Vocabulary
Mysterious, difficult to understand
Cryptic
"…Sooner or later justice will be done... future generations shall carry on the struggle until it is victorious."
Glittering generalities
Strong, hard-working, but gullible horse
Boxer
In Old Major’s speech in chapter 1, he repeatedly refers to his fellow animals as “comrades.” What is the denotation vs. the connotation of this term?
A) Denotation: a courageous, heroic individual; Connotation: bravery shown for political purposes
B) Denotation: friend or companion; Connotation: connected to Communism and/or the Soviet Union
C) Denotation: a Communist sympathizer; Connotation: friendly for political gain
D) Denotation: an accomplished speaker; Connotation: connected to the Russian Revolution
B) Denotation: friend or companion; Connotation: connected to Communism and/or the Soviet Union
When is your Novel Study due?
June 1st
A saying or proverb
Maxim
“…No animal escapes the cruel knife in the end… every one of you will scream your lives out at the block within a year.”
Fear / Scare tatics
Known as a shrewd, tough negotiator who does not get along with his neighbours
Mr. Frederick
In which of the following ways is Boxer symbolic of Russia’s Proletariat, or working class?
A) He represents the hard-working labourers who are not educated enough to question authority.
B) He represents the strong-minded, able-bodied part of the population most respected by all.
C) He represents the strong who take advantage of and exploit the weak.
D) He represents the laborers who, through their strength, ultimately overthrow their party.
A) He represents the hard-working labourers who are not educated enough to question authority.
What is "Herd Mentality"?
Herd mentality describes the tendency of human beings to choose behaviours and make decisions based on the influence of their peers; oftentimes, these choices are different from those they might otherwise make as individuals.
Passionate expression of sorrow or grief
Lamentation
Napoleon and Squealer continually refer to the other animals as "Comrades".
Plain Folk
Well-respected pig who inspires the rebellion
Old Major
What inference can be made about why Snowball is continually presented as the enemy to Animal Farm? Choose the BEST response.
A) Napoleon is afraid that Snowball may join with Jones to retake the farm.
B) Napoleon is secretly in talks with Snowball but doesn’t want the animals to know.
C) Napoleon uses the “Common Enemy” approach to blame away their problems and unite the animals against a common cause
D) Napoleon does not want to take accountability for all his evil wrongdoings
C) Napoleon uses the “Common Enemy” approach to blame away their problems and unite the animals against a common cause
In what ways is Boxer a tragic figure? What does he represent, and how is he betrayed?
Because of his strength, good nature and gullibility, the pigs are able to take advantage of and exploit Boxer. Boxer loses his life in the ultimate betrayal by the pigs; when he is no longer able to work, they sell him to the knacker to be slaughtered and boiled down to glue.
Reserved, tending not to speak very much
Taciturn
Squealer uses selectively chosen, distorted numbers and “figures” to convince the animals their lives are better than they really are.
Cherry-Picking / Card Stacking
His portrait is hung next to the Commandments
Napoleon
38. What is meant by the following line in chapter 9: “life nowadays had more dignity than it had before”? Choose the BEST response.
A) The animals’ lives have more dignity because they are masters of their own property.
B) The animals’ lives have more dignity because of an increased amount of songs, speeches and processions.
C) The animals’ lives have more dignity because of the superiority of Animal Farm to other farms.
D) All of the above.
B) The animals’ lives have more dignity because of an increased amount of songs, speeches and processions.
What are some of the overarching warnings Orwell is trying to give to society based on this novel?
Some warnings may include: the dangers of government power and corruption, the consequences of ignorance and lack of education, the exploitation of the weak by weak by the strong, and the use of language to control people.
Settled in comfortably
Ensconced
“Comrades, do you know who is responsible for this? Do you know the enemy who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL!”
Common enemy / Scapegoat
Represents Leon Trotsky, Stalin’s rival exiled from Russia
Snowball
In chapter 10, what is Orwell’s purpose for including details about the pigs’ daily work habits, making “files,” “reports,” “minutes,” and “memoranda,” which they subsequently “burnt in the furnace” the same day?
A) He wants to satirize government bureaucracy in which those in charge do a great deal of meaningless busy work.
B) He wants to illustrate the idea that the pigs are fully literate, much like humans.
C) He wants to show how much the pigs have progressed intellectually
D) He is alluding to the Russian Revolution in which Stalin burnt all the government papers.
A) He wants to satirize government bureaucracy in which those in charge do a great deal of meaningless busy work.
Explain the theme of ignorance in the novel. Use an example from the text to support your point.
The ignorant and uneducated are the most easily manipulated segments of society. ex: The sheep, lacking in intelligence, are symbolic of the public’s ignorance and gullibility. They are easily manipulated by the pigs, for example, to bleat on cue, “four legs good, two legs bad,” whenever it serves the pigs’ interests.
Give into, surrender, cease to resist
Capitulate
"Four legs good; two legs bad."
Bandwagon
Easy-going, old-fashioned farmer who represents England and/or the West
What is the significance of Napoleon’s announcement to change the name of Animal Farm to Manor Farm in chapter 10?
A) It implies that the pigs will begin working with Mr. Jones again
B) The use of the word “manor” suggests it will only be a place for the rich and privileged.
C) It implies that the pigs’ attempts to take over the farm were all for nothing, since they are back to square one.
D) It illustrates the full circle the farm has made back to complete oppression of the animals
D) It illustrates the full circle the farm has made back to complete oppression of the animals
Explain the theme of Language in the book. Use an example from the text to support your answer.
Language is powerful; it can be used to manipulate and control the masses. EX: Throughout the novel, Squealer uses propagandist language to control the animals and quell dissent. For example, he continually uses the scare tactic of threatening Jones’ return to keep the animals in line: “Surely comrades, you don’t want Jones back!’”
A face or facial expression
Countenance
“Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health…Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples.”
Rationalization
Acts as a middleman between animals and humans
Mr. Whymper
What system of government do the pigs create from Old Major’s teachings?
A. Communism
B. Socialism
C. Animalism
D. Pigism
C. Animalism
Explain the theme of Power in the novel. Support your answer with evidence from the text.
Unchecked power will corrupt even the best individuals, organizations, and ideologies over time. EX: While Animalism begins as a noble cause, the pigs corrupt its principles for their own benefit. For example, the pigs change the commandments to serve their own needs, such as altering the final one to, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”