ANIMAL FARM

Chapter 9

Chapter 9 (Summary) Start to rebuild the Windmill Boxer grows weak Food Shortage Evident (but not for Pigs and Dogs)

• They say it’s still better than Mr. Jones’s era Napoleon has 31 piglets w/ 4 sows-builds a schoolhouse Spontaneous demonstrations promoting animal farm Animal farm declared a Republic- Napoleon named Pres. Snowball has rumored to say “Long live humanity”

during the battle of cowshed Sugar Candy Mountain stories started again by Moses Boxer fails and collapses

• Arranged for ambulance (Glue Factory)• Boxer announced as incurable and had died (False

info)

Chapter 9 (Analysis)Blatant downfall of Animal Farm/Russia

Boxer’s death is ironic He worked for the good of all, but is sold for the good of a few Boxer is sold for alcohol His death breaks a lot of commandments

Death in a Glue Factory increases the dramatic power of Orwell’s words

Russian administration exhausted its worker resources and then discarded them

Return of Moses means shift of focus of working class Stalin brought back the Russian Orthodox Church after WWII

Spontaneous Demonstrations= Ironic b/c they weren’t spontaneous, they were all planned out for propaganda

Chapter 9 Summary

After celebrating their so-called victory against Frederick, the animals begin building a new windmill. Their efforts are again led by Boxer who, despite his split hoof, insists on working harder and getting the windmill started before he retires.

Chapter 9 Summary

Food supplies continue to diminish, but Squealer explains that they actually have more food and better lives than they have ever known. The four sows litter 31 piglets; Napoleon, the father of all of them, orders a schoolroom to be built for their education.

Meanwhile, more and more of the animals' rations are reduced while the pigs continue to grow fatter. Animal Farm is eventually proclaimed a Republic, and Napoleon is elected President.

Chapter 9 Summary

Once his hoof heals, Boxer works as hard as he can at building the windmill — until the day he collapses because of a lung ailment.

After he is helped back to his stall, Squealer informs them that Napoleon has sent for the veterinarian at Willingdon to treat him.

When the van arrives to take Boxer to the hospital, however, Benjamin reads its side and learns that Boxer is actually being taken to a knacker, or glue-boiler.

Chapter 9 Summary

Clover screams to Boxer to escape, but the old horse is too weak to kick his way out of the van, which drives away. Boxer is never seen again.

To placate the animals, Squealer tells them that Boxer was not taken to a knacker but that the veterinarian had bought the knacker's truck and had not yet repainted the words on its side.

The animals are relieved when they hear this. The chapter ends with a grocer's van delivering

a crate of whisky to the pigs, who drink it all and do not arise until after noon the following day.

Irony

The animals have no memory of the way things were when Jones was around

“in those days they had been slaves and now they are free, and that made all the difference, as Squealor did not fail to point out.” page 113

Emerging Themes

“For the time being, certainly, it had been found necessary to make a readjustment of rations (Squealer always spoke of it as a ‘readjustment,’ never as a ‘reduction’), but in comparison with the days of Jones, the improvement was enormous” (112).

The abuse of language is instrumental to the abuse of power

Exploitation and the Need for Human Rights

Boxer’s death and his fate prove the ultimate betrayal of those in power against their most loyal followers

Moses Returns

Having been gone for several years he returns and is allowed to stay

Gives the weary animals hope Sugarcandy Mountain awaits them after

death