sample essay on animal farm

                    

QUESTION

“Four legs good, two legs bad “. With reference to the novel ‘Animal Farm ‘ :

a) Describe the situation that exists on Animal Farm.

b) Discuss three changes made on the farm since the pigs took over , and the problems they have posed.

c) Suggest solution for each of the problem posed

Points for the essay

Part A

- They were whipped.

- Given little food and expected to work harder.

- They faced the possibility of being killed if deemed useless.

- Mr. Jones sold their children.

Part B

- Food was less than when Mr. Jones was ruling.

- Rules changed.

- Animal whipped animals.

- Harsher punishment.

- Tyrannical rule.

Part C

- Remove the pigs from power.

- Get rid of whips etc. that can harm animals.

- Produce more food each so the food be enough to feed all animals.

Essay

‘Animal Farm’ written by George Orwell, is a novel about farm animals standing together to rise against the tyranny of its master, a farmer named Mr. Jones. It was mainly under the philosophy of a pig that died before the rebellion. His name was Old Major before his death, he told the entire farm about his dream of animals being free of human captivity. He later told the phrase, “Four legs good, two legs bad “, which fueled the animals to rebel against Mr. Jones. However, after the exodus of Mr. Jones, the animals created a belief which is called Animalism, which the pigs later twisted and corrupt the system to their liking. The novel has twists and turns everywhere in the plot.

Before the thought of rebellion, life was cruel and sad for the animals when Mr. Jones was in charge of Manor Farm, the original name for the farm. Due to the laziness of his workforce, the animals were barely given food and many of them starved. Not only this, but they were expected to work a lot on the little energy they have and whipped if they looked lazy or disobedient. They also lived under the fear of being sent to the abattoir if deemed useless for work. The animal population was very low too as they sold the young ones. Old Major saw all of this and called the meeting to discuss of rebelling against the humans.

After the rebellion was successful and Mr. Jones was exiled, a system of new order has been established. It was named ‘Animalism’ a order followed by all animals on the newly named Animal Farm. However later on, the pigs under the command of Napoleon, tampered

With the laws of Animalism and abused his power. An effect is that one rule of Animalism “All animals are equal” has been changed so the pigs has more power than anyone on the farm. On the other hand, the animals have suffered even more than they have under Mr. Jones. Food ration was even less, the pigs whipped the animals and the punishment was harsher including execution, regardless of the animal’s health, as long he is deemed a traitor. The condition was even worse than under the reign of Mr. Jones.

If things are to get better, there will a need of change of order and rules on the farm. The first that will suggest and should be main protocol is the removal of pigs from power. They tend to wreak havoc. Removing them will lessen the corruption on the farm. The second of suggestions is the removal of whipped and weapons that can harm an animal. The final suggestion is to equally share the amount of crops grown as well as increase crop production every year. If these are done Animal farm will get back on the right track.

Animal farm is in ruin due to the heavy corruption in its order. Old Major’s teaching as well as the original order of Animalism is nothing but a memory. The conditions of Mr. Jones’ reign are manifested into the reign of napoleon and have gotten worse. The original rule “Four legs good, and two legs bad.” as well as “All animals are equal. “, is no longer visible on the farm. George Orwell’s novel is quite an interesting novel.

CORRECTIONS

                    

Essay

Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, is a novel about farm animals standing together to rise against the tyranny of its master, a farmer named Mr. Jones. It was mainly under the philosophy of a pig that died before the rebellion; his name was Old Major. Before his death, he told the entire farm about his dream of animals being free of human captivity. One of his commandments was, “Four legs good, two legs bad “, which fueled the animals to rebel against Mr. Jones. After the exodus of Mr. Jones, the animals created a system or doctrine which was called Animalism, which the pigs later twisted and corrupted to their liking. The novel has twists and turns everywhere in the plot.(unnecessary)

Before the thought of rebellion, life was cruel and sad for the animals when Mr. Jones was in charge of Manor Farm, the original name for the farm. Due to the laziness of his workforce, the animals were barely given food and many of them starved. Not only this, but they were expected to work a lot on the little energy they had and whipped, if they looked lazy or disobedient. They also lived under the fear of being sent to the abattoir if they were deemed useless for work. The animal population was very low too as they would sell the young ones. Old Major saw all of this and called the meeting to discuss rebelling against the humans.

After the rebellion was successful and Mr. Jones was exiled, a system of new order had been established. It was named ‘Animalism’ an order followed by all animals on the newly named Animal Farm. However, later on, the pigs under the command of Napoleon, tampered with the laws of Animalism and abused his power. An effect is that, one rule of Animalism “All animals are equal” had been changed so the pigs had more power than any other animal on the farm (is this the only rule changed? And what was it/ they changed to?). Also, the animals had suffered even more than they had under Mr. Jones. Food ration was even less, the pigs whipped the animals and the punishment was harsher including execution, regardless of the animal’s health, as long he is deemed a traitor. The condition was even worse than under the reign of Mr. Jones.

If things are to get better, there needs to be a change of order and rules on the farm. Firstly, is the removal of pigs from power. They tend to wreak havoc(more detail needed). Removing them will lessen the corruption on the farm. The second suggestion is the removal of whips and weapons that can harm the animals (why are these whips a problem and what would be used instead to get the animals to do what is expected of them?). The final suggestion is to equally share the amount of crops grown as well as increase crop production every year(what are the benefits of this?). If these are done Animal farm will get back on the right track.

Animal farm is in ruins due to the heavy corruption in its order. Old Major’s teachings, as well as the original order of Animalism, is nothing but a memory. The conditions of Mr. Jones’ reign are manifested into the reign of Napoleon and have gotten worse. The original rule “Four legs good, and two legs bad.” as well as “All animals are equal. “, is no longer visible on the farm. George Orwell’s novel is quite an interesting novel.

project

Animal Farm

Group Research and Presentation

Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to help you understand multiple ways of

interpreting, analyzing, and thinking about George Orwell's novel, Animal Farm.

Requirements: Your group of 3-4 students will be assigned one of the 5 roles from the

scenarios section, and must research its position by using various resources. After

finding information and organizing it, each group will present a 10-15 minute lesson to the

class. Your lesson must include the following:

1.      A visual aid (powerpoint, graph, charts, pictures, poster, etc.) to enhance your

presentation.

2.      A handout that gives an overview of the information you will cover. This can

be done in bullet or outline format. The handout should also include a

separate section on how your information is relevant to the novel. You should

include at least 2 different concrete details from the novel that tie into your research.

3.      A short quiz on the most relevant information you have presented with an

answer key.

You may also want to bring in props, costumes, or music to enhance your lesson. Each

member of your group must play a role in the presentation of this information.

Scenarios:

Group 1: The Pigs (Military Tactics)

You are very interested in military tactics, as you feel that they can help you with

controlling others (humans or animals) at Animal Farm. Devise a plan for dealing with

Mr. Jones and other humans (or any beasts that have turned against you), in case they try

to reclaim the farm again. You might be curious about the person Napoleon is named after....

Group 2: Benjamin (Russian Revolution)

You may be a donkey, but you've lived a long time-long enough to be skeptical about

what is happening at Animal Farm. You also believe that there is nothing worth reading

these days. You remember reading about the Russian Revolution of 1917 some years back,

however, and that was somewhat interesting. Try to gather the information again so you

can let the other animals know about it. At least it might be worth telling to your old

friend, Boxer.

Group 3: Mr. Jones (Historical connections)

You feel scared, as simple farm animals have taken over Manor Farm, which used to

belong to you and you alone. How could they have done this? As you're at your favorite

pub, you overhear other farmers talking about you and your animals. They're saying

something about how they seem to be acting very much like people.... Take notes on how

your animals could be like actual humans in history so that you can tell your wife about what was said. You should include, but are not limited to the following animals: Old

Major, Moses, Snowball, Napoleon, Boxer, Squealer, Mollie, Pigs, Dogs, and pigeons.

Group 4: Muriel and Clover (Laws and government)

Although the two of you are a little older, it may also make you a little wiser. Since

Muriel is skilled at reading, perhaps she can check on what the Seven Commandments

are again. Because a lot of the other animals may have trouble understanding what each

commandment means, perhaps Clover can explain them better, as she has a good

relationship with many of the animals. You might also want to look at other sets of rules,

perhaps ones set up by other governments (American). How can those rules be changed?

Should the Seven Commandments allow for change? Be sure to let the other animals

know if you notice anything suspicious.

Group 5: Mollie and Moses (Utopian society)

Sugarcandy Mountain is important to both of you: Moses appreciates it because it is the

perfect place where all animals go after they die; and Mollie, because, well, it has the

word "sugar" in it. If Sugarcandy Mountain is a perfect place, research something else

that is a perfect place. Who came up with the idea? Do people believe a perfect society

can exist? Be sure to support your answer with facts so that the other animals won't

ignore you when you try to persuade them to believe that your opinions are correct.

Research links:

Resources for the novel

http://students.ou.edu/C/Kara.C.Chiodo-1/orwell.html#AnimalFarm

http://www.novelguide.com/animalfarm/

Resources for the Russian Revolution

http://www.barnsdle.demon.co.uk/russ/rusrev.html

Resources for the American Constitution

http://www.constitutionfacts.com/

http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/constitution/amendment_process.html

six weekly

AS WAS PROMISED, HERE ARE THE TOPICS YOU WILL NEED TO REVISE FOR THE EXAM:

LANGUAGE

- Comprehension

- Compare/ Contrast essay

- Problem/Solution essay

Please ensure that you utilise all that was taught on the topic, follow the outlines given in class.

LITERATURE

- Definition of key terms related to prose fiction and literature

- Essay question based on Animal Farm

- compare/contrast (animalism, what led to the rebellion, what happened after, characterization, power struggles among the characters, changes etc.)

*********GOOD LUCK STUDYING*********

chapter 2 (Animal Farm)

1. What happens to open the chapter? 

Old Major dies and is buried.

2. What is the first hint that Old Major’s doctrine was too idealistic as the animals plan for the Rebellion? What literary device does Orwell use to give that hint? 

The animals carry on planning for the Rebellion without Old Major. Not all animals are capable of participating equally. Orwell employs irony in writing “the work of teaching and organising the others fell naturally upon the pigs, who were generally recognised as being the cleverest of the animals.” Even within this division, two young boars are “preeminent among the pigs.” A hierarchical structure is still in place; all animals are not equal. Even among the best, there are some who are better.

3. Describe in detail Napoleon, Snowball, and Squealer. What do they do with Old Major’s teachings? 

Napoleon, Snowball, and Squealer are all pigs who assume leadership positions within the animal community. Napoleon is a taciturn, large, and “rather fierce-looking” Berkshire boar who is accustomed to getting his own way. In contrast, Snowball is “quicker in speech and more inventive,” but not held in the same regard. Squealer is small, fat, and nimble with a “shrill voice.” He is a “brilliant talker” who proves very persuasive in his rhetoric. “The others said of Squealer that he could turn black into white.” The three of them take Old Major’s teachings and turn them into “a complete system of thought” which they name “Animalism.”

4. Why do the animals hate Moses? Explain the significance of Sugarcandy Mountain, and describe what Moses might represent as an allegorical figure. 

The animals hate Moses, the tame raven, because “he told tales and did no work.” As his name would imply, Moses seems to represent religion in the story, and Sugarcandy Mountain is an allusion to an animal paradise. On Sugarcandy Mountain, a mythical place that lies beyond the clouds where animals go when they die, it is “Sunday seven days a week,” and the animals can eat as much clover, linseed cake, and sugar as they desire.

5. How would you describe Orwell’s point of view and narrative style in telling the story? How do the author’s point of view, style, and tone affect the reader’s attitude toward the different characters and contribute to the reader’s perception of the novel? 

The narrative is written in third person omniscient from the general point of view of the animals, with more limited access to the thoughts of the humans and the pigs. The reader perceives the actions of the humans and the pigs from the point of view of the larger community of animals, providing a stark contrast between what the reader knows to be true and what the animals are aware is happening. On one level, the story acts as a simple fable, telling the story of the animals and teaching the reader a lesson about idealism and corruption. However, the clear and dispassionate style and the point of view belie the author’s ironic tone and suggest deeper themes.

6. What precipitates the Rebellion, and how is it carried out? How would you characterize Orwell’s tone in describing how the Rebellion occurs and the preceding and subsequent actions? 

Mr. Jones, formerly a capable farmer, goes into town and gets so drunk that he doesn’t return until the next day, when he promptly passes out. His hired men are nowhere to be seen, “idle and dishonest” as they are. They went hunting after milking the cows and do not return to feed the animals who become so hungry that they break into the store-shed and begin to feed themselves. When the men appear with whips in their hands to punish the animals for getting into the feed, the animals have had enough of the injustice. The tables soon turn in the animals’ favor when the men are confronted with “this sudden uprising of creatures whom they were used to thrashing and maltreating just as they chose.” Orwell seems to suggest in describing the Rebellion, as well as the preceding and subsequent actions, that the animals’ reaction is a just and necessary response to the cruelty and neglect of Jones and the other humans. The reader is encouraged to view the Rebellion in a positive light. 

7. How is the farmhouse perceived by the animals when they tour the interior, and what might the farmhouse symbolize? What decision do the animals make following the tour? 

The animals look at the interior of the farmhouse “with a kind of awe at the unbelievable luxury.” The house contains feather beds, exotic carpets, artwork, food, and beer. The animals make a “unanimous resolution” that the farmhouse should be preserved as a museum. The farmhouse could be interpreted as a symbol of the excesses of the ruling class, the bourgeoisie. While the animals worked hard with little to show for it, the Joneses drank and slept and lived in luxury on the backs of the animals.

8. What does Mollie do when she is inside the house? How do her actions support our understanding of her character? 

Mollie was already described as having the most trouble understanding the spirit of Animalism and asking “the stupidest questions of all,” such as if they would still have sugar after the Rebellion. Mollie is found in the best bedroom; festooned with one of Mrs. Jones’s ribbons, she is admiring herself in the mirror. Her behavior confirms our understanding that she is shallow and only concerned with material comforts.

9. What is the original name of the farm, and what new name do the animals give it? What does changing the name of the farm signify? 

After the successful Rebellion, the animals change the name of their home from “Manor Farm” to “Animal Farm,” painting the words on the gate. The change not only signifies that the farm now belongs to the animals, but also connotes a class distinction as well; the farm is under the control of the majority, rather than the Joneses, who lived in comparative luxury in the “manor,” the farmhouse.

10. What are the Seven Commandments that make up the “unalterable law by which all the animals on Animal Farm must live for ever after”? 

Snowball, with the help of Squealer, paints commandments on the wall of the barn. They dictate that “whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy” while beings that travel on four or have wings are friends. Animals are forbidden to wear clothes, sleep in a bed, drink alcohol, or kill any other animal. The last says, “All animals are equal.”

11. After the pigs milk the cows, Chapter II concludes with the animals marching down to the hayfield to begin bringing in the crops. When they return, “it was noticed that the milk had disappeared.” What do we infer happened to the milk? What effect do the language used and the placement of this mystery at the end of the chapter have on the reader? 

Napoleon tells the other animals to disregard the milk, literally placing himself between the others and the buckets. He says the harvest is more important, implying that he will sacrifice and deal with the milk for them. Snowball then leads the animals away. While the reader clearly infers the milk was taken by the pigs, the passive construction of the sentence, “it was noticed that the milk had disappeared,” alerts the reader that the animals do not make the same negative inference about their fellow animals. The drama created at the end of the chapter foreshadows the widening inequality between the pigs and the other animals as the novel progresses.

12. To this point in the book, explain the attributes that make Animal Farm a fable, or a story or narrative intended to teach a lesson, especially one in which animal characters are given human attributes. 

At this point, all of the primary characters in Animal Farm are animals. They think, talk, emote, and behave like humans in nearly every way except when they are limited by the configurations of their bodies. (For example, the pigs milk the cows using their trotters and write with some difficulty because they lack thumbs.) In the beginning of the novel, Old Major lays out a clear vision for an ideal society in which animals are free, not used by humans. Mr. Jones appears to mistreat the animals, eliciting empathy from the reader for the animals. At this point, the author appears to be teaching the readers a story about injustice and equality.

ELEMENTS OF PROSE FICTION

There are five elements of fiction:

  *Plot

  *Characterization

  *Theme

  *Setting

  *Point of View

 

 

Plot

The sequence of incidents or events through which an author constructs a story.  *The plot is not merely the action itself, but the way the author arranges the action toward a specific end (structure).

Important elements of Plot: *Conflict- A clash of actions, ideas, desires, or wills

Types of Conflict:  Person vs. Person, Person vs. Environment, Person vs. Self.

*Protagonist- The central character in a conflict

*Antagonist- Any force arranged against the protagonist- whether persons, things, conventions of society, or the protagonists own personality traits.

*Suspense- The quality in a story that makes readers ask “what’s going to happen next?”.  In more literary forms of fiction the suspense involves more “why” than “what”. Usually produced through two devices; either mystery (an unusual set of circumstances for which the reader craves an explanation) or dilemma (a position in which a character must choose between two courses of action, both undesirable.)

Characterization

Characters are presented in two different ways- directly and indirectly

.•Direct Presentation- The reader is told straight out what the character is like

.•Indirect Presentation- The author shows the character through their actions; the reader determines what the character is like by what they say or do

Types of Characters

  * Flat Characters- Usually have one or two predominant traits.  The character can be summed up in just a few lines.

  *Round Characters- Complex and many faceted; have the qualities of real people. 

  * Stock Characters- A type of flat character.  The type of character that appears so often in fiction the reader recognizes them right away.

  *Static Character-  A character that remains essentially the same throughout.

Theme

The theme of a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its central insight. It is the unifying generalization about life stated or implied by the story.

*Theme does not equal “moral”, “lesson”, or “message”.

Theme is the central and unifying concept of a story.  Therefore it accounts for all the major details of the story, is not contradicted by any detail of the story, and cannot rely upon supposed facts.

Setting.

The setting of a story is its overall context- where, when and in what circumstances the action occurs.

Setting as Place- The physical environment where the story takes place. The description of the environment often points towards its importance.

Setting as Time-  Includes time in all of its dimensions.  To determine the importance, ask, “what was going on at that time?”

Setting as Cultural Context-  Setting also involves the social circumstances of the time and place.  Consider historical events and social and political issues of the time.

Point of View.

Point of View is simply who is telling the story. *To determine POV ask, “who is telling the story”, and “how much do they know?”

Omniscient POV- The story is told in third person by a narrator who has unlimited knowledge of events and characters.

Third Person Limited POV- The story is told in third person but from the view point of a character in the story.  POV is limited to the character’s perceptions and shows no direct knowledge of what other characters are thinking, feeling, or doing.

 First Person POV- The author disappears into one of the characters.  Shares the limitations of third person limited.  Uses the pronouns “I” and “we”.

Second Person POV-  Uses the pronoun “you”.  Infrequentl

WELCOME

Welcome gentlemen, to my third form English blog.

Exams are just around the corner, so this is an aide to your studying.

REVISION

Chapter 10 – The Maternal Instinct


Description

Laura – She has a face like the top of a motor – car battery. She was a little more than plump. Laura was vivacious, always gay and kind. Had a habit of using curse words with the children. She is also very abusive to one of her baby’s father who stayed around the longest, Nathaniel.

Values and Attitudes

Dislike for Nathaniel Though the men of Miguel Street agree that a woman should be beaten occasionally, they despise Nathaniel because of his contempt for women. “But what really sickened us was his attitude towards women. We were none of us chivalrous, but Nathaniel had a contempt for women which we couldn’t like. He would make rude remarks when women passed.”

Education Laura values education. She wanted her children to live a better life than she did. “It have nothing like education in the world. I don’t want my children to grow like me.”

Lesson Learnt: Children live what they learn. Laura lived a life of just making babies. She seemed very happy but deep down she was not. We realize this by the way she reacts to the news that Lorna was having a baby. Lorna obviously did not realize that her mother would be so distraught since this is what she was use to.

Theme

Appearance vs. Reality Nathaniel pretended that he was the one beating Laura. It later became evident to everyone that Laura was beating him.

Laura seemed happy but we know deep down that she was not since she does not want any of her children to follow in her footsteps. She said it was better for Lorna to have died than to live a life like hers.

Concept of Masculinity Nathaniel feels that he has to lie about beating Laura.

Women in Society Despite the fact that Laura seems powerless because she has so many children for different men, like Ms. Morgan we see that she has the upper hand of her man.

Chapter 11- The Blue Cart

Description

Hat – wise, talkative, knowledgeable, encouraging

Eddoes – Proud, man of leisure, hygienic, responsible, opportunist. He was a thin man

Narrator – impressionable, ambitious

Boyee – inquisitive, a joker, insensitive/ tactless.

Narrator’s Mother – jealous, harsh, likes scenery art.

Values and Attitudes

Work - Eddoes seems to value his work – He is very serious / focused when he is on the job. He appreciates the fact that this kind of job allows him the opportunity to collect “material”, which he uses to make extra money.

Education- Again, we see that Mr. Titus Hoyt values education. He started buying books from Eddoes for his new school

Lesson Learnt: If you have the right frame of mind and take your work seriously, no matter what kind of work it is, you will be noticed or recognized. Eddoes was said to take his aristocrat job seriously which got him recognition from both the people of Miguel Street and his employers.


Take advantage of all your opportunities. In the chapter we can see that Eddoes took full advantage of his opportunity to sell garbage and turned it into a business.


Themes

Male Bonding: The theme of male bonding is very important and was shown or highlighted in many sections of the chapter. For example the theme appeared when Eddoes was in trouble due to the baby issues. He went to the men of Miguel Street for advice and encouragement. The men in turn supported him even when they saw the child and realized it wasn’t his.

Concept of

Masculinity: Eddoes seem to reject the common notion that the male is only a sperm “donor”. He accepts his responsibility as a father and takes care of his child, Pleasure.

Women in Society: The women of Miguel Street helped to raise Pleasure, showing how important their role in society is.


Chapter 12 – Love, Love, Love Alone


Description

Mrs. Hereira – Beautiful, seemingly genteel lady, well dressed. The narrator comments that she would have been more in place in an upper class society.

Toni – tall, thin, ugly Portuguese man with sickly looking skin, dirty, the worst dressed person, constantly drunk and smelt of alcohol, abusive.

Narrator’s mother – concerned, independent of men, doesn’t have a good opinion of men, intolerant of spousal abuse.


Values and Attitudes

Women – Toni’s attitude towards women is very negative. There seems to be a trend in the stories where the men constantly beat or treat their wives badly and even if they don’t, they boast about doing so. They do not show any appreciation for them until the women leave.


Lesson Learnt: People of various backgrounds may need your advice and support through hard times. Mrs. Hereira who refuses to leave her husband seeks advice from the narrator’s mom on many occasions. It is evident that the narrators mom is not as highly educated as Mrs. Hereira. This is evident due to the fact the narrator hyper - corrects her speech.


It is perfectly okay to truly love but love should nor force us into a situation where we accept abuse.

Themes

Love / Determination Mrs. Hereira insisted that she loved Toni, insisting that he had many good qualities, despite his persistent abuse. Everyone thought that she was better than him and could not understand how a woman like her could be involved with such a worthless person.


Women in Society - Despite the fact that the narrator’s mother did not know Mrs. Hereria she saw the need to help this woman in crisis. The narrator’s mother took care of Mrs. Hereira the many times she came asking for help after being beaten or threarned by Toni.


Chapter 13 – The Mechanical Genius

Chapter 14 – Caution


Description

Main Character / Bolo - Bolo is tall but not thin. He has a caricature face of sadness. His mouth is curled downward as well as his eyebrows. He has big eyes that are empty of expression. Bolo only laughed in sarcasm. He had a habit of only barbering on Sundays. He also could hold a grudge as shown with the incidents involving the newspaper. At the end we see a case of insanity with Bolo as he thought that all Trinidadians lie when it was him not trusting anyone.

Values and Attitudes

Trinidad - Bolo seems to have a negative attitude towards everything and everyone associated with Trinidad, especially the news papers. He has been deceived so many times before that now he lives an overly cautious life, to the point of paranoia.

The narrator - He seems to value his relationship with the narrator. He even benefits from the relationship by having the narrator check the papers for him when he starts buying sweepstake tickets. Their bond is broken at the end of the chapter.


Lesson Learnt: Something is not always what it appears to be. An example of this can be seen with the housing scam where in the initial stage of the scheme some pictures were taken of people with keys to their new homes. Shortly the man ran off with all the investors’ money.

Never let your emotions get the better of you. Bolo lost his temper and attacked the sub – editor but this did not help in any way a part from feeding his temper.


You should not live your life putting all your trust in something or an individual but you cannot live life without trusting at all.

Themes:

Appearance vs. Reality/

Deception This is shown in Bolo’s life in multiple ways. An instance is when Bolo was tricked by the philanthropist. Another instant is when Bolo thought he was on his way to Venezuela but instead was released in a swamp area.

Bonding Bolo confided in the narrator.

Dreams and Aspiration Bolo wishes to be rich. He aspires towards moving out of Trinidad.

Chapter 15 – Until the Soldiers Came

Description

Edward – artist, had a habit of giving away ties he had decorated, thin initially but he worked out and became muscular.


Edward’s wife – tall, thin, white skinned, looked pale and perpetually unwell, very miserable, suicidal

Values and Attitudes - Edward seems to be after the American dream to the extent that he went and got himself an American wife.

Key Principles You cannot hide from who you really are. Edward dresses American, talks American and distances himself from the Miguel Street by only associating with Americans. He thought this would make him happy but the more he changes is the more miserable he becomes.

Themes:

Change Edward changes his lifestyle. He distances himself from everybody and ends up alone.

Appearance vs. Reality Everybody was of the impression that something was wrong with Edward’s wife why they could not have a child but it was revealed in the end that the problem lied with Edward.

Dreams and Aspiration Edward wants the American dream / to live a prosperous life.

Chapter 16 - Hat

Description of Characters

Hat – jovial, friendly, loves sports, enjoys reading the newspapers, pretentious, violent.

Boyee and

Errol – These two young men are the nephews of Hat who lived with him. They were jovial and always spoke their minds. They often butted into people’s conversations. Hat referred to them as his illegitimate children.

Eddoes - A boastful garbage collector of Miguel Street. He was always boasting about the people he knew. He was a very clean person.


Themes

Women in Society – Although Hat never beats Dolly it is evident that she is made to feel that her place is staying in the home. She left for another man and he almost killed her.

Male Bonding - This theme is shown where Hat rounded up the twelve boys and took them to the cricket match. He treated them to sodas.

We also see where the narrator admits that he suffered with Hat. In fact, the entire community seemed to have shut down when they “lost” Hat. (When Hat left Miguel Street became dull. The club was dead, nobody played cricket anymore and nobody hung out under the lamp – post outside Hat’s house.)

Hat admits that when Edward left the house and when he married, he was negatively affected. It seemed as though he was losing a dear friend.
All the men were present at the court trial in support of their friend.


Change Hat realizes that all the young men are maturing and soon they will be independent, stepping out to start their own lives. He is also not able to accept the fact that Edward has his own family. When he realizes all these changes he becomes more miserable and starts to travel to the city more regularly. He brings back a female, named Dolly with him who seems to be a back – up plan for companionship.

Masculinity Hat pretends to be the father of the 12 boys he takes to the cricket match. This again shows that the men of Miguel Street believe that they will be more highly favoured or they will be seen as great men based on the number of children that they have.

Values and Attitude

Law There seems to be very little regard for Law in Miguel Street. Hat for example, always gets in trouble with the law. He participated in gambling, cockfighting and he was accused of adding water to the milk he sold.

Treatment of Women Although Hat treats his woman well inside the house, he didn’t
introduce her to any of his friends in Miguel Street. He keeps Dolly in the house, leaving her no choice other than to look through the window like a “house rat”. Neighbours saw her a few times and they could say that she is a good- for-nothing . Probably this wouldn’t have been their opinion if she had the opportunity to socialize with them.

Boyee and Errol comment that the house is better now that a woman is there. We are left to assume that they may be saying this due to the fact that a woman is there to provide warm meals, clean etc.(Woman – natural ingredient in the home)

Hat doesn’t seem to appreciate Dolly because he spends most of his time with the boys. We are left to wonder in the end if it was love that drove him to commit the crime or if it was simply the fact that he felt disrespected.