Animal Farm Summary - Chapters 9-10 - Schooling Online

Summary

In this detailed recount of George Orwell’s *Animal Farm*, the narrative explores the corruption and betrayal of the original ideals of the animal revolution. Boxer, the hardworking horse, tragically dies after being exploited beyond his limits, while the pigs continue to grow more powerful and privileged. As they adopt human behaviors, the farm’s once-promised equality fades, culminating in the pigs becoming indistinguishable from humans. The story serves as a stark critique of authoritarianism and the cyclical nature of oppression, showing how revolutionary ideals can be manipulated for the benefit of the ruling class.

Takeaways

• 😀 Boxer continues to work hard despite his old age and injury, refusing to slow down even when warned by Clover and Benjamin.
• 😀 The animals face a harsh winter, but Squealer convinces them that their quality of life is still better than under Mr. Jones.
• 😀 Napoleon’s growing power is evident as he fathers 31 piglets, who are given special privileges and education.
• 😀 The pigs' luxury lifestyle increases as they gain weight and drink beer, while the other animals work harder for reduced rations.
• 😀 Napoleon is elected president of the Animal Farm Republic, and military-style parades are held to celebrate the farm's supposed triumphs.
• 😀 Moses the Raven returns with stories of Sugar Candy Mountain, and the pigs allow him to stay and give him beer.
• 😀 Boxer’s injury leads to his eventual death, and Squealer deceives the animals by claiming Boxer died in a hospital, not slaughtered.
• 😀 The pigs throw a whiskey-fueled banquet to honor Boxer, although this is more for the pigs' enjoyment than the animals' benefit.
• 😀 As the years pass, the animals’ living conditions worsen, and the hope for a better life fades, but the pigs continue to thrive.
• 😀 The pigs begin walking on two legs, carrying whips, and using human technology, signaling their full transformation into the very humans they once opposed.
• 😀 The Seven Commandments are replaced by a single rule: 'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others,' showing the pigs' complete corruption.
• 😀 At the climax, the pigs and humans socialize together, drinking, playing cards, and toasting to the prosperity of the farm, making it impossible to tell who is human and who is a pig.

Q & A

Why does Boxer continue working despite his injuries?

Boxer refuses to slow down because he is approaching his 12th birthday, the agreed retirement age for horses, and wants to see the windmill well underway before retiring.

How does Squealer justify the animals' hardships during the bitter winter?

Squealer reassures the animals that their quality of life is still better than under Jones's rule, despite their suffering and hunger during the cold winter.

What special privileges do Napoleon's piglets receive?

Napoleon's piglets are given special privileges, including being kept separate from other animals, educated by Napoleon himself, and enjoying a higher status.

What does the construction of the windmill symbolize, and how does it affect the animals?

The windmill symbolizes the animals' hopes for progress and a better life. However, it is ultimately used for profit rather than for the animals' comfort, and the animals work harder with reduced rations to fund the project.

How does Squealer manipulate the truth about Boxer's death?

Squealer convinces the animals that Boxer died in a hospital, receiving the best possible care, and that the van that took him was simply a newly purchased vet's van, not a slaughterhouse van.

What does the transformation of the pigs into more human-like figures represent?

The pigs' transformation into human-like figures symbolizes their complete corruption and adoption of the oppressive behaviors they initially revolted against. They end up indistinguishable from the humans they once despised.

What significance does the pigs' adoption of the song 'Four legs good, two legs better' have?

The adoption of the song 'Four legs good, two legs better' marks the pigs' final betrayal of Animalism's original principles, showing their full embrace of human traits and their abandonment of the idea of animal equality.

What does the change of the farm's name from 'Animal Farm' to 'The Manor Farm' represent?

The renaming of the farm from 'Animal Farm' back to 'The Manor Farm' signifies the pigs' complete reversal of the rebellion's ideals and their return to a system where they are just as oppressive as the humans were under Jones's rule.

How do the animals react when they see the pigs and humans together inside the farmhouse?

The animals are horrified when they see the pigs and humans together, realizing that the pigs have fully adopted human behaviors. The pigs and humans are seated together, drinking and playing cards, making the animals question the progress of the rebellion.

What is the final realization the animals come to by the end of the story?

By the end of the story, the animals realize that the pigs have become indistinguishable from the humans they once overthrew. They are left in a state of despair, understanding that the original dream of equality has been completely corrupted.