Animal Farm Chapter 2 Quotes
How we cite the quotes:
These three had elaborated Old Major's teachings into a complete system of thought, to which they gave the name of Animalism. Several nights a week, after Mr. Jones was asleep, they held secret meetings in the barn and expounded the principles of Animalism to the others. (2.3)
Secret meetings, an "ism" name—yep. Sounds a lot like a religion to us. All it needs is a charismatic leader, and… oh. It has that, too.
The pigs had an even harder struggle to counteract the lies put about by Moses, the tame raven. Moses, who was Mr. Jones's especial pet, was a spy and a tale-bearer, but he was also a clever talker. He claimed to know of the existence of a mysterious country called Sugarcandy Mountain, to which all animals went when they died. It was situated somewhere up in the sky, a little distance beyond the clouds, Moses said. In Sugarcandy Mountain it was Sunday seven days a week, clover was in season all the year round, and lump sugar and linseed cake grew on the hedges. The animals hated Moses because he told tales and did no work, but some of them believed in Sugarcandy Mountain, and the pigs had to argue very hard to persuade them that there was no such place. (2.8)
Lump sugar and linseed cake? We want to go to there! But seriously: why are the pigs trying to convince the animals otherwise? Even if it's not true, there's no harm in believing it—right? Or is there?
Now, as it turned out, the Rebellion was achieved much earlier and more easily than anyone had expected. In past years Mr. Jones, although a hard master, had been a capable farmer, but of late he had fallen on evil days. He had become much disheartened after losing money in a lawsuit, and had taken to drinking more than was good for him. For whole days at a time he would lounge in his Windsor chair in the kitchen, reading the newspapers, drinking, and occasionally feeding Moses on crusts of bread soaked in beer. (2.10)
LOL, Orwell. We're pretty sure—like 99% sure—that the "crusts of bread" and "beer" are a little dig at the Christian rite of communion, when (according to Orthodox tradition) bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. From this perspective, the sacred meal is just a crust of bread soaked in beer. Nice.