Choice *Animal Farm*

Are there any changes or different thoughts after reading the book? What are they?
-I have learned very much through ‘Animal Farm’. After reading this book, I have decided to be less selfish. If my friend is in trouble, I do worry about her, but I do not worry as much as when I am in trouble. I would like to change that behavior for I do not want to become a person like Napoleon, who only wants more power.
Another different thought I have received reading this book is about humans. I have always thought that without humans, the world would not be balanced. But it is actually the opposite! The humans are making the world unbalanced, and we are the ones who change this world negatively. We shouldn’t be fighting each other for more power, but open our eyes and look out at the world.

Setting *Animal Farm*

Are there any settings in this novel which you have found to be beautiful? Or disturbing? Or memorable? Describe these settings and comment on why they were meaningful to you.
-There were no settings that I have thought to be beautiful in this novel. But the most memorable scene of the novel is when Napoleon sells Boxer to the butchery. The naive horse thought that he would have a peaceful life, for he had been working very hard. But Napoleon sold him to the butchery, because Boxer was not useful anymore. At first I thought, “How can an animal kill another animal on its side?” But humans do act like that in every day life. There are rivals everywhere around this world. The fact that humans are so selfish is very depressing. If someone has lost their precious ring for example, the people around this person do not care very much. But if THEY are the ones who lost their rings, they start to panic.
The other scene I thought was memorable was the ending, where others cannot recognize which one the humans are and the pigs are. The awkward it would feel if an animal was talking to a human? It is amazing if you compare the pigs from the beginning and the conclusion. They totally have changed!

Passage *Animal Farm*

Please choose one passage from the novel that is significant to you. Why is this passage meaningful?

"Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself."

-This passage was very significant to me. It tells me how humans are weak and simultaneously wicked. Through this passage, I have known how selfish, we, humans are. Humans claim for power. They need power, because they are weak. But once they have the power, they do not use it for the others, but only for themselves. Although one might think that they won’t treat people like Stalin, there are leaders who are still not working for their people. Once they become the leaders, they forget about the past, when they used to be weak. Power is a great temptation for people, and I think that one who overcomes with this is a great leader, for he/she does not work for more power and control, but for the others.
I think that this passage is not only meaningful to me, but to all. If one wants to become a leader, he/she must remember that power is not everything that makes a leader outstanding. A leader is called outstanding if he/she works for the others and can serve others.

Mood *Animal Farm*

What is the mood of this novel? Do you find this novel saddens you in any way?
-The mood of ‘Animal Farm’ in the beginning is quite comic and ironic, but as it goes through, the story becomes tragic. There is akso some sarcasm in the story. I enjoyed the story when I read this novel for the first time, thinking it was just a story about the animals acting like humans. But I changed my mind when I read it once more and people around me told about the real theme inside the book. With the hidden theme, the mood of the novel also changed. The fact that people are tempted by power/control made me very sad. Didn’t Napoleon rebel against Mr. Jones with his comrades to gain freedom? But when Mr. Jones disappeared, he began to act the same way or even worse than Mr. Jones. The only difference to the farm is that the leader is now a pig, one of their comrades, not a human.

Also, it was very tragic to read about Napoleon selling Boxer to the butchery. Poor Boxer! Boxer was one of the best workers, but instead of the freedom he wanted, he had to die in the butchery because of his comrade Napoleon. It was especially doleful, because the animals (pigs) were fighting against each other for more power, while they should’ve been taken care of the others and fight against Mr. Jones, the humans not the animals.

Climax *Animal Farm*

What is the climax of this novel? What happens? How do the events of this novel make you feel?
-The climax of ‘Animal Farm’ is when Napoleon seizes control of the farm. He makes lies that lead Snowball to banishment. When Napoleon gains full control over the farm, he acts like a tyrant with his dogs at his sides as bodyguards. When his rival Snowball has totally disappeared from the farm, he commands to the other animals like Mr. Jones. Then, he sells Boxer, the naive worker, to butchery.
I was surprised when I read the part about Napoleon selling Boxer to the butchery. How can he sell one of his comrades for not being able to work anymore? I could understand Napoleon when he banished Snowball from the farm because of the sense of rivalry. But I couldn't’t accept his behavior toward Boxer. He was acting the same way as Mr. Jones! I thought he was even worse than Mr. Jones. In the beginning, all the animals said that they are not going to use any objects that people have used, including Napoleon. But how come Napoleon sold his comrade to a HUMAN? Napoleon was one of the one character that made me furious while reading. His different behavior toward his comrade was very displeasing. In this climax, I was not only mad at Napoleon, but also at other animals. I couldn't’t understand why they didn’t have a single sense that Napoleon was going to do something to Boxer. They were too naive! If I were one of the animals, I would have complained about Napoleon's act with other animals.
This climax was very powerful, controlling the readers’ mind. I, personally was very mad when I read it.

Characters *Animal Farm*

Who are the main characters in the novel? Do you like them? Why or why not? What is special about them? What do they reveal about the universal human experience?
Mr. Jones is the first oppressor, who is the farmer of the farm. He is abhorred by animals. I do not favor him, because he is very selfish. Mr. Jones does not think about his animals, but only about himself. I especially do not like the fact that he didn’t change his thoughts after he was banished from the farm.

Napoleon (pig) can be said to be the main character. He is the second oppressor, the tyrant after Mr. Jones. He is the leader of the farm, and he expels Snowball to gain more control over the farm. I personally do not like Napoleon, because he acts the same way as Mr. Jones. He doesn’t have the right to be a leader if he does not work for the others, but only for himself. Napoleon in real life is Joseph Trotsky.

Snowball (pig) is Napoleon’s rival. He is very smart and has most of the ideas for the wealthy farm. He has more favor and loyality from the animals than Napoleon. I do like Sonwball, because I think he is a good leader. He has ideas that could improve the farm, not just please his life. In real life, Snowball is Leon Trotsky.

Boxer (horse) is very naïve. Because he didn’t want the situation to get confusing, he works diligently as Napoleon orders him to. He is later sold to butchery by Napoleon. I do not like Boxer, because I think that he is a fool. He should have at least spoken about his real thoughts, not just work.

Major (pig) started with the story. He tells everyone about the discrimination against animals and freedom they don’t have. But, because his words were not clear, Napoleon and Snowball misunderstood his idea of freedom and unity.

World Relation *Animal Farm*

Are there any current situations in the world that relate to the novel? What are they, and how do they relate? Does the novel shed any light on how current situations could be resolved or “fixed”?
-As said before on the first entry, there are many current situations in the world that relates to the novel. Kim Jeong-Il, the president of North Korea has control over the people. People who follow him have totally different lifestyles from the ones who disobey him. He does not listen to his people. If this was compared to the story, Kim Jeong-Il would be Mr. Jones, the oppressor. The people who are on his sides are the other farmers, who have comfortable lifestyles. The people who disobey him would be his animals. But they do not have much power to argue or even say anything against Kim Jeong-Il, Mr. Jones. Soon, there will be a person who will take over Kim Jeong-Il like the pigs; Napoleon and Snowball. But soon, they will also be tempted by the great power they have, and will forget about the freedom and unity they have wanted.
Another simpler example would be a school president. If the school president from the year before did not do a good job, the majority of students will vote for a different school president. But the problem that is occurring every year is that the school president does not listen carefully to other students. They change after they become school presidents, forgetting what they have said to change on the Election Day. This cycle continues on and on.
‘Animal Farm’ specifically talks about the temptation of power of Napoleon. This tells that in order to become a fair leader, one must endure the temptation of power. If one does not endure the temptation, this cycle of the argument and struggle between commoners and leaders will continue.

Theme *Animal Farm*

*What is the major theme of this novel? Why is this theme important to a teenager living in 2007?
-Animal Farm has an amazing theme hidden. It is a retold story of the development of Soviet communism. The pigs, which represent commoners, want to receive freedom from Mr. Jones, the tyrant. Napoleon, which represents Stalin, tries to gain more power than Snowball, Leon Trotsky. Napoleon becomes selfish as he gains more power. Eventually, he acts tyrannically like the other oppressors in the beginning, such as Mr. Jones.
The theme of ‘Animal Farm’ is that there always are different classes in a society, and humans are born to have different powers. Although the different classes in society have unified after they have banished Mr. Jones from their farm, the different classes appear again although their enemy, Mr. Jones has disappeared. There always is a tendency toward class stratification in many communities. Simultaneously, there are people, usually people in lower classes, who want freedom. The high class has control over the lower class that longs for freedom in society. The low class represents Boxer. To make everything clear, Boxer repeats to himself that Napoleon is the right one in the story. Once they lower class receives freedom, there will be a new leader created, who will eventually take control over the others. This will keep repeating on and on.
The other theme of ‘Animal Farm’ is that language can be very powerful and dangerous. The animals in the farm have gained the idea of rebellion and freedom from Major, but once Major dies, the pigs have changed the meaning of what he has said. Because of such slight change in some words, the whole story changes! Instead of gaining freedom and unity, the pigs have gained freedom from Mr. Jones and they have taken Mr. Jones’ place.
The two themes are important to teenagers in 2007. The theme seems to be not related to year 2007 at all, but in reality, competition is always present. For example, if there is a president who does not listen to others’ opinions, then there will be a brave person who will lead the commoners to rebel against the president. When the president is gone, the person who had taken control over the commoners will eventually become the new president. But he/she will act the same way as the president before, forgetting what they had wanted, once he/she has the overall control. So, I think that teenagers have to understand that they need to get over the temptation of power in order to become a fair leader. If a student becomes the school president, he/she has to remember to listen to others’ thoughts and not give commands to others because of the power he/she has.
Currently, teenagers use bad languages. Sometimes, they say without thinking. This leads to many fights and misunderstandings. One word can change the whole sentence, and it is very important for not only teenagers, but everyone to think before they say something.