The Character Of Benjamin The Donkey And His Skepticism Of...

For my reflective piece I chose to explore the character of Benjamin the donkey and his skepticism of things changing for the better. I chose to do this by writing a short story, telling one of the key scenes from Animal Farm from Benjamin s perspective. The reason I chose to write this is because even from the start of Animal Farm I have been interested in the character of Benjamin, and in how he must have felt for, although it could be argued he was right be skeptical, the realisation must have been, at the least, bittersweet. The piece is intended for people who have read Animal Farm completely. As he worked in the fields, weeding turnips, Benjamin supposed that he was a donkey. Although true as a purely physical statement, it was also where he suspected his continual skepticism came from. He admitted that things had taken a downturn since Snowball had been driven out but even in the early days of the rebellion, when everyone had been hopeful and optimistic, had he been a cynic, not to mention the 30 years beforehand. So far, with Boxer injured and Napoleon s growing indulgences, he believed himself to be justified. Things may change, for better or for worse, but they will always change back. Benjamin said to himself. A lesson from his father. As he pondered, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of light. He frowned. One of the few signs of Benjamin s age was his degrading eyesight. Even so, there appeared to be something moving down the