Animal Farm Socratic Seminar Preparation
Directions: to prepare for our Socratic seminar, select FIVE questions you find most interesting. Two of the questions you choose need to be from the questions in BOLDface font. Prepare a one-paragraph response to each of your five chosen questions.
- Is Mr. Jones really a cruel landowner or is he simply a businessman? Compare him to the people in our real world who control the labor and products of our economy.
- Is MAN really the root of the animal’s problems? If so, why? If not, who/what is?
- Why did the pigs become what they hated?
- What role does the windmill play—thematically or symbolically?
- How does Animal Farm help us understand deception and propaganda in our world today? How do the media and political leaders take advantage of us? How much are people’s attitudes affected by “spin?”
- What corrupts people most – money, material items or power?
- Will the animals ever overcome their fear and stand up for themselves against the pigs’ abuse of power? What does it take before people are spurred to action?
- Is it likely that Snowball is guilty of the things Napoleon accused him of or is he a scapegoat? Why do we scapegoat people?
- Evaluate the pigs’ use of rhetoric to maintain control over the other animals. Where do you see this same thing happening in the world around you?
- Using the pigs as an example, do you think that greed and wanting power are part of human nature? How about the other animals—are fear and gullibility part of human nature?
- How does the economic injustice of Manor Farm express itself in our world today?
- Are the animals on Animal Farm willing to die for their ideals? What makes a person willing to die for a cause? Would you die for your country? At what point is service to one’s country an illogical act?
- Is it morally wrong to be someone like Benjamin who recognizes what is happening but does not care enough to speak up, even if others will be hurt?
- Who is happier, selfish or unselfish people?
- What would happen if all the animals were as educated as the pigs? How would our world change if everyone were highly educated?
- What role should morals and ethics play in leadership? To support your response with examples, use the pigs and some real world leaders.
- What is the role of the idea ofSugarCandyMountain and what might this idea symbolize in our world today?
- Is an “ideal” society possible? What would make it achievable or impossible?
- What societal pressures make us do things we don’t agree with?
- What did Animal Farm teach you about society?