ANIMAL FARM

Use of form in Animal Farm

The form of a novel is the type of text and genre the writer chooses to write in. Animal Farm has a number of elements to its form and genre.

Animal Farm could fit into the genre of a fairy story, fable, allegory or satire.

On the surface the novel is very simple, a narrative with a lesson that is suitable for children. When seeing the narrative as a metaphor or allegory it becomes more complex, the reader needs prior knowledge to appreciate the novel on this level.

Genre

·         Fairy story - the idea of talking animals and the simple written style are elements that fit this form.

·         Allegory - the farm and the animals are an extended metaphor. The farm represents Russia and its experience of revolution in the 1900s. Mr Jones and the animals represent the Russian leaders and people of the time.

·         Fable - a fable is a story that teaches a lesson or moral. Orwell uses the actions of the animals to teach the reader lessons about equality, power, corruption and freedom.

·         Satire - Orwell satirises the political leaders of Russia in the 1900s.

The narrator

The novel has a third person omniscient narrator, we see and know everything that happens and hear the characters' thoughts. This gives the reader an overview which allows us to come to our own conclusions about events on the farm.

How to analyse form

Question

Explain how Animal Farm is allegorical.

· On the surface Animal Farm is a simple story.

· If the reader has knowledge of the events of the Russian Revolution in 1917 it can be read as an allegory.

· This means that each character and event has a real life equivalent

· Orwell uses this form to express his opinions about the events and people who were involved in this period of history

Use of language in Animal Farm

The language Orwell uses in Animal Farm is simple, clear and accessible. Description and dialogue are kept to a minimum and Orwell avoids sentimentality - even the most heart-breaking sections of the text are very direct in style. He focuses on telling the story, allowing the reader to concentrate on the lessons he wants us to learn. Through the pigs, Orwell shows how rhetoric can be a powerful tool of manipulation.

When analysing the language Orwell uses, you could use this structure:

• What has Orwell done?
• How and why has he done it?
• What effect does it have on the reader?
• How could the words you have chosen to look at be interpreted differently?
• Use a quote to back up your point.
• Avoid explaining what language devices mean eg no need to say 'a simile is a way of comparing one thing to another'.

Evidence and explanation of the language used

What	How	Why	Effect
Persuading questions	"Now, comrades, what is the nature of this life of ours?"	To make the other animals question their positions on the farm.	This rhetorical device is used to encourage the animals to rebel. Old Major asks the question and then he provides the animals with the answer he wants, persuading them that he is right.
Controlling questions	"Are you certain that this is not something that you have dreamed, comrades? Have you any record of such a resolution?"	Squealer controls the others by questioning their memories.	This rhetorical device is used to make the animals doubt themselves. Orwell shows how rhetoric can be used negatively.
Repetition	"Long live the windmill! Long live Animal Farm!"	Here Napoleon uses repetition to reinforce his message.	Repeating ‘Long live’ helps emphasise Napoleon’s point that he wants Animal Farm to continue forever. Whilst this appears to be positive, here Napoleon uses the sentiment to make a scapegoat (an individual irrationally blamed) of Snowball.
Emotive language	A cry of horror burst from all the animals.	The scene when Boxer is taken away is very emotive.	The fact that the ‘horror’, in itself an emotive word, ‘burst’ from the animals gives a clear indication that their fear was so great it almost exploded from within them.
Direct style	Boxer was never seen again.	Orwell uses very plain language to describe Boxer’s disappearance.	In contrast to the emotive language seen above, Orwell uses direct and understated language. This helps to make Boxer’s treatment more tragic.

How to analyse language

In order to analyse language you must:

• choose a section from the text to analyse
• select a quote from the text that is relevant to the question and the point you want to make
• consider how the quote reflects character/theme/context
• explore in detail the impact specific words or phrases have upon the reader
• evaluate how effective the author’s choice of language is

Below is an example section from the novel. In this section Napoleon is speaking to the farm animals. He blames Snowball for the damage the bad weather has done to the windmill.

'Comrades', he said quietly, 'do you know who is responsible for this? Do you know the enemy who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL!' he roared in a voice of thunder. 'Snowball has done this thing! In sheer malignity, thinking to set back our plans and avenge himself for his ignominious expulsion, this traitor has crept here under cover of night and destroyed our work of nearly a year' (Napoleon)

Question

Analyse the language used in this quotation. How do the pigs use language to control the other animals?

1. Use of personal pronouns - Napoleon uses 'Comrades' and 'our' to get the other animals on his side.
2. Emotive language - he uses words like 'malignity' and 'traitor' - these emotive words help make the animals react emotionally to what he is saying meaning they are more likely to be angry.
3. Use of questions and repetition - 'Do you know who is responsible for this?', 'do you know the enemy..?'. Napoleon repeats the question and gives them his own answer 'SNOWBALL'. Here questions are used to control.
4. Uses of expressive verbs and adjectives - Orwell explains that Napoleon 'Roared in a voice of thunder'. Explosive words which add a sense of sound to of the section as well as the mood.

STRUCTURE IN ANIMAL FARM