We had a pretty in-depth and interesting discussion today. Because we didn't have enough time last class, we needed to wrap-up Animal Farm today. Specifically, I asked that you all reflect on the connections between issues, situations, and themes in Animal Farm and how they relate to today's political environment.
To get this all started, we brainstormed a list of connections that could be included in your reflection. This is what we came up with:
-People cannot choose to be apathetic (showing no concern) about government, like Benjamin, because we need too hear criticisms of government to help keep it in check
-Our heroes, like Boxer, cannot blindly support our government. Sometimes authority does need to be questioned
-When people have power, they can grow to abuse their power, like Napoleon does in AF
-Power has the potential to change people, like Napoleon physically changing himself from a pig to a human by the end of the book
-Our youth, like the dogs, needs to have a balanced education and not be subjected to outright propaganda by their governments and/or leaders
I was impressed with the depth of the connections you made between the text and our world. After we discussed and brainstormed, you all wrote a three to five paragraph essay addressing the question: How does Animal Farm relate to our current political environment?
