Describe at least one important technique used in the text. Explain how the technique created an emotional response in you. “Techniques” could include figures of speech, syntax, word choice, style, symbolism, structure, or narrative point of view.
In the novel ‘ Animal Farm’ George Orwell portrays many important techniques, through the use of language, motifs and symbolism. The most important technique he uses is the use of symbolism and motifs. These techniques created an emotional response as they highlighted the reality the animals faced.
The first technique George Orwell uses is the use of symbolism, this is seen through the use of the ‘ milk and apples’. After Animal Farm was overthrown by the pigs, they swore that no human activity would take place anymore and that they would never step foot on Marner farmhouse or consume things that the humans did such as Milk and apples. The pigs consuming milk and apples highlight the unfair system that the pig runs. It highlights that the higher class animals deceive the high-class food. We can see this when Squealer states, “ We dislike this better food, but we make a sacrifice to eat the milk and apples to help our brainwork so we can run the farm more efficiently.” This technique highlights how the use of speech and words can be used against people/animals. As the animals believe that the pigs are right and that they should consume milk and apples. This symbolism links to the author’s purpose of stating how the allegory of the Russian Revolution as this use of higher class was seen in the Russian revelation were the higher / richer class to all the luxury items and the lower / working class got the scraps and the bare minimum.
The second form of symbolism seen in the text that highlights an emotional response is the use of the windmill to represent the technology that the Russian Revolution had and how this was used against the animals/people. This is seen through the link between the character Snowball / Leon trusky and how he wanted to make the lives of the Russians better but started to gain support and Napoleon/Starlin started to fear this. This is seen to trigger an emotional response as we can see that life for the animals/ the Russian people could have been much better and enjoyable with the use of this newfound technology, but as we can see Napoleon(Starlin) doesn’t like this idea and realises that this will make the animals ( Russian people) much harder to control if they have the Windmill. The Windmill symbols the future for the animals and the improvement of the animals’ lives. The author uses the windmill to show the link between Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution and how the Russian working class had the technology and power to overthrow Starlin and how Starlin feared the new technology being built. And how the windmill caused a lot of destruction to the animals and how we get so attached to something that we think will help us change everything.
The third use of symbols is the use of Songs and Chants to manipulate. This is seen to cause an emotional response as I can see how controlling forms of songs and chats can be used as forms of the language of power or propaganda. The songs and chants change a lot through the text-based on who is in charge. Such as Old majors ‘Beast of England’ is respective of the start of the rebellion and uses what the animals already know to motivate them into an uprising but Napoleon changes this to manipulate the animals to take the individuality out of them. We can also see that when the sheep start chanting. This use of technology shows that the use of propaganda can be used to take the individuality out of animals/people through the use of repetition of a song or chant. This highlights how language can be used as a form of power to take control of people/animals as the animals believe that the chants and songs are just that but they are actually sued to make the animals believe what they are singing or chanting. The author uses this technique to highlight to the readers that language and propaganda are major tools in order to control a population. As it can take the individuality out of a group but repeat the same thing every day.
The main points of how important techniques are used to create an emotional response in the audience are that the use of symbolism behind the milk and apples shows the curpution of power and how the class of warfare can be used through objects. To show that the division of class through the working class and the upper class. The second point used is the use of the windmill to represent the future for the animals and how their lives could have changed. The third point is the use of songs and chants to take the individuality out of the animals through the use of repetition. We can see this to this day through some sings and chants used nowadays which can be used to curprute a group in order to take the individuality out of them. That is the use of language as a power against others.
