Class Notes

These notes are meant to help you study for your weekly quizzes. Sometimes I will put other special topics here that only our class has talked about. The earliest information is at the bottom, and the most recent is at the top.

Week Four
We went over descriptive writing using a Power Point and I should have given some advice about using sensory language, interesting adjectives, and complex sentences. As to Animal Farm, there will be no posting of new vocabulary from the third section of the book. Please review the vocabulary from the previous two sections for synonyms, and expect that other words from section three will be shown with the original sentence, and that you should be able to explain the meaning of the word from context. Key passages have been alluded to in HW5, but any others you should find from your own critical thinking and our class discussion during week five.

Week Three
New vocab to notice:
Pretext (45), publican (46), dynamo (48), incubators (49), peculiar (52), moonshine (55), arable (62), solicitor (64), regarded (67), gale (69), malignity (70), indignation (70), capitulated (76), categorically (82), cowered (82), collaborated (83), countenance (83), retribution (85)

Highlights of Chapters V – VII
Chapter V
Mollie disappears (46), “The whole farm was deeply divided on the subject of the windmill.” (50), Napoleon forces Snowball off Animal Farm (52 – 53), no more debates (54), Boxer adds a second personal maxim (56), Napoleon plans to build the windmill in two years and claims it as his own idea (57).
Chapter VI
Napoleon decides to engage in trade by selling hay, wheat, and eggs (63), gets Mr. Whymper to handle business and legal affairs for the farm (64 – 65), pigs sleep in beds (66 – 67), a storm blows over the windmill but Napoleon blames Snowball (70).
Chapter VII
Whymper is deceived and reports to the outside world that there is no food shortage on Animal farm (75), the hens rebel against Napoleon but are starved into submission (76 – 77), Snowball’s courage at the battle of Cowshed is attributed to Napoleon (80 – 82), four pigs confess their crimes (83 – 84) and are killed immediately, then other animals confess too, and they are killed as well. Clover notices the changes in Animal Farm (87), the animals sing the Beasts of England sadly (87), but then are told by Squealer (88) that the song has been outlawed.

We used Wednesday and part of Thursday preparing for the quiz, and the rest of Thursday taking it. HW4 should have been received by me Thursday. Friday we can examine chapter V in some depth, and perhaps get into chapter VI as well. The quiz on part two of the book is still scheduled for next Wednesday right now. Please check back this weekend for vocabulary help on part two of the book.

Week Two

Vocabulary helps: (21 words from chapters one to four; the nine bolded words are already on your 75 SAT College Prep word list, and 25 more words from that list will be given below, without definitions, but with page numbers so you can find them)
Hideous (page 7) – terrible, horrible

Apathy (page 16) – lack of concern, no feelings

Maxim (page 34) – saying, motto, proverb

Adjoin (page 38) – border, be next to

Shrewd (page 38) – clever, sharp-witted

Cannibalism (page 39) – the idea of humans eating other humans, eating your own kind

Tractable (page 39) – obedient, dutiful

Irrepressible (page 40) – unmanageable, out of control

Skirmish (page 41) – initial combat, early battle

Maneuver (page 41) – tactic, battle plan (British spelling adds an “o”)

Flight (page 41) – escape, running away

Ambush (page 41) – surprise attack, trap

Stone (page 42) – a British unit of weight equal to 14 pounds (6.4kg)

Bolt (page 42) – a sprint, dash, or quick run

Ignominious (page 42) – shameful, disgraceful, dishonorable, embarrassing

Sentimentality (page 43) – over-romanticizing, sappiness, corniness, over-emotionality

Impromptu (page 43) – spontaneous, unplanned, unrehearsed

Unanimously (page 44) – undisputedly, “with one voice,” a vote with no opposition

Decoration (page 44) – honor, medal, award

Confer (page 44) – to give, present, or award

Posthumous (page 44) – done after death

Other words from Animal Farm 75 SAT College Prep vocabulary words list appearing in chapters one to four (if you know of others, please email me): abolish (7), benevolent (4), cryptic (30), dole (28), ensconce (4), falter (10), forelock (33), fortnight (38), gambol (22), generation (9), hoist (30), implement (27), inscribe (24), league (32), leisure (7), prosperity (10), scullery (23), seclusion (35), toil (13), trotter (10), unison (13), vicious (41), wean (35), whelp (35), windfall (35).


In class, we went through chapter one in some detail, both in small groups and as a whole class, and discussed why Old Major's speech was persuasive. We found four parts of the talk that night in the barn (chapter one), and the class was given HW3 (see post above). Then, we discussed a break-down of the highlights of the four chapters, which I will put at the bottom for you.

Old Major's speech is persuasive because:
1. He treats the other animals as equals
2. He builds their anticipation (leaves some mystery)
3. Uses simple, direct language
4. Uses emotional language to appeal to each group of animals
5. Asks emotional questions, then gives logical answers
6. Appeals to unity by identifying common problems among all animals
7. Identifies a common enemy for all animals - Man
8. Appeals to a sense of duty to destiny, ancestors or religion by use of a dream
9. Uses an easy-to-remember song to stir emotions
10. Plants the idea of freedom as a legacy to future generations, with no immediate self gain.
11. Uses a vote during his speech to show he is listening to the opinions of his audience
12. Draws on his respect on the farm, and his comparatively long years of wisdom

The four parts of the talk that night:
1. The speech, which is interrupted by the vote
2. The vote on whether or not wild animals are comrades
3. The dream
4. The song - Beasts of England

Highlights in Animal Farm chapters 1 to 4
I. Old Major's Speech (see above)
II. The Rebellion
Moses the Raven and Sugarcandy mountain (pages 17-18) - heaven for animals?
The Rebellion (page 19) - lack of food and mistreatment
Pigs can read! (page 23)
The Seven Commandments (pages 24-25)
III. The Republic of Animal Farm
Benjamin's attitude towards Rebellion is neutral (page 30)
Meetings and debates (page 31) Snowball and Napoleon both active and in opposition
Snowball's committees (page 32)
Animalism's single maxim (page 34) - four legs good, two legs bad (how about birds?)
Napoleon concentrates on education of the young (page 34)
Squealer persuades other animals why pigs need milk and apples (page 36)
IV. The Battle of Cowshed
The Enemy approaches (page 40)
Skirmish (page 41)
Feint (41)
Attack from the rear and cut them off (41)
Heat of Battle (42)
The Enemy retreats (42)
Animal Hero, First Class (44) for Snowball and Boxer