ANIMAL FARM

CHAPTER 8
By Kohanna Reid, Stevann Barras and
Keinya Mc Eachnie
SUMMARY
A few days after the execution of the pigs some of the farm animals remembered the
commandment made by old major 'no animal shall kill any other animal' but when Muriel
read the commandment they noticed that it ended with the words 'without cause' so they
assumed that they had just forgotten that part.
Napoleon showed statistics that present an increase in food production, yet the animals grow
only hungrier. Napoleon was trying to sell timber but was engaged in complicated
arrangements with Pilkington and Frederick. Frederick was more anxious to buy the timber
but would not offer a reasonable price. All while a rumor was going around that Frederick and
his men were planning to attack animal farm and destroy the windmill which he was jealous of.
Eventually, Napoleon sold the timber to Frederick. Turns out that the cash from Frederick was
counterfeit and Napoleon pronounced a death sentence upon him.
 The animals finish the windmill and about twenty of Frederick's men attacked and blew up the
windmill with dynamite. When the battle was over, the animals were able to maintain control
over the farm, but many were dead or wounded. Squealer tried to reassure the animals that the
victory was bigger than it actually was. In addition to firing a gun to commemorate the Battle of
the Cowshed, it would also be fired on Napoleon's birthday. After the battle with Frederick's
men, the gun firing will henceforth commemorate the Battle of the Windmill. The pigs found a
crate of whiskey in the barn, and got drunk, Napoleon was hungover and believed that he was
dying. He got better eventually and Squealer revised the 7 Commandments to say no animal
should kill another without cause and no drinking alcohol to excess. Another commandment,
"No animal shall drink alcohol" became "No animal shall drink alcohol to excess."
CHARACTERS
 Napoleon- represents Stalin; who has now taken the title as “our leader” and has wandered
away from “ fellow comrade”.
He rules forcefully and uses his dogs (The KGB) to threaten and eliminate opposing views and
suspicion.

Squealer- represents propaganda; speaks to the animals and convinces them to believe and
follow Napoleon.
He also changes/manipulates the commandments.

Minimus- represents artistic propaganda; writes a poem about Napoleon's greatness and
power.

Mr Frederick- represents Adolf Hitler/Nazi Germany; he tricks Animal Farm by

“purchasing” timber with fake money and attacks them with his armed men.

THEMES
Class Warfare THEMES & EXAMPLES
Benjamin refused
to read
the Commandments when
he was the only animal
(other than the pigs) that
could read.
But he pretends that he is
like the other animals who
enables the pigs rules such
as Clover
Revolution and
Language as Power
Squealer is somehow able to
convince the other animals that
they didn’t remember correctly
because the animals don’t have
much education to draw on, and
they work too hard to be able to
put much effort into their
minds at all.
Totalitarianism
Everything that Napoleon asks
for and begins to do in this
passage continues to situate
him as a totalitarian leader, he
works to make a cult like
personality, that gives him
credit for everything good that
happens on the farm
Corruption
Napoleon’s dealings worked the
way he and his men insisted,
even though the animals may be
shocked, they also have nothing
to do but accept Napoleon’s
words as fact, given how tight
and scary his control over the
farm is.
LITERARY DEVICES
 Metaphor:
Personification:

"oh, how my soul is "In the teeth of every

difficulty, in spite of
on fire"
"The animal's blood inexperience, or primitive
boiled with rage when implements, of bad luck ad of
Snowball's treachery, the
they heard of these
work has been finished
things being done to
punctually to the very day"
their comrades"

Simile:

"...the cruel
"....a choking
pellets that swept
roar of rage
over them like
sounded"
hail."
PARALLEL
 In chapter 8 Napoleon had an urge to kill any
possible revolutionaries.
(Stalin killing off political opponents)
The animals were forbidden to sing Beasts of
England.
(Stalin outlawed all literature that could
spark a revolution.)
Animalism ideas were used to justify
powerful governments figure's
compensation compared to normal animals.
(Stalin used Marxist's ideas to give himself
the luxury the working class did not have.)
The attack by Mr. Frederick and his men parallels the
opening of the Eastern Front of World War II, in which
Hitler’s armies began to invade the USSR, and within
months were within 40 miles of the capital city of
Moscow. Stalin’s men were unable to effectively fight
back, and the Allies were understandably unwilling to
work with Stalin after he signed the non-aggression
pact with Hitler.