Animal Farm
by George Orwell
Table of Contents
Significant Quotations
Animal Farm has several quotations that capture the essence of the novel.
Quotation One: Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself.
This quote is found in chapter one and is spoken by Old Major. It is the foundation for Old Major’s basic argument that animals are good and men are bad. It is also a clearly allegorical statement for how the upper class has exploited the lower class. This concept explains why the animals engage in the Rebellion. Moreover, the quote becomes significant because it is ultimately proven false in the novel; once the pigs are in power, they exhibit the same willingness to exploit the other animals that was previously demonstrated only by the men.
Quotation Two: Beasts of England, beasts of Ireland/Beasts of every land and clime/ Hearken to my joyful tiding/Of the golden future time.
This quote is from the song “Beasts of England,” which Old Major sings to the animals in chapter one. It provides the animals with hope of a better future on Earth. Even as Animal Farm changes, the animals continue to sing “Beasts of England” or otherwise use it as inspiration for how life on the farm could be.
Quotation Three: 1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. 2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend. 3. No animal shall wear clothes. 4. No animal shall sleep in a bed. 5. No animal shall drink alcohol. 6. No animal shall kill any other animal. 7. All animals are equal.
This quotation is found in chapter two, and lists the Seven Commandments that are the founding principles of Animal Society. These commandments are written on the wall of the barn. However, the quotation is...
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