I have a few questions about the book animal farm..if u could please answer them

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Question:

1!. why is it significant that the maxim is added above the seven commandments!?

2!. what is orwell trying to tell us about those e
who have absolute power!?

3!. why is the maxim a paradox!?

4!. what view of power and humans does orwell convey by the end of the novel!?

5!. what might be the effect of the novel been at the time!? what about it's contemporary effect- does it have any relevance now!?

thanks so much if u answer this, ten points will be given out :D gd luck and i will be grateful for all answers!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

I just noticed this question about "Animal Farm" when I got in this morning; it would be my pleasure to answer it for you -- from the wording of the questions, I'm guessing this is a school assignment so I will try to not answer them for you but give you an idea!. It sounds like the gist of your questions refer to "ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS" -- that's not specifically referred to as a maxim in the book and doesn't appear until the last chapter -- but I'll go with what the book actually refers to as a maxim; "Four legs good, two legs bad!."

1) "Four legs good, two legs bad" -- the simplified version of the Seven Commandments given to the birds and sheep on the farm -- is significant because it delineates the primary difference between animals and humans and should unify the animals in a common cause, hence its placement above the Seven Commandments!.

Humans walk on two legs while Snowball (the pig who's later kicked out by Napoleon as a threat to his power) created the maxim to cover the birds only having two legs, claiming that wings are organs of propulsion (i!.e!. the birds use them to fly) and not manipulation!. From the broad critical perspective, this is a political expediency to minimize the birds' resistance -- which doesn't work after the chickens' rebellion against Napoleon's call for their eggs!.

2) To paraphrase Star Trek's episode "Mirror, Mirror", it's much easier for civilized men to act like barbarians than for barbarians to act like civilized men!. Pure and simple, those who have absolute power -- even those with the best of intentions -- are not immune to the power corrupting them!. If anyone feels they're above the law (and since the pigs wrote the Seven Commandments, why shouldn't they, in Orwell's view) it's inevitable they will act that way!. This also answers question four, in my view!. Humans who govern will always act in a way that ultimately benefits themselves first, not the governed!. Because they're human!.

3!. A paradox -- a statement implying two contradictory premises -- seems embodied better by "All animals are equal but some are more equal than others" that appears at book's end!. It and "four legs good two legs bad" are paradoxical because who are the "some" that decide who's more equal!? In a mathematical sense, something can't be "more equal" than something else; it can be "greater than" or "less than" but it's either equal or it's not!. In terms of the rights governed individual are allowed to exercise, the animals eventually all become subservient to the pigs and biologically it's impossible to make all animals equal -- horses and cows can't lay eggs, ducks and sheep can't give milk, and if you think about it, all pigs can ultimately give is themselves as food!. Oof!.

5) If you've got the time or the interest, read Paul Lake's 2008 novel "Cry Wolf" (ISBN 9781933771427) for a modern-day inspiration from "Animal Farm"!. Pretty chilling, especially as the wild animals insinuate their way into the farm !.!.!. besides that, "Animal Farm" 's effect when it was published in 1945, at the end of the Second World War when the USA, UK, and USSR were very loosely Allies presiding over a defeated Germany and setting up the postwar power structure between them!. Without a common enemy to "unify" them, old rivalries would surface that overwhelmed any notion of progress, and when someone proposed change by overthrowing the existing order, he or she would have an audience!. In the late 1940s, violent revolution everywhere was a very real possibility; study your history!.

And it's very definitely revelevant now because outside powers seem to act in your best interest (we see this in the news, colonization by a different name) but are actually out for themselves!. Orwell had originally written Animal Farm as an allegory of the Russian Revolution of the early twentieth century, and ultimately like the overthrow of Farmer Jones and a verboten policy on humans (re: outside influence) there, it fell apart in the name of revolution!. A few people in Russia and a few pigs in Animal Farm got on top and they'd stay there by any means !.!.!. that IS relevant understanding most national and international news today, even if people don't remember Animal Farm, they practice most of its core!.

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Because I am nice, I am going to tell you to work it out!. If I were not nice, I would write you a whole lot of misleading stuff that sounds believable and you would then hand it in to your teacher and be laughed at!. There's a lot of that going on at yahoo!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Read the book! You'll thank yourself later, this book is fantastic, and I really don't wanna be so mean as to answer the questions and take away from you such an opportunity for personal development!.

enjoy!Www@QuestionHome@Com

2!. those who have absolute power take advantage of that power and use it for their own means

i read the book a while ago and i hope you find more and better answers

good luck : )Www@QuestionHome@Com

1!. "All animals are equal but some are more equal than others'
To answer ur ques this is bkoz this maxim offers the perspective thru which these commandments nid to b viewed, that is, ridiculous and meant to fool the credulous or those with lil education or intelligence!.

2!. I fink that Orwell is drawing frm Alfred Tennyson's idea that :'Power Corrupts but Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely'!.
Those in possession of absolute power are faced with the temptation of abusing their office so as gain to the maximum for themselves!. The pigs reseve for themselves the privilege of apples and milk in his story!. Orwell more precisely was targetting the Totalitarian rule of the Tsar Nicholas in Russia-hw his misuse of power had made a dent in the economic balance of the monarchy:the poor were becoming poorer and the rich richer!.

3!. The maxim is a paradox because once u use the term 'equality'-there is no distinction anymore among the ppl or the animals!. Yet this euality is fake-thus the notion of 'more equal'!. Gramtically and semiotically the staement is valid!. Literally it is nonsense!.

4!. Orwell states that power corrupts not only humans but animals as well-that is, if those in power are negative characters, then inevitably there can be no happy life or ending for the mass( think of Boxer's life and his cruel ending)!. Try and think about hw the story wud b if BOXER instead of the pigs would have headed the farm!.

5!. Actually no1 had wanted to publish the novel!. The allusions to the monarchy of Russia was too overt to ignore!. Ppl wer afraid that they wud b accused of treason if they agreed to publish such criticism against the Tsar!.
Reading it in a contemporary context helps to understand history better-and analyse the political reality of the worls better!. We are aware and recognise, if nothing else, the dangers of a monarchy with full control!.

Hope i cud help u a bit:) i enjoyed reading this text:)Www@QuestionHome@Com