Question: Describe the beginning and the ending of a written text you have studied. Explain how the author connected the beginning and the ending.**
In the novel, Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, the beginning and end of the story are connected as both shows an unfair social hierarchy, where those on the top of the social ladder abuse their power against the rest. At both the beginning and the ending of the novel the animals weren’t being fully fulfilled physically and mentally. Meanwhile, the characters who were in charge were abusing their power against the animals for their own benefit - showing the unfair social ladder which can be seen in today’s society.
At the beginning of the text, an unfair society was shown where those who had power would abuse it. Mr. Jones was in charge of the farm so he had power over the animals. He abused this power - neglecting and mistreating the animals on a daily. He would leave them without food when he forgot to feed them, used them for his own entertainment, and once they were no longer useful to him, he would get rid of them. During this time the only purpose for the animals was to serve Mr. Jones, with no regard to their actual health or well-being. The animals were apprehensive of what Mr. Jones could do, so they wouldn’t step out of line. They respected him and his power, without even thinking of going against his rule.
By the end of the novel an unfair society where the one with power would abuse it was also being shown. Napoleon was now the one in charge. He used his power over the farm for his own benefit - only making choices that would be beneficial to him and the other pigs and not the rest of the animals. No real regard was shown to the animal’s health or wellbeing, instead, Napoleon would use them for their work labor. He would work them to the bone, and once no longer useful to him, he’d get rid of them. Even the most loyal of the animals would be sacrificed for the own good of Napoleon and his leadership. The animals were clueless about this though because the pigs would manipulate and gaslight them into believing the way it was was the best and only way. “Napoleon is always right” and “I will work harder” - Are boxers’ sayings, which show us how the animals were brainwashed into working to pieces while trusting whatever Napoleon commanded, even if it disadvantaged their personal wellbeing. Fear kept the animals in line during this part of the novel - just as it’d been used in the beginning. Intimidating dogs stood by Napoleon’s side always, keeping the animals in line as they were frightened of what the dogs were capable of doing.
The end and beginning of the novel are connected as they mirror each other. Power was being abused just as it’d been in the beginning, and the pigs who were supposed to be on the animal’s side had become just like Mr. Jones. “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.” They had made a full circle. The pigs abused their power just like Mr. Jones - the two acted just like each other. They didn’t think anything about the animal’s health or well-being and would use their power to gain personally. The animals lived in fear and wouldn’t try to go against the leader at both the beginning and once again at the ending of the novel. They were overworked and taken advantage of by both Napoleon and Mr. Jones. Even though the animals had worked away from Mr. Jones and towards an equal society, they fell short and made a full circle back to the unfair society that they originally were stuck in.
Animal farm shows the revolution from an unfair dictatorship to the attempt of having a democracy, and back to a dictatorship. The beginning and ending are both connected by the theme of power and abuse, where the leader of the farm is taken over by greed and uses their power for their own benefit. The animals are taken advantage of and worked to the bone while being used for the entertainment of the one in power. Yet they wouldn’t go against any of this in fear of what could happen if they did. Animal farm made a full circle from beginning to end, one where the animals end and finish at the bottom of the social ladder, and get abused by whom is at the top.
