In what ways does Major use rhetoric in his speech and what impact does this have on the animals?

Old Major’s speech aim is persuade and convince the animals that the bad treatment they receive from Mr. Jones must end. His only way of achieving his goal was using rhetorical devices such as contrast, rhetorical questions and tricolon.

The rhetorical questions Old Major use, make the animals think about the suffering conditions they are living because of human treatments. As we can see on page (p5) “And you, hens, how many eggs have you laid in this last year, and how many of those ever hatched into chickens?” This shows how Mr. Jones takes benefit of the products animal provide, for human consumption. In this way Old Major persuades the animals to carry out a rebellion against human because its time that animals be free and work for their own interest.

Old Major use contrast to describe the huge difference between the humans and animals nature. He wants them to realize that humans trained animals to work according only to their interest. “Man serves the interest of no creature except himself. And among us animals let there be perfect unity, perfect comradeship in the struggle” (p6). In this quote Old Major says that the humans only see from their own interest, they don’t care about others besides them, on the other had animals are more united, they put aside their needs and take as a priority the needs of the others.

Tricolon is use to give examples to demonstrate the bad treatment animals receive. He wants that the animals understand that the only animal enemy is the humans, because they take advantage of the animals for their own benefit.  “To that horror we all must come-cows, pigs, hens, sheep, everyone” (p5). In this quotation we can see how Old Major shows them the unfortunate future that awaits to every one of the animals in the farm if they don’t do something to prevent it, as soon as possible.

In brief Old words Major uses the rhetorical devices to encourage the animals to carry out a revolution against humans. He thinks its time that the animals be free and work for their own interest. Humans only look for their interest taking advantages of what animals provide.