Teaching Animal Farm to ninth graders is usually one of my favorite tasks as an educator. George Orwell’s novel has many qualities that attract students, especially the idea of rebellion. Overthrowing the current authorities is always a popular idea for teenagers to read about. Students usually relate well with the animal characters, such as the hard-working Boxer and the flirtatious Mollie.
I have also used the book to introduce minor concepts that usually do not get presented in actual context. Obviously I use the book to teach allegory, since its main purpose is to serve as a symbol of the success and failure of the Bolshevik Revolution. Each character also serves as a symbol for a prominent figure in the Russian conflict, such as Napoleon representing Josef Stalin and farmer Jones serving as Tsar Nicholas II.
Another minor concept that students can acquire is the epitaph. I use the epitaph as a chance for students to write an expression, or poem, about something most of them think deeply of, the idea of death.
The opportunity comes when the popular character Boxer is injured and cannot stand. The pig leaders claim he was sent to a veterinary hospital, but the animals realized too late their comrade had instead been taken away to the knacker, to be boiled down for glue.
At this point in the novel I introduce the concept of epitaphs. I read several examples to the students, including my favorite one:
Remember friend as you walk by
As you are now so once was I
As I am now you will surely be
Prepare thyself to follow me.
Many good examples of epitaphs can be found on the web. My favorite one is at www.alsirat.com/epitaphs, where I found the anonymous one cited above.
Once I read a few of the serious ones and some of the more humorous ones, I distribute a paper tombstone to each student. Then the class can begin to write their own epitaphs to the beloved horse Boxer.
The first step is to write a rough draft on a separate sheet of paper before entering their epitaphs onto the tombstone. The first guideline is that the epitaph must contain at least four lines, and two of them must rhyme. The epitaph must also say something about Boxer, though it does not have to include his name.
Students usually create very good epitaphs. Some are depressing, and some make me chuckle. I usually display their completed tombstones or epitaphs on the bulletin board beneath an illustration of Boxer.
I have a few samples from my classes from the week before spring break this year. Nathaniel from English 9B wrote “In loving memory of Boxer/ the stronger but not smarter/The pigs sent you to the vet/But we know it was the horse slaughterer.”
I also enjoyed the one by Tranae from English 9B. She wrote “He was so strong/His alphabet wasn’t very long/He knew right from wrong/He always loved that ‘Beasts of England’ song.”
By studying the concept of epitaphs, students also further their developments in poetry and word choice. I have found the activity to be an excellent practice for aiding writing skills at the high school level.
