WRITING ASSIGNMENT 2: ANIMAL FARM
PROMPT: Imagine how Snowball might have run things if he had gotten rid of Napoleon. Would things have been any different? Are there any indications that Snowball’s ideas for running the farm would have proved more beneficial to the animals? Or would things have turned out the same?
Choose one side of the issue (that Snowball would have been a better leader, or that he would not have been) and write an argumentative essay using details from the first five chapters to support your position.
Things I need in my argumentative essay:
- Introductory Statement
- Background Knowledge
- Claim
- Supporting Evidence #1
- Supporting Evidence #2
- Supporting Evidence #3
- Conclusion—Summary of claim and evidence
- Conclusion—Tell me why I should care
- Introductory Statement: This prompt is talking about overthrowing someone in power…I need to reference this work as talking about power.
In Animal Farm by George Orwell, Orwell uses metaphorical events to discuss the abuse of power in early 19th century Russian politics.
- Background knowledge relevant to the essay: I need to give my reader a sense of the power struggle, since the prompt refers to one leader kicking out another leader.
After the animals rebelled against the humans and took over the farm, the pigs naturally assumed the leadership role, which was left open when Mr. Jones was chased off of the farm. While they vowed from the beginning that all animals were equal, the two leaders that emerged, Napoleon and Snowball, soon disputed about everything. Both of them believed they were right and wanted to make decisions regarding the farm. Napoleon ended up chasing Snowball off of the farm with his trained, violent dogs. Once he emerged as the sole leader, he took even more power for himself by abolishing the weekly meetings and by instilling fear in anyone who might disagree with him.
- Transition to My Claim: Now I need to address the hypothetical question about Snowball becoming leader instead of Napoleon.
Had Snowball been the one to drive away Napoleon,
- Supporting Evidence #1:Respond to the following with at least one sentence.
What is my first main point?
Where does it say it in the text? (On page…)
What does this mean?
Wrap it up by saying your first main point again (you may choose to restate it in a different way):
- Supporting Evidence #2:Respond to the following with at least one sentence.
What is my second main point?
Where does it say it in the text? (On page…)
What does this mean?
Wrap it up by saying your second main point again (you may choose to restate it in a different way):
- Supporting Evidence #3:Respond to the following with at least one sentence.
What is my third main point?
Where does it say it in the text? (On page…)
What does this mean?
Wrap it up by saying your third main point again (you may choose to restate it in a different way):
- Conclusion: Summarize what your CLAIM and your three pieces of supporting evidence are.
- Conclusion: Tell me why I should care about what you are saying. For example, what is the bigger picture about power that is being discussed through these animal characters?