This sentence is lopsided, as if it is a see-saw holding children of unequal weight. If the conjunction “but” acts as a fulcrum for the quote and the two remaining clauses act as the opposite sides of the seesaw, the use of syllable count helps to distinguish the imbalance; the first clause has a total of 7 syllables while the second clause has a total of 11 syllables. The second clause has greater weight, not only in terms of syllable count but through also suggesting the greater authority and importance of “some animals” present in the story. Furthermore, Orwell’s use of oxymora also helps to depict the contradictory nature of the quote; if the first clause is true, then the second clause of the sentence would be deemed incorrect, as it
