Animal Farm
Animal Farm
by George Orwell
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Animal Farm Power: Control over the Intellectually Inferior Quotes Page 2

Page (2 of 4) Quotes:   1    2    3    4  
How we cite the quotes:
Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote 4

Some of the pigs themselves, however, were more articulate. Four young porkers in the front row uttered shrill squeals of disapproval, and all four of them sprang to their feet and began speaking at once. But suddenly the dogs sitting round Napoleon let out deep, menacing growls, and the pigs fell silent and sat down again. Then the sheep broke out into a tremendous bleating of "Four legs good, two legs bad!" which went on for nearly a quarter of an hour and put an end to any chance of discussion. (5.17)

Napoleon is able to harness the ignorance of the sheep and use it to his advantage.

Quote 5

Once again the animals were conscious of a vague uneasiness. Never to have any dealings with human beings, never to engage in trade, never to make use of money– had not these been among the earliest resolutions passed at that first triumphant Meeting after Jones was expelled? All the animals remembered passing such resolutions: or at least they thought that they remembered it. The four young pigs who had protested when Napoleon abolished the Meetings raised their voices timidly, but they were promptly silenced by a tremendous growling from the dogs. Then, as usual, the sheep broke into "Four legs good, two legs bad!" and the momentary awkwardness was smoothed over. (6.7)

While the rest of the animals are portrayed as more intelligent than the sheep, it is interesting to note that the sheep, although they are unaware of it, still have the power to sway or distract creatures of greater intellect.

Quote 6

I do not understand it. I would not have believed that such things could happen on our farm. It must be due to some fault in ourselves. The solution, as I see it, is to work harder. From now onwards I shall get up a full hour earlier in the mornings. (7.28)

Boxer is too humble. All of the other animals look up to him in order to see what they should do. Yet they can't separate their admiration of Boxer’s work ethic from admiration of Boxer completely. Boxer is a simple-minded horse who can't understand how he is being manipulate by the pigs; he thus becomes a tool of Napoleon’s regime.

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