruits of their “common toil.” However, the animals had one great hope and pride left: they were the only farm run by animals in the whole world. Therefore it was a great shock to them when one day the pigs appeared wearing human clothes and walking on their hind legs. It soon turned out that the pigs had acquired all the human vices that Animalism had warned against. Once the animals saw the pigs in the company of men, talking, drinking, swearing and quarrelling. And when they looked from pig to man and from man to pig, and from pig to man again, they found it impossible to say which was which.

E. Literary periods…

F. Special questions:
Can other books on your list be compared with this one? Do you catch yourslef reading rather similar books? Do all your books belong to the same genre? Why?
NOPE!!!