Animal Farm Group

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a12345
a12345
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In Chapter 10 of Animal Farm, why is it that Boxer, for all his superb contributions, is now forgotten?

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Posted by a12345 on Monday December 29, 2008 at 4:41 PM and tagged with animal farm, boxer, chapter 10, characters.

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  1. ms-mcgregor Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Many the animals that were part of the original revolution are dead except for Benjamin and Clover. The other animals only have stories they hear by word-of mouth. In addition, Squealer's constant rewriting of history has left the older animals confused about the real facts. Since Squealer and the pigs control the writing of history and they have obviously kept Boxer out of the history books and Napoleon has now been credited with much of the work that Boxer did. In fact, all the commandments are now boiled down to “ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS.”

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/animal/
    http://www.enotes.com/animal/chapter-x-summary-analysis
    http://www.enotes.com/animal/other-characters

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    Posted by ms-mcgregor on Monday December 29, 2008 at 6:12 PM


  2. timbrady Teacher
    College - Senior

    eNotes Editor

    The essence of Orwell's vision of Animal Farm is that the past does not exist; in fact, it does not.  If it did, we could visit it and answer many of the questions that so tantalize us today.  One of the things we have to do to control the past is to rid the present of the memory of the past's "heroes" if they are not compatible with our present vision.  Although Boxer might be a good hero for the present because of his slavish and mindless devotion to the "ideals" of the farm, there is a danger in the present animals being made aware of the end that his loyal service brought him to (although this could probably have been taken care of as easily as the commandment were rewritten).   As Orwell says in "1984," "Who controls the present, controls the past; who controls the past, controls the future."

    Goodbye Boxer.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/animal/chapter-x-summary-analysis

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    Posted by timbrady on Monday December 29, 2008 at 7:07 PM