What are five main points of Major's speech in Animal Farm?

In s
allegorical novel , , an aging pig at the end of his life, presents an
emotional call to action to his fellow farm animals. In his speech, Major presents a clear
enemymanand explains that to overcome this enemy, the animals must be prepared to revolt. Majors
speech is effective because he uses many of the rhetorical devices and structures observed in
political speeches.

Major realizes he is suggesting the unthinkable to his
animal colleagues, so he spends time throughout his speech developing his credibility. It is
important that those listening believe that he has the background to bring forth these
suggestions. The fact that the animals stop to listen to him speak allows us insight into the
credibility that already exists. Major develops this by explaining to the crowd of listeners
that he has had a long life . . . had much time for thought and understand[s] the nature of
life on this earth as well as any animal now living. Because of his age and the wisdom he has
gained because of it, he points out to the audience that he is someone to be listened to and his
proposal is one to be taken seriously.

Pointing out that he has had a long
life also suggests that he feels that he is at the end of his life and therefore needs to pass
on his knowledge to the next generation. This leads to Majors claim that all the animals are
forced to have torturous lives full of labor and pain. He asks the farm animals to reflect on
their lives:

You cows that I see before me, how many
thousands of gallons of milk have you given during this last year? And what has happened to that
milk . . . ? And you hens, how many eggs have you laid in this last year, and how many of those
eggs ever hatched into chickens? . . . And you, Clover, where are those four foals you bore . .
.?

Each question leads the animals to his next point,
that their lives are all so bad because of one undeniable reason: man.

Majors
main claim throughout the speech is that man's rule must end. Because man consumes without
producing, he must be overthrown, leaving the animals to live their own lives. Major paints man
as evil and tyrannical leader who only cares about what the animals produce for him and not
about the animals themselves. He cares about the milk from the cows and the eggs from the
chickens but not the cows and chickens that work to produce these goods for him.

Majors claims about man lead the farm animals to realize the unfairness of their lives
on the farm; thus, helping sway them to his argument and helping to convince them a change must
occur.

Finally, Majors speech presents a new type of life for the animals on
the farm: animalism. Major suggests that if the animals can take over control of the means of
production, they wont need a man and so they will be able to have the power and control over
their world. He wants them to imagine a better lifea life under animal control instead of the
current way of life under human control. He believes animalism is the answer to all their
problems and uses his speech to inspire them to stand up and revolt against the current
system.