Chapter 7
Animal Farm
Please answer in your Interactive Notebooks as you read and/or re-read J
Silent Sustained Reading Day (SSR)
Remember the Summative (next week) will be OPEN NOTE J
Take the best notes possible. Answer all questions and activities.
1. What is one of the strongest motivations for completing the rebuilding of the windmill?
2. How are the humans tricked into thinking conditions on Animal Farm are better than they really are?
3. Why does it finally become necessary for the hens to surrender all their eggs?
4. How do the hens react?
5. What “deal” is Napoleon contemplating? What does this correspond to in history?
6. What additional information is revealed about Snowball?
7. Even Boxer does not believe that Snowball was always a traitor. Why is his saying so a dangerous move? What clues are given in the text?
8. What do the confessions and executions of the pigs, hens, goose and sheep symbolize? Which of the Seven Commandments does this violate?
9. To what does Boxer attribute the frightening slaughter of fellow animals? What is his solution?
10. What is Squealer’s explanation for forbidding the singing of “Beasts of England”?
11. How is the general idea of the new song completely different from “Beasts of England”?
Activity:
Clover’s thoughts are very important to an understanding of the theme of the novel. Make a T-Chart in your IN comparing the expectations of the animals with the reality of life after the rebellion and Napoleon’s rise to power.
Chapter 8
Animal Farm
1. Why does no one “care to mention” recalling a commandment about animals killing other animals in the hearing of the pigs or the dogs?
2. How has the Sixth Commandment been changed?
3. Squealer’s Sunday-morning revelation of the increased productions figures is a good example of what?
4. What are the animals told about Snowball’s medals?
5. What makes the animals fear and hate Frederick?
6. What problem occurs with the wood deal?
7. Describe the battle with Frederick’s men and explain how the animals feel immediately after the destruction of the windmill. How do the pigs renew the animals’ spirits?
8. Who, for the first time, is beginning to feel old?
9. What vice have the pigs now adopted? This is against which Commandment?
10. What makes Squealer announce that Napoleon is dying?
11. Why does Napoleon plough up the retired-animal grazing ground?
12. What is the connection between Squealer’s fall from the ladder and the change in the Fifth Commandment? Who notices the change?
Chapter 9
Animal Farm
1. How does the prospect of retirement inspire Boxer to work harder?
2. Why do the animals think that these days are better than the days under Jones?
3. What species of animals is increasing in number? Decreasing?
4. What is significant about only the young pigs being educated, and their being discouraged from playing with the other young animals?
5. How are the Spontaneous Demonstrations useful to the pigs?
6. How is the president of the new Republic elected?
7. What is significant about the reappearance of Moses at this time?
8. Why is the tragedy of Boxer? If Boxer symbolizes the “loyal worker,” what is Orwell saying about Communism?
9. Why are the animals willing to believe the stories Squealer tells them about the circumstances of Boxer’s death?
10. How do the pigs use Boxer’s death to further promote their aims?
Chapter 10
Animal Farm
1. Have any of the animals retired? Do you think they ever will?
2. According to Benjamin, what is the one unalterable law?
3. Although the animals’ living conditions have not improved, what one thing do they feel proud about?
4. What dream do the animals still have at the beginning of this chapter? What happens to destroy this hope?
5. What does Benjamin read to Clovers?
6. The meeting between humans and pigs at the end of the chapter represents what? What does the quarrel over the two aces stand for (historically)?
7. Discuss the final irony at the end.
8. What does the ending have to say regarding Orwell’s attitude toward both Communism and Capitalism? Does either system treat its “lower classes” well in the novel?
Activity:
In a short paragraph, discuss the meaning of this famous quote: “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Use three examples from Animal Farm to support this claim.