The Battle of the Cowshed (Q2: 9)

Quote: "And so within five minutes of their invasion they were in ignominious retreat by the same way as they had come, with a flock of geese hissing after them and pecking at their calves all the way." (48)

This is describing the end of the Battle of the Cowshed. This battle occurred when Mr. Jones decided to round up a posse from the village and go back up into the farm to take it back. Snowball lead the defense using stratagems acquired from studying Julius Caesar.  

I chose this quote for its use of tone and diction, creating an atmosphere of smug but satisfying victory while using word choice to understate the severity of the defeat that Mr. Jones suffered. 

Analysis: The Battle of the Cowshed is an exiting part of the book, there's fighting, blood, battle, and death. The contents is not what makes it exiting, though. The diction of that part brings the battle to life and makes you excited or nervous for the characters, creating tone. It is significant as a plot point and allegorically. The Red Army was not very well respected until they proved themselves fighting against German fascists in WWII. Mr. Jones could be construed to be a symbol for fascism, based on his cruelty, and total control on pain of death. The Animal Farm has earned the respect of the outside world now, much like the Soviet Union did.