Question

Give an account of how Napoleon and his companions were unjust and cruel in their behaviour towards the other animals.

Answer 1

Napoleon and his companions were unjust and cruel in their behavior towards the other animals in many small and big ways. First, Napoleon took away the puppies as soon as Bluebell and Jessie gave birth, saying that they would take care of the puppies' education. The milk and the apples were consumed only by the pigs. Other animals did not get a share. Squealer explained to the animals that milk and apple were necessary for the well being of the pigs as they were the brain workers. If the pigs failed in their duty then Jones would come back. Hence, they were reserved for the pigs alone.

Napoleon's trained dogs chased Snowball out of the farm. Now Napoleon became the sole leader of the farm. He told the pigs that they would receive their orders every Sunday morning and that there would be no more debates when some of the pigs squealed their dissatisfaction, they were silenced when the dogs growled. Squealer told the animals that Snowball had been a dangerous criminal.

The animals worked like slaves to build the wind mill and anyone absent had his rations reduced by half. Napoleon declared that the eggs of the hens would be sold to obtain necessary materials. The pigs moved into the farm house and started sleeping on the beds.

The following winter was very harsh. The wind mill had to be build again because its walls were too thin. The animals were always cold and hungry. The corn ration was reduced. Starvation seemed inevitable for the animals.

Four hundred eggs were to be sold to obtain the grain and to keep the farm running. When the hens rebelled by smashing the eggs, Napoleon punished them by stopping their rations. This led to the death of nine hens.

Napoleon started forcing false confessions out of the animals and executing them. This continued until there was a pile of corpses lying before Napoleon's feet.

When Boxer, the most hard-working animal on the farm, got old and sick, he was sold to a horse slaughterer. It was announced that he had died in a hospital at Willingdon and had received proper medical care. The money from selling Boxer was used to buy a crate of whisky for the pigs.

Years passed and the lives of the animals grew tougher than before.They were constantly cold and hungry. Only the pigs and the dogs grew richer. The animals gave up their demands of retiring the older animals. No animal ever retired.