Animal Farm by George Orwell

1
Animal Farm by George Orwell

• Animal Farm A Fairy Tale

2
The Author

• George Orwell (Eric Hugh Blair)
• Born in Motihari, Bengal, India, 1903
• Son of Customs and Excise Official of Scottish
  descent
• Educated at Eton (prestigious boys school in
  England) from 1917-1927
• Went into the Indian Imperial Police organization
• Spent time in this service between 1922-1927
• Returned home on leave, 1927, then quit the
  service
• Went to Paris and did some writing
• Lived in poverty in both Paris and London
• Taught for awhile in England
• Went to Spain, fought on the side of the
  Loyalists
• Was badly wounded, became tubercular,
• Became a successful author and journalist
• Died January 23, 1950

3
The Book

• Animal Farm is Orwells most successful book. It
  won for him very great comparison, critically,
  with Jonathon Swifts satire, Gullivers Travels.
  It is, from one point of view, a satiric allegory
  of Stalinism, and from another, on
  totalitarianism in general.
• Orwell expresses great distrust and hatred for
  any form of totalitarianism in human activity.

4
Literary and political terms(because this story
deals allegorically with political ideas, it is
necessary to define a few so we can discuss them)

• Allegory- Description of a subject under the
  guise of some other subject of suggestive (very
  similar) resemblance.
• Communism-
• a. A theory which advocates a state of society in
  which there should be no private ownership, all
  property being vested in the community and labour
  organized for the common benefit of all members
  the professed principle being that each should
  work according to his capacity, and receive
  according to his wants.
• b. spec. A political doctrine or movement based
  on Marxism and later developed by Lenin, seeking
  the overthrow of capitalism through a proletarian
  revolution MARXISM-LENINISM. (Freq. with
  capital initial.)
• Satire-
• a. A composition in verse or prose intended to
  ridicule a particular person or class of persons
• b. The employment, in speaking or writing, of
  sarcasm, irony, ridicule, etc. in exposing,
  denouncing, deriding, or ridiculing vice, folly,
  indecorum, abuses, or evils of any kind.

5
Terms continued

• Stalinism-
• f. Joseph Stalin (Russ. ósif Stálin), the
  assumed name of Iosif Vissariónovich Dzhugashvíli
  (1879-1953), leader of the Soviet Communist Party
  and head of state of the Soviet Union -ISM. 
• a. The policies pursued by Stalin, based on but
  later deviating from Leninism, esp. the formation
  of a centralized, totalitarian, objectivist
  government.
• Totalitarianism
• Totalitarian theory and practice the advocacy of
  totalitarian government. Also loosely,
  authoritarianism transf. monolithic character.
• (totalitarian) A. adj. Of or pertaining to a
  system of government which tolerates only one
  political party, to which all other institutions
  are subordinated, and which usu. demands the
  complete subservience of the individual to the
  State. Also transf. Cf. TOTAL a. 3c.

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Chapter I Reading Questions

• What is the opening scene?
• What is a scullery?
• What caused the excitement among the farm animals
  at first?
• In what esteem was Old Major held (esteem is how
  people see a persons status, i.e., important or
  not important, high esteem or low esteem)?

7
Chapter 1 continued

• Under what name was he exhibited?
• Describe the scene where the assembly was
  gathered in three sentences or more
• How are the two horses described?
• Why is Boxer described in such detail?
• What was the character of Benjamin, the donkey?
• Give an example of his cynicism (syn. pessimism,
  looking at the negative side of a topic or
  situation)

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Chapter 1 continued

• Where did the duckling nestle?
• What were the last animals to come to the
  meeting?
• What animal was missing?
• In brief, what ideas of Karl Marx does Major
  present?
• What should remedy the situation for the animals?
• What point did Major bring up because of the
  incident?
• What was the vote, or the outcome of the vote?
• Explain the word trotters

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Chapter 1 continued

• Whom are they to consider as enemies?
• What element of deceit is seen? (what do some of
  the animals do that is dishonest?)
• Of what song was Major reminded?
• How did the song affect the assembly?
• What was the interruption?

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Chapter 2 reading questions

• How much longer did Major live?
• What effect did Majors speech have upon the
  animals?
• What activity went on the next three months?
• Who became the leaders?
• Who was Squealer?
• What system did the three evolve?
• How successful were they in winning the other
  animals over to Animalism?
• What kind of questions did Mollie ask?
• What was the answer to her first question?
• What reply did she get about wearing ribbons?
• Was Mollie satisfied?

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Chapter 2 continued

• How did Moses, the raven, interfere?
• What was the attitude toward Moses?
• What animals were the most faithful disciples?
• How was the Rebellion accomplished?
• How did the animals react?
• What did Mrs. Jones do?
• After the Rebellion was accomplished, what
  followed?
• What did Snowball add to the fire? Why?
• On hearing this, what did Boxer do?
• How else did they celebrate their freedom?
• How did they react to their possessions the
  following morning?

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Chapter 2 continued

• How were they affected by the interior of the
  house?
• What was Mollie caught doing?
• Did they leave all intact?
• What resolution was passed?
• What did the pigs reveal one morning?
• To what use did they put their new knowledge?
• What was the result of the pigs studies of the
  past three months?
• Who painted the Commandments on the wall?
• What were the Seven Commandments? Compare with
  the Communist Manifesto
• Who attended to the milking?
• What was done with the milk?

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Chapter 3 Reading Questions

• How successful were the farming operations?
• How long did it take to harvest the hay?
• Who was the most admired of the animals?
• Were there any shirkers (people who dont do
  their allotted duty) among the animals?
• What animals seemed unchanged by the Rebellion?
• How were Sundays spent?
• What took place after the hoisting of the flag?
• What was the relation between Napoleon and
  Snowball?
• Give a description of Snowballs organizing
  activities
• How successful were the reading and writing
  classes?

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Chapter 3 continued

• How did Snowball include the birds among the
  four-legged animals?
• To what did Snowball reduce the Seven
  Commandments for the benefit of the animals that
  were slow to learn?
• What did Napoleon do about the education of the
  puppies of Jessie and Bluebell?
• What was the first example of disillusionment of
  the animals?
• What was the explanation?

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Chapter 4 Reading Questions

• What efforts were made to influence others in
  Animalism?
• In the meantime, where was Mr. Jones?
• What was the relation between the two neighbors?
• What position did they take in regard to the
  Rebellion on Animal Farm?
• What was the effect of the rumors about the farm?
• In October, what excitement arose?
• Was this unexpected by the all the animals?
• Describe the first attack
• Who were the winners in this attack?
• What was Snowballs intention in retreating?

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Chapter 4 continued

• What was the most fearful sight?
• What was Boxers feeling about the stable-lad?
• What had happened to Mollie?
• How did the animals celebrate their victory?
• What decoration was conferred upon Snowball and
  Boxer?
• What name was given to the title?
• What became of Mr. Jones gun?

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Chapter V reading questions

• What problem did Mollie create?
• What accusation did Clover make?
• What answer did Mollie make?
• What did Clover find in Mollies stall?
• Where was Mollie next seen after she disappeared?
• What plans were made by the pigs during the
  winter?
• Describe Snowballs interest in farming
• What opinion did the animals have of the windmill
  and machines?
• Describe how Snowball worked out his plans.

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Chapter V continued

• How interested were the other animals in the
  devices?
• What did the subject of the windmill give rise
  to?
• How did Napoleon and Snowball differ in the
  problem of defense of the farm?
• After Snowballs plans were completed, what did
  the animals have to do at the meeting?
• What frightening thing happened?
• What changes appeared now with Napoleon as the
  leader?
• What was the reaction of the animals to this
  announcement?

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Chapter V continued

• What freedom of speech now exists among the
  animals?
• How did Squealer explain the new arrangement to
  the others?
• How did Squealer meet the defense uttered for
  Snowball?
• Did the animals feel any differently about the
  loss of Sunday?
• What ceremony was followed on Sunday morning?
• What was announced on the third Sunday after
  Snowballs expulsion?
• What explanation did Squealer give privately?
• What was Squealers reply to the question why
  Napoleon had spoken so strongly against it?

20
Chapter VI continued

• How did work on the farm progress in Napoleons
  regime?
• What problems arose regarding the construction of
  the windmill?
• What animal was indispensable in the work?
• What other problems arose?
• What new policy did Napoleon inaugurate?
• What silenced all objections?
• What opinion did the outside world acquire?
• What rumors were spread about business
  agreements?
• What other resolution was violated?
• What did Muriel read from the Seven Commandments?

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Chapter VI continued

• How did Squealer clarify this?
• What fate did the windmill suffer?
• How did Napoleon account for the disaster?
• What did Napoleon announce concerning the
  windmill?
• Who controls the farm?
• What details give this away?
• What kinds of decisions does the leader(s) of
  the farm make?
• How much autonomy do the animals by the end of
  Chapter VI?

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Chapter vii

• What added to the troubles of winter cold?
• How did Napoleon meet the situation?
• What action did Napoleon take to get grain?
• Why did the hens object?
• How did Napoleon quash their efforts?
• Was his method effective?
• Define coccidiosis
• What brings Snowball back into the limelight?
• What mischief was attributed to Snowball?
• What tale did Squealer tell?
• Was Boxer convinced by the tale?

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Chapter vii continued

• What changed Boxers mind?
• What insinuation did Squealer make?
• What happened a few days later?
• What was the fate of the four pigs?
• Who came forward?
• What was their fate?
• Were there any other guilty ones?
• What communist practice is thus illustrated?
• How were the remaining animals affected?
• What was Boxers reaction?
• What were Clovers thoughts?

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Chapter vii continued

• Did she (Clover) rebel?
• What resulted from their singing Beasts of
  England?
• How did Squealer explain the decree?
• What was substituted for it?

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Chapter viii

• After the terror caused by the executions had
  died down, what discovery was made?
• What were conditions on the farm regarding labor
  and food?
• What increase in the status of Napoleon was
  there?
• What titles were invented for him?
• With what was Napoleon credited?
• Note the poem entitled Comrade Napoleon?
• How much did Napoleon approve of the poem?
• What new plots came to light?

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Chapter viii continued

• What tactics was Napoleon making use of
  concerning the sale of timber?
• What was the windmill named?
• What astounding announcement was made one day?
• How clever was Napoleon in the transaction?
• How had Frederick turned the tables on Napoleon?
• What revenge was to be meted out to Frederick?
• What measures were taken for protection?
• Did the attack materialize?

27
Chapter viii continued

• What measures were taken for protection?Did the
  attack materialize?
• Compare the battle with that of the Battle of the
  Cowshed?
• What last resort for help did Napoleon make?
• Who understood what Fredericks men were about to
  do?
• Was he correct?
• When they got up again, what did they learn?
• What effect did it have on the animals?
• What were the losses for the animals?

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Chapter viii continued

• What casualties did the enemy suffer?
• What did the enemy suffer?
• What saved the day for the animals?
• How did Squealer celebrate the victory?
• What cheered the animals?
• Not the funeral and the celebration over the
  victory?
• What name was given the battle?
• What decoration did Napoleon create?
• What was forgotten in the great rejoicings?
• What came to light a few days later?

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Chapter viii continued

• What became of the whisky?
• What did Squealer announce?
• What second announcement was made?
• What was Napoleons condition the following
  morning?
• What was learned after Napoleons recovery?

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Chapter IX

• What was one of the effects of the battle Boxer
  suffered from?
• What was to be the retiring age, according to the
  original laws of Animal Farm?
• What pension was to be given to horses?
• When would Boxer be twelve years old?
• What deceit was used on the animals regarding
  rations?
• What else did he prove to them?
• What increase was there in the population?
• What provision was made for their education?
• What social distinction were they taught?

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Chapter xi continued

• What rule was laid down about this time?
• Note the reasons for reductions of rations in
  December and February?
• Did the pigs share in restrictions?
• What hopes were raised when the cooking barley
  was smelt?
• What announcement was made about barley?
• What partly offset the hardship of the animals?
• Describe the Spontaneous Demonstration?
• What proclamation was made concerning Animal
  Farm?

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Chapter IX continued

• What further details were discovered about
  Snowballs complicity with Jones?
• What did Moses talk about when he returned?
• What opinion did the pigs express about his
  stories of Sugarcandy Mountain?
• What kept Boxer working?
• What misfortune came to him?
• What was planned for him?
• When the van came to take Boxer away, what was
  revealed?
• After the death of Boxer, what explanation did
  Squealer give concerning the sign on the van?

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Chapter ix continued

• Since Boxers remains could not be brought to the
  farm for burial, what recognition was given him?
• What did the pigs plan?
• What was brought to the farm on the appointed day
  for the banquet?

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Chapter x

• Describe conditions at Animal Farm after several
  years had passed?
• What increases had taken place?
• What became of the promises Snowball had once
  made the animals?
• Did hope for better things ever cease?
• What terrifying thing startled the animals?
• What prevented the animals from protesting?
• What had become of the Seven Commandments?
• How was the third commandment ignored?
• What took place when a deputation of human
  visitors came to the farm?

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Chapter X continued

• What speech did Mr. Pilkington make?
• Do you derive any opinion as to the authors
  feelings as to the effects of communism in the
  equality expressed in the association of the pigs
  and the human beings?
• What response did Napoleon give?
• To what changes did he call attention?
• What change in the faces of the pigs did the
  onlookers see?
• What uproar drew the animals back to the window?
• What conclusion is drawn as to the results of
  Communism?