Animal Farm Group

Question:

seeny
seeny
Student
High School - 9th Grade

In Animal Farm, why do the dogs try to kill the rats?

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Posted by seeny on Thursday January 1, 2009 at 11:27 PM and tagged with animal farm, characters, dogs, plot, rats, symbolism.

Answers:

  1. parkerlee
    parkerlee Teacher

    eNotes Editor

    The rats are first considered outsiders and enemies since they are wild instead of domesticated. But then the farm animals put it to a vote whether the wild animals are to be considered comrades or not. The vote falls in favour of wild animals, which are also to be considered comrades since they go upon four feet. (At this point the chickens protest until they are told that their wings are appendages of propulsion and therefore are under the category of 'feet.')

    The role of the dogs here is a foreshadowing of their later repressive role under the tyrannical dictatorship of Napoleon, accompanied by political purges and executions.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/animal/summary

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    Posted by parkerlee on Friday January 2, 2009 at 3:05 AM