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 missed class on Monday due to the 2/28 holiday. So Tuesday, our class roared ahead by making up our Masque of the Red Death quiz, then doing a quick review, and taking the Animal Farm part one quiz. On Wednesday, we had time to explore chapter 5 in some detail. Groups analyzed the characters (by examining observable actions, what they said, and other evidence): Mollie, Napoleon and Snowball. We evaluated two visions for the future of Animal farm - one contained a windmill that would bring about an "Animal Renaissance." Please remind me to make that connection with you next week and explain how it related to the Masque story. Finally, we saw Edward (Snowball) and Henry (Napoleon) square off in a debate. Somehow, the history of the Qing dynasty got into our debate! However, our Napoleon was "out of character" as he tried to logically debate his opponent, whereas the Napoleon in the book would have...what would that Napoleon have done?
Check back this weekend for vocabulary helps for next week's quiz.

Week Two
Animal Farm (pages 3 to 44) chapters 1 to 4 were to be read last week. The quiz is scheduled for next week (week three). However, in this class, we are behind on quizzes, so we'll see.

Vocabulary helps: (underlined words are on your 75 SAT words list for Animal Farm, more at bottom)
Hideous (7) - horrible, terrible
Apathy (16) - lack of concern, no feelings
Maxim (34) - saying, motto
Adjoin (38) - border, be next to
Shrewd (38) - clever, sharp-witted
Cannibalism (39) - eating your own kind, usually humans eating other humans
Tractable (39) - obedient, dutiful
Irrepressible (40) - unmanageable, out of control
Skirmish (41) - initial combat, early battle
Maneuver (41) - tactic, battle plan
Flight (41) - escape, running away
Ambush (41) - surprise attack, trap
Stone (42) - a British unit of weight equal to 14 pounds (6.4kg)
Bolt (42) - a sprint, dash, or quick run
Ignominious (42) - shameful, dishonorable
Sentimentality (43) - over-romanticizing, over-emotionality
Impromptu (43) - unplanned, spontaneous
Unanimously (44) - undisputedly
Decoration (44) - medal, award
Confer (44) - to give, to present with
Posthumous (44) - done after death

More SAT words from your list and on what page they can be found in Animal Farm: abolish (9), 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). For your convenience, I'm including highlights of chapters 1 to 4 and the page numbers, so you can easily find them.

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