Gabriela

Battle of Cowshed: Boxer

I am the muscle of the farm. My name is Boxer. The Battle of Cowshed was fierce and frantic. This battle had much bloodshed. Animals were injured severely and it was a madhouse on the farm. I did something I did not know that I was capable of doing. I killed a human being. I have never killed a human before. At first, I did not think of of the situation. Now that I am reflecting on these unfortunate events, I can’t help but feel guilty for what I have done.

Napoleon and Snowball have helped me get over what happened at the battle, but what I did will stay with me for the rest of my life. Speaking of Napoleon and Snowball, I have sensed some tension between the two of them… something is not right. I have noticed quite a lot of bickering ever since we won the battle. I’m not sure what exactly is going on but I don’t think it will end well. Then again, I shouldn’t worry.


Honestly, I’m just glad to be doing anything I can for the good of my comrades. I work extremely hard everyday and I know it pays off. I’m so grateful that we finally got rid of Mr. Jones once and for all! Also, the pigs are so intelligent. If it hadn’t been for them, that horrible man would still be mistreating all of the animals, including myself!
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Post #2

EXAMPLE #1:
I remember the battle as if it were yesterday. The great Snowball planned it all perfectly. We, the ducks, attacked first. Our mission was to make the farmers believe they had won by letting them go through our attack. It didn't come to their heads that there was a second attack waiting for them. 

EXAMPLE #2:
Hard work is paying off on the farm. I'm very happy to be working for this hard working family. Now that I have the time to think about the Battle of Cowshed, I realize it was full of emotion.

EXAMPLE #3:
During this battle, there was much commotion. I was very scared ,so I started to kick everything that I saw. I kicked a boy in the head with my horseshoe and he got knocked out.  Mr. Jones was carrying a gun and he killed a sheep that was on our side. After the war, we had a funeral in honor of the sheep.
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Post #3
At the start of the revolution, in the beginning of the novel, Old Major was the pig that proclaimed, "All animals are equal". Following his death, a series of unfortunate events at Animal Farm changed everything. Once control was taken by Napoleon, he gradually began to secure the pigs' autonomy over the other animals. The pigs gradually broke the seven commandments as they began to gain more and more power. Since the other animals were so brainwashed, they just assumed that they had merely forgotten the original commandment. By the end of the novel, the only commandment left is "All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others." 

As Napoleon gained strength and power, Animal Farm became weak and full of fear. One thing I have noticed, thinking back to the first chapters, is that the animals were never truly equal. The moment Old Major started giving his speech and his revolutionary ideas, all the other animals automatically started to look up to him and his kind. The idea of equality, on the other hand, did change. Right when Old Major used the word "comrades" to refer to his audience, the animals, they all felt equal. As the novel goes on, one can see how the pigs guide the farm in any way they want. They do it in such a manipulative manner, that no one really sees it coming.

Of course, with any "great dictatorship", comes the need for propaganda. That’s where Squealer comes in. He is the pig who spreads Napoleon’s propaganda among the other animals. Squealer justifies the pigs’ monopolization of resources and spreads false statistics pointing to the farm’s success. He will do or say anything to make Napoleon look better. For example, when he told the other animals that Boxer was going to the hospital but in reality he was going to get killed. This fear he has of being rejected by Napoleon is what drives him to do his job and to it well. 


“All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others." This quote stands as the last great example of how those in power manipulate language as an instrument of control to benefit themselves. Napoleon and the other pigs became identical to the human farmers, just like Stalin and the Russian communists eventually became indistinguishable from the aristocrats that they had replaced. The point Orwell is trying to make with this novel is that if individuals remain silent or refuse to question the authority structure that governs them, bad things can't be far behind.

1 comment:

  1. POST #3 Feedback:

    Gabi,

    I really, really liked this post. Your analysis of the book and the man situations that happened are very clear. The examples you used to support your ideas are accurate, relevant and cause the reader to look at specific elements with a new perspective.
    '
    The second paragraph was very well written. The example of "comrades" that you used truly reflects your listening during class and your understanding of the specific element of the story. I also liked the way you concluded your final paragraph.

    Your post flowed very well. I was engaged from beginning to end! Your style and sentence structure allowed me to clearly understand your analysis and perspective of the story. There were very few grammatical areas for improvement. Overall, your had a very strong piece and I have seen great improvement from your last essay.

    Great job!! You are a talented writer!!

    -Mr. Slaton

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