Animal Farm Activity Pack

by Peter Cigrovski

VOCABULARY – CHAPTERS 1–3

The tasks below focus on some of the words that appear in Chapters 1–3. To do all the exercises, you
may need to consult a dictionary. 5
Match the words from the box with their definitions.
benevolent to ensconce dignity enmity vivacious pellet trotter
1 ____________
1 a small hard ball or tube-shaped piece of any substance
2 a pig’s foot (eps. when used for food) 2 ____________
3 the quality or state of deserving respect, esp. because of being controlled, 3 ____________
serious and calm
4 ____________
4 (a) feeling of hate
5 kind and helpful 5 ____________
6 to place (yourself) firmly in a particular place for a length of time 6 ____________
7 (esp. of a woman or girl) attractively full of energy and enthusiasm 7 ____________

Form new words from those provided in brackets.

1 A nice, ____________________ old woman runs the hostel, and I’m sure she’d make you a
packed lunch if you asked her. (MOTHER)
2 I think she takes a rather ____________________ view of men. (CYNIC)
3 A day came when she couldn’t tolerate his cruelty anymore – she took a knife and stabbed her
____________________. (TORMENT)
4 This, the president promised us, was a war against ____________________. (TYRANT)
5 A country’s future ____________________ depends, to an extent, upon the quality of education
of its people. (PROSPER)

Use the words from the box in the below sentences.

to shirk literate obvious acute maxim

1 He often preaches the ____________________ of ‘use it or lose it’.

2 He was a brilliant inventor, but he needed a financially ____________________ partner to help
him develop his business.
3 They do have a small child, and so for ____________________ reasons they need to find work as
soon as possible.
4 If you ____________________ your responsibilities/duties now, the situation will just be that
much harder to deal with next month. (= avoid)
5 She was taken to hospital suffering from ____________________ abdominal pains.

5
the example sentences have been taken or adopted from Cambridge International Dictionary of English

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Animal Farm Activity Pack
by Peter Cigrovski

VOCABULARY – CHAPTERS 4–6

The tasks below focus on some of the words that appear in Chapters 4–6. To do all the exercises, you
may need to consult a dictionary. 6
Match the words from the box with their definitions.
shrewd impromptu articulate quarry perpetually to flourish prophecy

1 able to express, or expressing, thoughts and feelings easily and clearly

1 ____________
2 to grow or develop successfully
3 a statement that says what is going to happen in the future, esp. one which is 2 ____________
based on what you believe about a particular matter rather than existing facts 3 ____________
4 a large artificial hole in the ground where stone, sand, etc. is dug out of the
4 ____________
ground for use as building material
5 continuing forever in the same way 5 ____________
6 possessing or based on clear understanding and good judgment of a 6 ____________
situation, resulting in an advantage 7 ____________
7 done or said without earlier planning or preparation

Form new words from those provided in brackets.

1 The UN General Assembly ____________________ adopted a treaty making hostage-taking an

international crime. (UNANIMITY)
2 “What do you think of his songs?” “The tunes are great, but I can’t stand the
____________________ of his lyrics.” (SENTIMENTAL)
3 The fight for the leadership gave a fascinating insight into the group’s ____________________
(= forces that produce change in the group). (DYNAMIC)
4 They demand unquestioning ____________________ from every follower. (OBEY)
5 They reacted with shock and ____________________ to the charge of cheating. (INDIGNANT)
6 The government has brutally crushed the ____________________. (REBEL)
7 She was renowned for her ____________________ and beauty. (ELOQUENT)

Use the words from the box in the below sentences.

unintelligible faction to emerge to and fro

1 They ____________________ from the bushes looking rather embarrassed.

2 She was so upset that what she said was completely ____________________.
3 She was gazing out the window, rocking rhythmically ____________________.
4 The party split on that issue and is now in danger of breaking into two or more ________________.

6
the example sentences have been taken or adopted from Cambridge International Dictionary of English

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Animal Farm Activity Pack
by Peter Cigrovski

VOCABULARY – CHAPTERS 7–8

The tasks below focus on some of the words that appear in Chapters 7–8. To do all the exercise, you
may need to consult a dictionary. 7
Match the words from the box with their definitions.
to mangle pretext fortnight privy to to fall short (of) to abolish to hoist

1 to end (an activity, custom, etc.) officially

1 ____________
2 to lift something heavy, usually using ropes
2 ____________
3 a pretended reason for doing something that is used to hide the real reason
3 ____________
4 to fail to reach a desired amount or standard and is disappointing
4 ____________
5 a period of two weeks
5 ____________
6 to destroy (something) by twisting it with force or tearing it into pieces so
6 ____________
that its original form is completely changed
7 ____________
7 to be aware of or knowing about (something secret)

Form new words from those provided in brackets.

1 I’m very ____________________ of your new coat – it’s lovely. (ENVY)

2 The quality of the light provided the ____________________ for the painting. (INSPIRE)
3 Some people think to succeed in this world you have to act ____________________. (RUTHLESS)
4 He claims that he is completely devoted to his children and yet it is ____________________ (=
clearly) not the case. (MANIFEST)
5 Snow and ice in the south-east has left many roads ____________________, and motorists are
warned to drive slowly. (TREACHERY)

Use the words from the box in the below sentences.

to collaborate scoundrel to decree unscathed machinations to muzzle

1 They ____________________ an end to discrimination on grounds of age.

2 Her husband died in the accident and she, amazingly, escaped ____________________ .
3 A German company ____________________ with a Swiss firm to develop the product.
4 He’s an absolute ____________________ – he took our antique vase to get it valued and we
haven’t seen him since.
5 Despite a commitment to more open government, the public are still being kept in the dark
about the inner ____________________ of the Cabinet.
6 The new Secrecy Act will ____________________ the media and the opposition (= prevent them
from expressing independent opinions).

7
the example sentences have been taken or adopted from Cambridge International Dictionary of English

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Animal Farm Activity Pack
by Peter Cigrovski

VOCABULARY – CHAPTERS 9–10

The tasks below focus on some of the words that appear in Chapters 9 and 10. To do all the exercise,
you may need to consult a dictionary.8
Match the words from the box with their definitions.
complicity superannuated particulars desperation suspicious indignant

1 involvement in a crime or some activity that is wrong

1 ____________
2 distrustful
2 ____________
3 single parts or details of something
3 ____________
4 angry because of something which is wrong or not fair
4 ____________
5 the feeling that you have when you are in such a bad situation that you are
willing to take risks in order to change it 5 ____________
6 no longer suitable for work or use 6 ____________

Form new words from those provided in brackets.

1 There was nothing in his ____________________ that suggested that he was anxious. (DEMEAN)
2 So many people nowadays are obsessed with the ____________________ of wealth. (CREATE)
3 The 1930s was a time of high unemployment and economic ____________________ in much of
the United Kingdom. (HARD)
4 The agency sent a ____________________ for the secretary who resigned. (REPLACE)
5 He drew attention to the ____________________ (= lack) of (any) concrete evidence against the
defendant. (ABSENT)
6 Checking the entire report for mistakes was a ____________________ business. (LABOUR)

Use the words from the box in the below sentences.

to lament to make a point of orchard insufficient limb

1 She ____________________ keeping all her shopping receipts. (= you always do it or you take
particular care to do it)
2 They have a large estate, part of which is also an apple ____________________ where they grow
the organic apples.
3 If you are out on a ____________________ , you have an opinion which is different from most
people’s and unpopular.
4 There was ____________________ money to fund the tour, which is why it had to be cancelled.
5 My grandmother, as usual, ____________________ the decline in moral standards in today’s
society.

8
the example sentences have been taken or adopted from Cambridge International Dictionary of English

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Animal Farm Activity Pack
by Peter Cigrovski

CHAPTERS 1–3: THEMATIC ANALYSIS (HIGHER LEVEL)

THEME 1: HIERACHY AND SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

Very early on in the novella10, the reader establishes that there is an inherent hierarchy among the
farm animals. Unwittingly, they occupy certain positions around Old Major, which indicates the
animals’ natural (inborn, inherent) tendency to social stratification. Observe the way the farm
animals gather around Old Major when he is giving his speech.

Who seems to be more important than the others; why? Write down the animals from the most to
the least important, depending on where they sit.

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

What can we establish about the relationship among the animals from the passage below?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

At one end of the big barn, on a sort of raised platform, Major was already ensconced on his
bed of straw, under a lantern which hung from a beam. He was twelve years old and had
lately grown rather stout, but he was still a majestic-looking pig, with a wise and benevolent
appearance in spite of the fact that his tushes had never been cut. Before long the other
animals began to arrive and make themselves comfortable after their different fashions. First
came the three dogs, Bluebell, Jessie, and Pincher, and then the pigs, who settled down in the
straw immediately in front of the platform. The hens perched themselves on the window-sills,
the pigeons fluttered up to the rafters, the sheep and cows lay down behind the pigs and
began to chew the cud. The two cart-horses, Boxer and Clover, came in together, walking very
slowly and setting down their vast hairy hoofs with great care lest there should be some small
animal concealed in the straw. Clover was a stout motherly mare approaching middle life,
who had never quite got her figure back after her fourth foal. Boxer was an enormous beast,
nearly eighteen hands high, and as strong as any two ordinary horses put together. A white
stripe down his nose gave him a somewhat stupid appearance, and in fact he was not of first-
rate intelligence, but he was universally respected for his steadiness of character and
tremendous powers of work. After the horses came Muriel, the white goat, and Benjamin, the
donkey. Benjamin was the oldest animal on the farm, and the worst tempered. He seldom
talked, and when he did, it was usually to make some cynical remark — for instance, he would
say that God had given him a tail to keep the flies off, but that he would sooner have had no
tail and no flies. Alone among the animals on the farm he never laughed. If asked why, he
would say that he saw nothing to laugh at. Nevertheless, without openly admitting it, he was
devoted to Boxer; the two of them usually spent their Sundays together in the small paddock
beyond the orchard, grazing side by side and never speaking. (Chapter 1)

10
Note that Animal Farm has been classified by different literary critics as a short novel, an allegorical novel, a novella and
even a political fable. Indeed, due to its relative brevity, limited number of (animal) characters, one central event but an
extended temporal frame and direct socio-political references, Animal Farm defies any clear-cut genre classification. For the
purpose of our lessons, however, we will use the term novella, since the work features many characteristics of this genre: it
focuses on one central event and its consequences (animal revolution) and has a limited number of flat characters that
undergo virtually no development who represent classes of people rather than individuals.

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Animal Farm Activity Pack
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Very quickly, the author hints at a possible reason why the stratification into individual strata (social
classes) takes places.

Identify (underline) this reason on the basis of the following passage.

What is the other farm animals’ attitude to this division of roles?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

They did not know when the Rebellion predicted by Major would take place, they had no
reason for thinking that it would be within their own lifetime, but they saw clearly that it was
their duty to prepare for it. The work of teaching and organising the others fell naturally upon
the pigs, who were generally recognised as being the cleverest of the animals. (Chapter 2)

and

But the pigs were so clever that they could think of a way round every difficulty. As for the
horses, they knew every inch of the field, and in fact understood the business of mowing and
raking far better than Jones and his men had ever done. The pigs did not actually work, but
directed and supervised the others. With their superior knowledge it was natural that they
should assume the leadership. (Chapter 2)

THEME 2: THE IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE

Much of Orwell’s work emphasises how language can be used as a tool of persuasion, manipulation
and, ultimately, oppression. In the novella, many (political) speeches are delivered by the pigs,
underlining the idea of how a skilful orator may influence his listeners.

Here’s a list of the most important orators in the book. How would you assess their rhetorical skills,
from the most to the least skilful (4–1)? Why?

Old Major Napoleon Snowball Squealer

Already in the first three chapters, the reader can detect a shift in the pigs’ rhetoric when addressing
the farm animals. Compare the three snippets below. How do they compare in terms of:

lexical choice,
use of other elements of persuasion (e.g. using the element of fear/humour, reaffirming the idea
of a collective/classes, etc.)
the role of man,
the aim of the speech.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

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Animal Farm Activity Pack
by Peter Cigrovski

OLD MAJOR Now, comrades, what is the nature of this life of ours? Let us face it: our lives are
miserable, laborious, and short. We are born, we are given just so much food as will keep the
breath in our bodies, and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom
of our strength; and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are
slaughtered with hideous cruelty. No animal in England knows the meaning of happiness or
leisure after he is a year old. No animal in England is free. The life of an animal is misery and
slavery: that is the plain truth. (Chapter 1)

SNOWBALL ‘A bird’s wing, comrades,’ he said, ‘is an organ of propulsion and not of
manipulation. It should therefore be regarded as a leg. The distinguishing mark of man is the
hand, the instrument with which he does all his mischief.’ (Chapter 3)

SQUEALER ‘Comrades!’ he cried. ‘You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a
spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them
myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. /…/ It is for your sake
that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs
failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! (Chapter 3)

THEME 3: TERROR/VIOLENCE AND REBELLION

The idea of the rebellion and the actual act of the animals revolting against their human masters is
fuelled by Jones’s mismanagement of the farm and his men’s maltreatment of the animals. Read the
passage below and establish how the rebellion comes about. What is the role of violence in this
passage?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________
11
The next moment he and his four men were in the store-shed with whips in their hands,
lashing out in all directions. This was more than the hungry animals could bear. With one
accord, though nothing of the kind had been planned beforehand, they flung themselves
upon their tormentors. Jones and his men suddenly found themselves being butted and
kicked from all sides. (Chapter 2)

THEME 4: THE ROLE OF EDUCATION

In Chapter 2, the reader establishes that the pigs have taught themselves to read and write:
The pigs now revealed that during the past three months they had taught themselves to read
and write from an old spelling book which had belonged to Mr. Jones’s children and which
had been thrown on the rubbish heap.

How does the pigs’ secrecy tie in with the idea of equality? How may this foreshadow the future
events in the novella?

__________________________________________________________________________________

11
Pay attention to the motif of a whip which recurs throughout the novella, most notably in Chapter 10. The motif of a
whip becomes a symbol of oppression.

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Animal Farm Activity Pack
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In the spirit of the revolution, Snowball starts organising a number of Committees, the aim of which
is to make the work on Animal Farm more efficient. While most of these projects prove futile, the
reading and writing classes are successful, with most of the animals attaining some degree of
literacy. Answer the questions based on Chapter 3:

which animals prove to be the quickest/slowest students and why;

why are the Seven Commandments reduced to a single maxim; who learns it by heart;
why does Napoleon take the nine new-born puppies into seclusion?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

In the novella, this will not be the only time Napoleon makes himself responsible for a number of
new-born animals. This motif will be used again and will underline the idea of education
(brainwashing) and, furthermore, segregation.

THEME 5: THE ROLE OF RELIGION

In Chapter 2, the reader learns that that Moses, the raven, spreads the notion of Sugarcandy
Mountain. Based on the passage below, answer the questions.

What is the role of Sugarcandy Mountain in the animals’ lives? Why do the pigs consider the raven’s
idea as counter-revolutionary?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
The pigs had an even harder struggle to counteract the lies put about by Moses, the tame
raven. Moses, who was Mr. Jones’s especial pet, was a spy and a tale-bearer, but he was also
a clever talker. He claimed to know of the existence of a mysterious country called
Sugarcandy Mountain, to which all animals went when they died. It was situated somewhere
up in the sky, a little distance beyond the clouds, Moses said. In Sugarcandy Mountain it was
Sunday seven days a week, clover was in season all the year round, and lump sugar and
linseed cake grew on the hedges. The animals hated Moses because he told tales and did no
work, but some of them believed in Sugarcandy Mountain, and the pigs had to argue very
hard to persuade them that there was no such place. (Chapter 2)

How does the pigs’ attitude to Sugarcandy Mountain compare to Karl Marx’s (1818–1883) famous
quote on religion below?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest
against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless
12
world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.

12
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_of_the_people

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Animal Farm Activity Pack
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CHAPTERS 5–6: THEMATIC ANALYSIS (HIGHER LEVEL)

THEME 1: DISINTEGRATION OF DEMOCRACY

The novella explores the dichotomy of two opposing types of government: democracy vs.
dictatorship. In Chapter 5, the reader learns how the group of animals, after celebrating their victory
over man, start to form a functional society where, however, the pigs start to assume power on
account of their natural intelligence:
It had come to be accepted that the pigs, who were manifestly cleverer than the other
animals, should decide all questions of farm policy, though their decisions had to be ratified
by a majority vote. (Chapter 5)

What kind of ‘government’ does Animal Farm represent before Napoleon’s seizure of power? Is
democracy even possible?

__________________________________________________________________________________

Indeed, Snowball represents the benevolent leader who believes in the greater good of the entire
society, yet there are hints that he too might not follow the Seven Commandments as faithfully as
one would expect. Why? What do you learn from the passage below?

__________________________________________________________________________________
Snowball did not deny that to build it would be a difficult business. Stone would have to be
carried and built up into walls, then the sails would have to be made and after that there
would be need for dynamos and cables. (How these were to be procured, Snowball did not
say.) (Chapter 5)

THEME 2: SNOWBALL vs. NAPOLEON

The growing antagonism between Snowball and Napoleon is best exemplified in the passages below.
What kind of leaders do they represent? What are the strengths of each? What does the passage tell
you about the society on Animal Farm?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
These two disagreed at every point where disagreement was possible. /…/ Each had his own
following, and there were some violent debates. At the Meetings Snowball often won over
the majority by his brilliant speeches, but Napoleon was better at canvassing support for
himself in between times. He was especially successful with the sheep. /…/ He [Snowball]
talked learnedly about field drains, silage, and basic slag, and had worked out a complicated
scheme for all the animals to drop their dung directly in the fields, at a different spot every
day, to save the labour of cartage. Napoleon produced no schemes of his own, but said
quietly that Snowball's would come to nothing, and seemed to be biding his time. (Chapter 5)

At one point, Napoleon even urinates on Snowball’s intricate windmill plans. What may this suggest?

__________________________________________________________________________________

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Animal Farm Activity Pack
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Napoleon’s seizure of power, dictatorship

In a coup13, Napoleon seizes power with the help of nine enormous dogs wearing brass-studded
collars. Having driven Snowball off the farm, Napoleon introduces a new form of government. How
does Napoleon’s government differ from the one the animals had before? Was the previous system
really democratic?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
Napoleon, with the dogs following him, now mounted on to the raised portion of the floor
where Major had previously stood to deliver his speech. He announced that from now on the
Sunday-morning Meetings would come to an end. /…/In future all questions relating to the
working of the farm would be settled by a special committee of pigs, presided over by
himself. These would meet in private and afterwards communicate their decisions to the
others. The animals would still assemble on Sunday mornings to salute the flag, sing Beasts of
England, and receive their orders for the week; but there would be no more debates.
(Chapter 5)

Napoleon’s dictatorship heavily relies on the elements below. What’s their function in maintaining
his rule?

element function

dogs

Squealer

sheep

THEME 3: REWRITING HISTORY

Soon after becoming the new leader, Napoleon starts to rewrite history, beginning by changing
Snowball’s role in the course of historical events. How is Snowball’s role changed?

__________________________________________________________________________________
[Squealer] Suppose you had decided to follow Snowball, with his moonshine of windmills —
Snowball, who, as we now know, was no better than a criminal?’ (Chapter 5)

Also, for example, Old Major demanded that animals have no dealings with humans, yet after
Napoleon’s decision to start trading with human neighbours, no one is quite certain such demands
were really made:

13
from Wikipedia: A coup d'état, also known simply as a coup (pronunciation /ˌkuː/), putsch or an overthrow, is the illegal
and overt seizure of a state by the military or other elites within the state apparatus.

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Animal Farm Activity Pack
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[Squealer] ‘Are you certain that this is not something that you have dreamed, comrades?
Have you any record of such a resolution? Is it written down anywhere?’ And since it was
certainly true that nothing of the kind existed in writing, the animals were satisfied that they
had been mistaken. (Chapter 5)

What may be implied with the pigs changing their common history and what does the author suggest
about the way human memory works?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

What evidence is there in the novella that pigs start to change official documents, as well, to modify
the past to suit their own needs?

__________________________________________________________________________________

THEME 4: SNOWBALL THE SCAPEGOAT

Very quickly, it becomes apparent that Napoleon starts strategically to change Snowball’s image who
becomes a scapegoat for any possible thing going wrong on Animal Farm:

‘Comrades,’ he said quietly, ‘do you know who is responsible for this? Do you know the
enemy who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL!’ he suddenly
roared in a voice of thunder. ‘Snowball has done this thing! In sheer malignity, thinking to set
back our plans and avenge himself for his ignominious expulsion, this traitor has crept here
under cover of night and destroyed our work of nearly a year. Comrades, here and now I
pronounce the death sentence upon Snowball. ‘Animal Hero, Second Class,’ and half a bushel
of apples to any animal who brings him to justice. A full bushel to anyone who captures him
alive!’ The animals were shocked beyond measure to learn that even Snowball could be guilty
of such an action. (Chapter 6)

Underline the sentence that signals that the animals have already been convinced of Snowball’s
wrongdoings.

THEME 5: STUPIDITY OF COMMON PEOPLE

As is the case with many other animal characters, Boxer stands for an entire category of people – the
ordinary and uneducated lot who can be easily manipulated. It is no coincidence then that Orwell
gives Boxer ‘a stupid appearance, and in fact he was not of first-rate intelligence’ (Chapter 1). Loyal,
obedient and highly disciplined, Boxer adopts two maxims he lives by: ‘Napoleon is always right’ and
‘I will work harder’. Never doubting Napoleon’s words, his faith in his leader is unwavering. Also, pay
attention to the frequent references to animals’ intelligence, e.g. in learning the alphabet, in (not)
remembering the past or in taking Squealer’s words at face value. What message was the author
trying to convey?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

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Animal Farm Activity Pack
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If Boxer represents the ignorant working class, who does Mollie, with her affinity for sugar and
ribbons, represent?

__________________________________________________________________________________

THEME 6: CONFLUENCE OF THE HUMAN AND THE ANIMAL WORLD

Even though the goal of Animalism was an egalitarian, human-free society of animals, the pigs realise
that the farm cannot be self-sufficient with their ever-growing needs. In Chapter 6, the two worlds –
that of the animals and that of humans – start merging:

There was need of paraffin oil, nails, string, dog biscuits, and iron for the horses’ shoes, none
of which could be produced on the farm. Later there would also be need for seeds and
artificial manures, besides various tools and, finally, the machinery for the windmill. /…/ One
Sunday morning, when the animals assembled to receive their orders, Napoleon announced
that he had decided upon a new policy. From now onwards Animal Farm would engage in
trade with the neighbouring farms: not, of course, for any commercial purpose, but simply in
order to obtain certain materials which were urgently necessary. (Chapter 6)

How, when and where was Napoleon’s decision to commence trade with people made? Have the
pigs used a similar method in decision-making before?

__________________________________________________________________________________

As mentioned above, already Snowball must have predicted the inevitability of trading with humans
and, consequently, contemplated betraying the original postulates of Animalism. But for his
banishment, would Snowball have become a much different leader than Napoleon?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

THE MOTIF OF A WINDMILL

In the novella, the windmill is a recurring motif, taking on a number of symbolic meanings. In your
opinion, what could the windmill stand for before and after its destruction in the eyes of the pigs and
in the eyes of the remaining farm animals?

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CHAPTERS 7–8: THEMATIC ANALYSIS (HIGHER LEVEL)

THEME 1: ELIMINATION OF THE ENEMY

So far in the novella, violence has been used primarily as a tool of rebellion against man, but in
Chapters 7–10, violence becomes a daily occurrence in the lives of the farm animals with the pigs
resorting to terror to control the animals and to keep them docile. When, for example, the hens are
ordered to give up their eggs in commercial trade with humans, they rebel. On the basis of the below
passage, how do the pigs treat the animals? What goals do the pigs pursue?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

He [Napoleon] ordered the hens’ rations to be stopped, and decreed that any animal giving so
much as a grain of corn to a hen should be punished by death. /…/ For five days the hens held
out, then they capitulated and went back to their nesting boxes. Nine hens had died in the
meantime. Their bodies were buried in the orchard, and it was given out that they had died of
coccidiosis. Whymper heard nothing of this affair, and the eggs were duly delivered, a grocer's
van driving up to the farm once a week to take them away. (Chapter 7)

In Chapter 7, the bloodiest and certainly the most bizarre scene in the novella takes place.
Napoleon’s army of dogs starts carrying out purges, the aim of which is to eliminate the ruler’s
enemy. Read the passage below and answer the questions.

When they had finished their confession, the dogs promptly tore their [four young pigs’] throats
out, and in a terrible voice Napoleon demanded whether any other animal had anything to
confess. The three hens who had been the ringleaders in the attempted rebellion over the eggs
now came forward and stated that Snowball had appeared to them in a dream and incited them
to disobey Napoleon’s orders. They, too, were slaughtered. Then a goose came forward and
confessed to having secreted six ears of corn during the last year’s harvest and eaten them in the
night. Then a sheep confessed to having urinated in the drinking pool — urged to do this, so she
said, by Snowball /…/ They were all slain on the spot. And so the tale of confessions and
executions went on, until there was a pile of corpses lying before Napoleon’s feet and the air was
heavy with the smell of blood, which had been unknown there since the expulsion of Jones. /…/
In the old days there had often been scenes of bloodshed equally terrible, but it seemed to all of
them that it was far worse now that it was happening among themselves. Since Jones had left the
farm, until today, no animal had killed another animal. Not even a rat had been killed. (Chapter 7)

NOTE: Since Animal Farm is an allegorical novella, you may want to read up on the Russian
Revolution taking place in 1917 and find parallels with the novella.

Why do the animals admit to the ‘crimes’ they did not commit? What is the function of these mass
executions? Look at the underlined sentence; what does it suggest?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

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Soon after the executions, ‘Beasts of England’ is banned with Squealer’s explanation: “The enemy
both external and internal has been defeated.” (Chapter 7) What is meant by ‘the internal enemy’
and why is Napoleon so willing to get rid of it?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

What does the unsuccessful trade between the animals and humans tell you about the way humans
observe (accept) Animal Farm? Why do Frederick’s men destroy the windmill; how could this be
understood symbolically?

__________________________________________________________________________________

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THEME 2: PROPAGANDA AND MANIPULATION OF THE MASSES

Orwell’s fascination with the way masses of people may be manipulated by the select few is
addressed in Animal Farm and thoroughly explored in Nineteen Eighty-Four. In the novella,
Napoleon’s political propaganda draws heavily on the following elements: rewriting the past,
creating the cult of a leader, identifying the scapegoat.

Rewriting history

Squealer continues to rewrite the history of Animal Farm even though the farm animals themselves
participated in the events:

Now when Squealer described the scene so graphically, it seemed to the animals that they did
remember it. At any rate, they remembered that at the critical moment of the battle Snowball
had turned to flee. (Chapter 7)

Why is Squealer’s propaganda so successful? How do Napoleon’s and Snowball’s roles change in the
pigs’ version of common history?

__________________________________________________________________________________

The pigs’ impertinence in shown in altering not only historical facts but also recent events. Thus, for
example, when the windmill is destroyed by Frederick’s men, again Squealer uses his eloquence to
influence the animals’ understanding of the situation. On the basis of the passage below, how is the
animals’ perception of the event manipulated? Which elements enhance Squealer’s persuasive
rhetoric? (Here, it seems, the author hints at a paradoxical existence of two ‘realities’: one real and
one fabricated but politically desirable.)

__________________________________________________________________________________

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‘What matter? We will build another windmill. We will build six windmills if we feel like it. /…/
The enemy was in occupation of this very ground that we stand upon. And now — thanks to the
leadership of Comrade Napoleon — we have won every inch of it back again!’ /…/ But when the
animals saw the green flag flying, and heard the gun firing again — seven times it was fired in all
— and heard the speech that Napoleon made, congratulating them on their conduct, it did seem
to them after all that they had won a great victory. (Chapter 8)

Creating the cult of a leader

Napoleon’s behaviour is increasingly superior and aloof, which ties in with his status of a dictator.
Think about the following:

Where are his living quarters?

How is he addressed when directly spoken to? How is he addressed when referred to in his
absence?
Where can one find his portrait?
Which animal, apart from the dogs, is he always accompanied by?

Note that Napoleon attaints almost a god-like status. Can you think of any real-life examples of
political leaders gaining such a status?

__________________________________________________________________________________

What does the simile in Minimus’s poem refer to?

“I gaze at thy calm and commanding eye, like the sun in the sky?”

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Identifying the scapegoat

With Napoleon’s changing public image, Snowball’s function of a scapegoat grows, as well. From
Chapters 7 and 8, write down some mischiefs/wrongdoings that are attributed to Snowball. How do
the farm animals accept Snowball’s new role?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

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THEME 3: DANGERS OF THE WORKING CLASS

Together with Boxer as the prototypical representative of the gullible working class, the animals
seem to be easily manipulated. How would you explain Boxer’s reaction to the purges based on the
quote below?

__________________________________________________________________________________

‘I do not understand it. I would not have believed that such things could happen on our farm. It
must be due to some fault in ourselves. The solution, as I see it, is to work harder. From now
onwards I shall get up a full hour earlier in the mornings.’ (Chapter 7)

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Often, Squealer gives public talks on the ever-improving situation on Animal Farm, citing numbers
and percentages. What does the narrator suggest with the following in terms of the animals’ capacity
to remember? Can you think of any real-life examples where numbers and percentages are given to
convince us of anything?

The animals saw no reason to disbelieve him, especially as they could no longer remember very
clearly what conditions had been like before the Rebellion. (Chapter 8)

__________________________________________________________________________________

After the purges, Clover does not say anything, but the narrator provides an insight into her
thoughts. Read the passage below. What does the author imply?

__________________________________________________________________________________

If she could have spoken her thoughts, it would have been to say that this was not what they had
aimed at when they had set themselves years ago to work for the overthrow of the human race.
These scenes of terror and slaughter were not what they had looked forward to on that night
when old Major first stirred them to rebellion. // Such were her thoughts, though she lacked the
words to express them. (Chapter 7)

Bearing the above passages in mind, where lies the danger of the working class, as implied by the
author? Here, you may also refer to the theme ‘Stupidity of common people’.

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CHAPTERS 9–10: THEMATIC ANALYSIS (HIGHER LEVEL)

THEME 1: SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

Chapters 9–10 are built on the increasing contrast between the farm animals and the pigs. By
juxtaposing the description of the lives of both classes, the author underlines how drastically the
animals have deviated from the initial ideas of Animalism. In the below table, write down what life is
like for the pigs and for the remaining farm animals now.

pigs other farm animals

… the pigs seemed comfortable enough, and in Meanwhile life was hard.
fact were putting in weight if anything …

Further, Napoleon fathers 31 piglets who he educated himself and “[they] took their exercise in the
garden, and were discouraged from playing with the other young animals. About this time, too, it
was laid down as a rule that when a pig and any other animal met on the path, the other animal must
stand aside.” What does this quote tell you in terms of social stratification/segregation? Can you list
any other examples of segregation in the novella?

__________________________________________________________________________________

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THEME 2: RELIGION AND STATE PROCESSIONS

Even though Moses was banished, he returns to Animal Farm. This time, in fact, he is even paid for
his presence. Read the passage and answer the questions below.

‘Up there, comrades,’ he would say solemnly, pointing to the sky with his large beak — ‘up there,
just on the other side of that dark cloud that you can see — there it lies, Sugarcandy Mountain,
that happy country where we poor animals shall rest for ever from our labours!’ He even claimed
to have been there on one of his higher flights, and to have seen the everlasting fields of clover
and the linseed cake and lump sugar growing on the hedges. Many of the animals believed him.
Their lives now, they reasoned, were hungry and laborious; was it not right and just that a better
world should exist somewhere else? A thing that was difficult to determine was the attitude of
the pigs towards Moses. They all declared contemptuously that his stories about Sugarcandy
Mountain were lies, and yet they allowed him to remain on the farm, not working, with an
allowance of a gill of beer a day. (Chapter 9)

Explain why the animals need Moses and why the pigs now tolerate his presence? What has changed?

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In what way is the function of the numerous processions on Animal Farm the same as that of Moses?
Read the passage below.

But if there were hardships to be borne, they were partly offset by the fact that life nowadays
had a greater dignity than it had had before. There were more songs, more speeches, more
processions. // So that, what with the songs, the processions, Squealer’s lists of figures, the
thunder of the gun, the crowing of the cockerel, and the fluttering of the flag, they were able to
forget that their bellies were empty, at least part of the time. (Chapter 9)

THEME 3: BUREAUCRACY AND TOTALITARIAN POLITICAL REGIMES

With Animal Farm prospering, the pigs introduce extensive bureaucracy. While the narrator stays
neutral through most of the novella, here his attitude seems to be apparent. Underline the words in
the passage below that signal the narrator’s (and possibly the author’s) attitude to bureaucracy. Is it
positive or negative?

There was /…/ endless work in the supervision and organisation of the farm. Much of this
work was of a kind that the other animals were too ignorant to understand. For example,
Squealer told them that the pigs had to expend enormous labours every day upon mysterious
things called ‘files,’ ‘reports,’ ‘minutes,’ and ‘memoranda.’ These were large sheets of paper
which had to be closely covered with writing, and as soon as they were so covered, they were
burnt in the furnace. This was of the highest importance for the welfare of the farm, Squealer
said. But still, neither pigs nor dogs produced any food by their own labour; and there were
very many of them, and their appetites were always good. (Chapter 10)

What kind of political regime is referred to in the lines below? _____________________________

This farm which he had the honour to control, he added, was a co-operative enterprise. The
title-deeds, which were in his own possession, were owned by the pigs jointly. (Chapter 10)

However, the pigs’ final act of asserting their dominance and superiority over the other farm animals
is their decision to walk on their hind legs.

It was a pig walking on his hind legs. Yes, it was Squealer. /…/ And finally there was a
tremendous baying of dogs and a shrill crowing from the black cockerel, and out came
Napoleon himself, majestically upright, casting haughty glances from side to side, and with his
dogs gambolling round him. He carried a whip in his trotter. There was a deadly silence.
Amazed, terrified, huddling together, the animals watched the long line of pigs march slowly
round the yard. It was as though the world had turned upside-down. (Chapter 10)

How does this act separate the pigs from the rest of the animals, underlining the idea of separate
social strata? Which other element signals Napoleon’s aspiration to become equal to humans, just
like Mr. Jones?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Even though the human neighbours come as friends and meet the pigs on terms of equality, it
transpires that the two parties do not trust each other. Which incident underlines this message?
What do you think the author was trying to say?

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WRITING A LITERARY ESSAY

LITERARY ESSAY 1 – GENERAL OVERVIEW
The gap text below focuses on four major parts of a literary essay (introduction, thesis, main body,
conclusion). Read the text and fill in the gaps by using the words from the box.

statement divided thesis source paragraph identical last

general summarizes concrete last relevant connect

1. INTRODUCTION

o It is the first ______________________.

o Its opening is interesting and appealing; here are some ways to make the essay opening more
appealing:
a snippet of a dialogue from the book and __________ to the title:
a meaningful, well-known quote from another __________ (“When dealing with people,
remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.” Dale
Carnegie)
a simple metaphor that must be easy to intercept and must be relevant to the essay title
o It gives _________________ information: it identifies the work (= title), the author and the
genre in short; but do this in one sentence only (e.g. In Orwell’s allegorical novella, Animal Farm,
the main characters …). DO NOT WRITE ABOUT THE BOOK OR THE AUTHOR IN GENERAL!
o Contains the thesis.

2. THESIS

o Usually the ____________ sentence of the introduction AND the ‘focal point’ of the essay
o A short, clear, specific _____________
o It provides the overall subject of the essay.
o It briefly outlines the structure of the essay, suggesting how the author – you – will tackle the topic.

Have a look at the theses below and decide which thesis (1–3) is:

a weak thesis because it is overly general;

a stronger thesis because it shows a depth of understanding of the literary work;
the strongest thesis, because it is to the point, exact and indicates the structure of the essay.

Explain your decision.

Example theses:

1 In the novella, education is an effective tool of manipulation and brainwashing.

2 For the pigs education is instrumental in achieving their goals: first, it gives them a monopoly on
knowledge and later it enables them to create new social classes.
3 Education is a very important theme that is addressed throught the entire work.

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3. MAIN BODY

o _____________ into 2 or 3 support paragraphs (= they support the thesis).

o Each support paragraph has an _____________ structure:
topic sentence
_______________ examples (= specific examples that support your topic sentence; do not
retell the plot)
your own commentary (= explanation/interpretation of the concrete details)
use link words to ___________ your ideas

DON’T FORGET
Essentially, you are arguing for your interpretation, not so much to persuade your audience to accept
your point of view, but ‘to convince them that it makes sense’ = you have to justify your way of
reading and explain how you understand the significance of that passage. Do not retell the entire
plot or part of the plot.

4. CONCLUSION

- The ___________ paragraph of the essay

- It ___________ the contents of the essay.
- It gives a personal statement about a topic.
- It repeats the ___________.

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LITERARY ESSAY 2 – ESSAY TITLES (IDEAS)

The list below provides some ideas for possible titles for literary essays on Animal Farm.

LIES/TRUTH/MANIPULATION

1 Discuss the way the pigs manipulate truth to gain and keep power.
2 Discuss the extent to which the farm animals believe the pigs’ lies.
3 Discuss and compare the pigs’ and other farm animals’ attitude to lies.
4 Discuss the farm animals’ willingness to accepts the pigs’ version of truth.
5 Discuss Snowball’s function of a scapegoat in Napoleon’s process of securing and mantaining
power.
6 Discuss Squealer’s function in Napoleon’s rise to power.
7 Discuss the ways the pigs rewrite history in their attempts to maintain power.
8 Discuss the role of rhetoric in the pigs’ manipulation of the farm animals.
9 Discuss Churchill’s quote “History is written by the victors” on the basis of Animal Farm.

POWER/POWERLESSNESS

1 Discuss the power struggle between Napolen and Snowball.

2 Discuss the source(s) of the pigs’ power.
3 Discuss and compare the farm animals’ plight at the beginning and the end of the novella. How
has their position changed?
4 Discuss the following quote on the basis of Animal Farm: “Power corrupts. Absolute power
corrupts absolutely.”
5 Discuss the element of fear as the pigs’ source of power.
6 Discuss the elements of education, knowledge and logic as the pigs’ source of power.
7 Discuss the theme of freedom in Animal Farm.

FRIENDSHIP/ALLIES/ENEMIES

1 Discuss the element of friendship (comradship) among the farm animals.

2 Discuss the ways the pigs eliminate their internal and external enemies.
3 Discuss the theme of trust in Animal Farm.

SOCIETY, MORALS

1 Discuss how intelligence and education cause social stratification of the society on Animal Farm.
2 Discuss the pigs’ moral corruption.
3 Discuss to what extent the author criticises the working class / the ruling elite in Animal Farm.
4 Discuss the theme of toralitarian rule in Animal Farm.
5 Discuss the theme of greed in Animal Farm.
6 Discuss the theme of hypocrisy in Animal Farm.

RELIGION

1 Discuss the role of religion in Animal Farm as exemplified by Moses.

2 Disucss the following quote in reference to religion in Animal Farm: Religion is the opium of the
people. (a modified quote by Karl Marx)

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LITERARY ESSAY 3 – ANALYSING A LITERARY ESSAY

Read and analyse the following literary essay. Then answer the questions below.

Discuss education as an element of manipulation in Animal Farm.

In his allegorical novella Animal Farm, George Orwell also addresses the theme of education. For the
pigs education becomes instrumental in achieving their goals: it enables them to gain a monopoly on
knowledge and later even contributes to the division of the society into social classes.

On the one hand, education can be seen as a tool for the pigs to gain a monopoly on knowledge and
logic. Very early on, one learns that the pigs have taught themselves to read and write. Using Jones’s
books, the pigs have spent months studying books in secrecy, gaining additional knowledge the other
animals do not have; this represents the pigs’ first step to having control over the animals’ access to
knowledge and, consequently, power. Further, Snowball organises reading and writing classes for all
the farm animals, aiming for all the animals to attain some literacy. While this goal is achieved, the
pigs also realise that most of the animals have a limited capacity for learning and, consequently,
understanding. Whereas this leads the pigs to simplify the Seven Commandments to one single
maxim, it also shows them that most animals will be satisfied with the most basic and useless
knowledge, such as knowing a few letters. The only animals who truly progress in terms of
knowledge are the pigs, whereas others do not really aspire to advance further, which the pigs take
advantage of.

On the other hand, education is also presented as a tool of maintaining complete control over all the
subjects on Animal Farm. An example of this is Napoleon’s decision to take the nine newly delivered
puppies, so everyone forgets about their existence. He educates and trains them to become his army
that eventually helps him usurp power. Here, Orwell shows education as a destructive element that
can be misued and forms a new social class – in this case militia. In a similar vein, Napoleon’s 31
piglet are educated by Napoleon himself, but the school having been built just for them underlines
the importance of the appropriate, regime-approved education. Discouraged to socialise with the
other farm animals, the piglets represent a new social class – a superior breed which is a result of
specialised education. Again, the author shows how education can be used to influence even the
supporters of the regime.

In conclusion, the reader can establish that in Animal Farm education is depicted as a tool of
manipulation of an oppressive, totalitarian political system. On the surface, it seems to empower the
animals, but in actual fact it only provides the working class with unfunctional knowledge, helping
the ruling elite to gain and maintain their power.

Word count: 437 words

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INTRODUCTION

1 Does the author use any special technique to make the introduction more interesting?
2 Mark the thesis. Is it specific or general?

MAIN BODY

1 Mark the topic sentences in each main body paragraph. Do they truly indicate the contents of
the paragraph?
2 Are the topic sentences followed by concrete examples from the work? Underline the examples.
3 Are the concrete examples commented on (= interpreted). Underline the interpretation.
4 Is there any use of link words?
5 Is there any irrelevant information?

CONCLUSION

1 Is the thesis repeated and/or reinforced?

2 Does the author provide his/her personal opinion?

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