Animal Farm – Chapter Questions

Chapter 1:
1. Though the animals act like animals, they also seem to represent people. What type of
people do Boxer, Mollie, and the cat appear to represent?

2. Keeping in mind the Russian revolution, what people do Old Major and Mr. Jones
represent?

3. Early in the story, what consideration do the animals, representing the exploited masses,
show for one another?

4. Old Major warns the animals that they must always be hostile to man and his ways.
Specifically, what are man’s evil ways?

Chapter 2:
1. Old Major dies, but his dream has awakened all the animals. Whose job is it to lead and
organize the animals? Why them?

2. Within the ranks of the pigs, which three are predominant? Why?

3. What is “Animalism,” and what does it represent?

4. How does the revolution come about?

5. The reader is told at the end of Chapter 2 that when the animals came back, “the milk had
disappeared.” What happens to the milk? What is this a sign of?

Chapter 3:
1. In the early days of the revolution, what is the mood? What is Boxer’s attitude?

2. What is the result of all the committees that Snowball starts?

3. For the more stupid animals, what slogan does Snowball come up with that contained the
essential principles of Animalism?

4. Napoleon is very interested in the education of the young. Of all the baby animals, why
do you suppose he took the nine puppies to educate on his own?

5. We are told that Napoleon and Snowball disagree on just about everything. What,
however, is the one thing on which they are in full agreement at the end of the chapter?

Chapter 5:
1. What happens to Mollie?

2. What use has Napoleon made of the sheep?

3. What is Snowball’s dream for the windmill? What is Napoleon’s thinking about it?

4. How does the argument over the windmill end?

5. What two things convince the animals of the truth of Squealer’s pronouncements?

Chapter 6:
1. In what ways are the pigs abusing their leadership offices?

2. In what ways are the pigs beginning to behave like humans?

3. What is Squealer’s task at this point?

4. How do the pigs justify the fact that they are now sleeping in beds?

Chapter 7:
1. Why did the hens rebel?

2. What all is Snowball blamed for?

3. What is suggested by the “very ugly look” Squealer gives Boxer?

4. When the blood-letting ends, what do the animals do? What are their feelings?

5. Why does Squealer say the song, Beasts of England, is no longer appropriate? What issung in its place?

Chapter 8:
1. How do the pigs “alter reality” to handle the food crisis?

2. What enables the animals to defeat Frederick’s armed forces?

3. How do the animals react after the battle? What does Napoleon do?

4. Why does Squealer report that Napoleon is dying?

Chapter 9:
1. What is Boxer’s death meant to represent?

2. What are some signs that life is becoming unequal?

3. Throughout the book, Benjamin has observed everything but neither approved nor
disapproved of anything. What causes him to break into a gallop; then later to read?

Chapter 10:
1. After their fashion, the pigs do work. What is their work and where does it end up?

2. Throughout this chapter, the pigs become more like humans. List some of the ways.

3. What is the one and only remaining commandment? What does it have as its essence?

4. Napoleon tells them that Animal Farm is going back to its old name, Manor Farm. What
is the final dramatic point Orwell makes regarding the old rulers and the new rulers?

HOLIDAY TEXT RESPONSE (PRACTICE):

Complete one analytical/expository piece of writing in response to onetopic on Animal Farm. Your response must be supported by close reference to and analysis of the text.

1. Explain how Orwell develops the theme of the power of words in his novel, “Animal Farm.”

2. From the beginning of the book, when Old Major talks about the wonderful life he’s lead (and yet proclaims himself able to understand the hardships of the rest of the farm), hypocrisy remains a strong theme throughout the book.Dicuss thehypocrisy that take place in “Animal Farm.”
3. What is Orwell’s message in Animal Farm, and how does he convey it?

4. Explore the extent to which Animal Farm is a text that serves to emphasize the similarities and differences between people of different classes in any given society.
5. How is Animal Farm a metaphor for the dangers of totalitarian states?

Animal Farm – Chapter Questions

Chapter 1:
1. Though the animals act like animals, they also seem to represent people. What type of
people do Boxer, Mollie, and the cat appear to represent?

2. Keeping in mind the Russian revolution, what people do Old Major and Mr. Jones
represent?

3. Early in the story, what consideration do the animals, representing the exploited masses,
show for one another?

4. Old Major warns the animals that they must always be hostile to man and his ways.
Specifically, what are man’s evil ways?

Chapter 2:
1. Old Major dies, but his dream has awakened all the animals. Whose job is it to lead and
organize the animals? Why them?

2. Within the ranks of the pigs, which three are predominant? Why?

3. What is “Animalism,” and what does it represent?

4. How does the revolution come about?

5. The reader is told at the end of Chapter 2 that when the animals came back, “the milk had
disappeared.” What happens to the milk? What is this a sign of?

Chapter 3:
1. In the early days of the revolution, what is the mood? What is Boxer’s attitude?

2. What is the result of all the committees that Snowball starts?

3. For the more stupid animals, what slogan does Snowball come up with that contained the
essential principles of Animalism?

4. Napoleon is very interested in the education of the young. Of all the baby animals, why
do you suppose he took the nine puppies to educate on his own?

5. We are told that Napoleon and Snowball disagree on just about everything. What,
however, is the one thing on which they are in full agreement at the end of the chapter?

Chapter 5:
1. What happens to Mollie?

2. What use has Napoleon made of the sheep?

3. What is Snowball’s dream for the windmill? What is Napoleon’s thinking about it?

4. How does the argument over the windmill end?

5. What two things convince the animals of the truth of Squealer’s pronouncements?

Chapter 6:
1. In what ways are the pigs abusing their leadership offices?

2. In what ways are the pigs beginning to behave like humans?

3. What is Squealer’s task at this point?

4. How do the pigs justify the fact that they are now sleeping in beds?

Chapter 7:
1. Why did the hens rebel?

2. What all is Snowball blamed for?

3. What is suggested by the “very ugly look” Squealer gives Boxer?

4. When the blood-letting ends, what do the animals do? What are their feelings?

5. Why does Squealer say the song, Beasts of England, is no longer appropriate? What issung in its place?

Chapter 8:
1. How do the pigs “alter reality” to handle the food crisis?

2. What enables the animals to defeat Frederick’s armed forces?

3. How do the animals react after the battle? What does Napoleon do?

4. Why does Squealer report that Napoleon is dying?

Chapter 9:
1. What is Boxer’s death meant to represent?

2. What are some signs that life is becoming unequal?

3. Throughout the book, Benjamin has observed everything but neither approved nor
disapproved of anything. What causes him to break into a gallop; then later to read?

Chapter 10:
1. After their fashion, the pigs do work. What is their work and where does it end up?

2. Throughout this chapter, the pigs become more like humans. List some of the ways.

3. What is the one and only remaining commandment? What does it have as its essence?

4. Napoleon tells them that Animal Farm is going back to its old name, Manor Farm. What
is the final dramatic point Orwell makes regarding the old rulers and the new rulers?

HOLIDAY TEXT RESPONSE (PRACTICE):

Complete one analytical/expository piece of writing in response to onetopic on Animal Farm. Your response must be supported by close reference to and analysis of the text.

1. Explain how Orwell develops the theme of the power of words in his novel, “Animal Farm.”

2. From the beginning of the book, when Old Major talks about the wonderful life he’s lead (and yet proclaims himself able to understand the hardships of the rest of the farm), hypocrisy remains a strong theme throughout the book.Dicuss thehypocrisy that take place in “Animal Farm.”
3. What is Orwell’s message in Animal Farm, and how does he convey it?

4. Explore the extent to which Animal Farm is a text that serves to emphasize the similarities and differences between people of different classes in any given society.
5. How is Animal Farm a metaphor for the dangers of totalitarian states?