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#REDIRECT ] |
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{{afd-mergeto|Animal Farm|Battle of the Windmill (Animal Farm)|23 July 2009}} |
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{{Redirect category shell|1= |
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{{Merge|Animal Farm|date=January 2008}} |
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{{R from merge}} |
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}} |
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{{Infobox Military Conflict |
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|conflict=Battle of the Windmill |
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|partof= |
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|date=Unspecified |
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|place=Napoleon Mill, ] |
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|casus=Construction of ] by Animal Farm<br> |
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Economic survival of Animal Farm |
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|image=<!-- Deleted image removed: ] --> |
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|caption=<small>Cover of 1989 ] edition of ]<small> |
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|result=] Animalist victory<ref>Loraine Saunders, ''The Unsung Artistry of George Orwell'' (2008), 20.</ref><br> |
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Destruction of Napoleon Mill |
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|combatant1= ] Animal Farm |
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|combatant2= ] Pinchfield Farm<br> |
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|commander1= ] |
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|commander2=] |
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|strength1=Unspecified |
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|strength2=Fifteen men |
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|casualties1=One cow, three sheep and two geese dead |
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|casualties2=Three dead, two injured |
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}} |
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{{Campaignbox Animal Farm}} |
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The '''Battle of the Windmill''' is a fictional battle in the ] '']'' by ] that alludes to real-world battles of the French and Russian Revolutions.<ref>Harold Bloom, ''George Orwell'' (2007), 148.</ref><ref>Peter Edgerly Firchow, ''Modern Utopian Fictions from H.G. Wells to Iris Murdoch'' (2008), 102.</ref><ref>Peter Hobley Davison, ''George Orwell'' (1996), 161.</ref> |
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==Description== |
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For two years, the animals of Animal Farm worked to construct a windmill that would help with their work. The first attempt was destroyed by a storm because of its thin walls, but the leader ] claims it was ]d by ]. Finally, the animals completed the windmill. Afterwards, ] made deals with two neighboring farms, Foxwood (led by Mr. Pilkington) and Pinchfield (led by Mr. Frederick). Napoleon accepted a deal with Frederick and sold timber for five ]. Three days later, Napoleon discovered the notes were ]. He immediately ordered a ] on Frederick. |
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The next morning, Frederick and his men arrived with the intent to attack and gain control of the title deeds of Animal Farm. The animals realized that they couldn't win like they did at the ]: there were more men and six had ]s. Napoleon expected that Pilkington would come help, but his ]s delivered a message from Pilkington: "Serves you right." With all the animals frightened, Napoleon and Boxer were unable to rally the others. |
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After advancing to the windmill, Fredrick drilled a hole and placed ]s inside. "All the animals, except Napoleon" took cover; Orwell had the publisher alter this from "All the animals, including Napoleon" in recognition of ]'s decision to remain in Moscow during the German advance.<ref>Joseph Conrad and Paul Kirschner, ''Under Western Eyes'' (1996), 286.</ref> Enraged at the destruction, the animals counterattacked, but sustained heavy ]. After a violent and costly confrontation, Napoleon unleashed his corps of attack dogs; after their attack, the men retreated; however, it came at great cost. |
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==Absence in the film version== |
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The battle is absent in the ]; in the film, Mr. and Mrs. Jones destroyed the windmill themselves. |
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==Significance== |
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Sant Singh Bal describes the battle as one "of the important episodes which constitute the essence of the plot of the novel."<ref>Sant Singh Bal, ''George Orwell'' (1981), 124.</ref> |
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==Interpretations== |
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] |
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Scholars have offered two interpretations of what the fictional battle represents, one seeing the book's events as a parallel to the French Revolution and the other as a parallel of the Russian Revolution. Harold Bloom writes that the "Battle of the Windmill rings a special bell: the repulse of the Duke of Brunswick in 1792, following the Prussian bombardment that made the windmill of ] famous."<ref>Harold Bloom, ''George Orwell'' (2007), 148.</ref> By contrast, Peter Edgerly Firchow and Peter Hobley Davison consider that in real life, with events in ''Animal Farm'' mirroring those in the ], this fictional battle represents the ] (]<ref>Peter Edgerly Firchow, ''Modern Utopian Fictions from H.G. Wells to Iris Murdoch'' (2008), 102.</ref>), especially the ] and the ].<ref>Peter Hobley Davison, ''George Orwell'' (1996), 161.</ref> |
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==Use in educational assignments== |
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Prestwick House's ''Activity Pack'' for ''Animal Farm'' also identifies the Battle of the Windmill as an allegory for World War II, while noting that the "catalyst for the Battle of the Windmill, though, is less clear."<ref>George Orwell, ''Animal Farm - Activity Pack'' (Prestwick House, Inc., 2004), T-3, T-23, S-23.</ref> |
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==See also== |
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* The real-life ], which took place in 19th-century ]. |
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==References== |
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<references/> |
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{{Animal Farm}} |
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] |
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] |
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