History Fridge / AnimalFarm

* Pigs are the only animals on the farm that have to die to be useful. Benjamin and Boxer and Clover, they pull carts and work hard. Geese and chickens are useful for their eggs (and there is an early fight for their rights to keep some of their eggs and raise the next generation). Gander, male goose, is the first character to die as a victim of the system. Sheep, cows, goats, all produce milk, with sheep producing wool as well. Even cat is catching mice, sparrows and pigeons, which can be understood as guarding the food supply. Dogs protect the farm. Only pigs neither produce anything nor do any useful work.

** Napoleon and Squealer both slowly rewrite the rules of Animalism for their ends. Despite their actions violating the ''spirit'' of Animalism, Napoleon and Squealer get away with their crimes because they manipulate to manipulate ''the letter'' of the law for themselves.

** Censoring "Beasts of England," the song central to the revolution, with a song that celebrates Napoleon, which is also a means by which Napoleon can manipulate the animals into worshipping him even as he betrays them.

* While Mollie manages to enjoy a decent life at another farm, what's going to happen to her once she is inevitably worn out.

* In the film version, why is Jessie so optimistic that the new owners will treat the farm better? Because she's seen first hand that animals (namely pigs) are capable of great evil. Though that would normally leave one cynical, it also taught a [[TheAntiNihilist strangely optimistic]] lesson to Jessie that if animals are capable of great evil, then perhaps humans are also capable of [[HumansAreGood great good]].
* In the film version features a happy ending with Napoleon's regime collapsing. While this might seem a bit cheesy and shoehorned, Napoleon's reign crumbling isn't too farfetched: Jones lost his farm as a consequence of his vices. With Napoleon adopting some of Jones' worse habits, like alcoholism, it is possible that those same vices destroyed Napoleon's health and administrative prowess, [[HistoryRepeats causing the farm to also collapse]].

* Clover's reaction at the end. Orwell didn't say her reaction but we can either assume she's either horrified, completely broken, or both, with all that's happned.

See the [[Headscratchers/AnimalFarm Headscratchers page]].

!Fridge Horror
* Several animals on the farm are obligate carnivores. [[CarnivoreConfusion While the narrative skirts around this for the sake of allegory in the beginning,]] it's not difficult to imagine what became of the bodies of executed animals after things went south.

* Several animals on the farm obligate carnivores. [[CarnivoreConfusion While the narrative skirts around this for the sake a allegory in the beginning,]] it's not difficult to imagine what became of the bodies of executed animals after things went south.

* One of the arguments Old Major uses to rile up the animals against the humans is that they steal their goods from them (milk, eggs, wool, ect.). It's fairly common knowledge that most common farm animals are domesticated and certain critters produce more than they naturally need. For example, cows are able to produce plenty of milk long after their calves are weaned and chickens are able to lay non-fertilized eggs. It's easy for us to understand, but these guys couldn't even read at that point, so how would that know the effects domestication has had on them? Going further, if they did somehow know and fully understand, who's to say they wouldn't go into denial because that's all the more power humans have over them.
** Okay, there's a world of difference between an animal understanding the effects of domestication vs simple observation of a farmer taking products clearly created by the animals. I doubt Old Major's point went any further than 'they take our stuff' and find it extremely unlikely they had or gained any knowledge about the process of domestication. Third point, I haven't the slightest idea if I'm addressing your point as I can't see it in that meandering paragraph.
* Where would the gander who committed suicide in Chapter 8 have gotten those nightshade berries?
** Nightshade is a common enough weed that it probably wouldn't be hard to find some.

** Nightshade is a common enough weed that it probably wouldn't be hard to find some.

!! Fridge Logic

* One of the arguments Old Major uses to rile up the animals against the humans is that they steal their goods from them (milk, eggs, wool, ect.). It's fairly common knowledge that most common farm animals are domesticated and certain critters have evolved to produce more than they naturally need. For example, cows are able to produce plenty of milk long after their calves are weaned and chickens are able to lay non-fertilized eggs. It's easy for us to understand, but these guys couldn't even read at that point, so how would that know the effects domestication has had on them? Going further, if they did somehow know and fully understand, who's to say they wouldn't go into denial because that's all the more power humans have over them.

* One of the arguments Old Major uses to rile up the animals against the humans is that they steal their goods from them (milk, eggs, wool, ect.). It's fairly common knowledge that most common farm animals are domesticated and certain critters have evolved to produce more than they naturally need. For example, cows are able to produce plenty of milk long after their calves are weaned and chickens are able to lay none-fertilized eggs. It's easy for us to understand, but these guys couldn't even read at that point, so how would that know the effects domestication has had on them? Going further, if they did somehow know and fully understand, who's to say they wouldn't go into denial because that's all the more power humans have over them.
** Okay, there's a world of difference between an animal understanding the effects of domestication vs simple observation of a farmer taking products clearly created by the animals. I doubt Old Majors point went any further than 'they take our stuff' and find it extremely unlikely they had or gained any knowledge about the process of domestication. Third point, I haven't the slightest idea if I'm addressing your point as I can't see it in that meandering paragraph.

* Where would the gander who committed suicide in Chapter 8 have gotten those nightshade berries?

* One of the arguments Old Major uses to rile up the animals against the humans is that they steal their goods from them (milk, eggs, wool, ect.). It's fairly common knowledge that most common farm animals are domesticated and certain critters have evolved to produce more than they naturally need. For example, cows are able to produce plenty of milk long after their calves are weaned and chickens are able to lay none-fertilized eggs. It's easy for us to understand, but these guys couldn't even read at that point, so how would that know the effects domestication has had on them? Going further, if they did somehow know and fully understand, who's to say they wouldn't go into denial because that's all the more power humans have over them.

!! Fridge Brilliance