Characters
This donkey with a cynical attitude stays at Boxer's side when his horse friend collapses to care for him.
Who is Benjamin?
This character represents the totalitarian leader of the Soviet Union Joseph Stalin.
Who is Napoleon?
The animal that was called an enemy of the state and blamed for knocking down the windmill, even though he was the one who came up with the idea of the windmill.
Who is Snowball?
Snowball's original dream was for the windmill the produce electricity and make life easier for all the working animals. When the windmill is eventually built, what is it used for?
What is processing corn to sell to neighboring farms while the working animals are hungry?
This manipulative piggy convinces the animals about the great deeds of Comrade Napoleon. He is supposed to represent Stalin's propaganda bureau.
Who is Squealer?
An example of breaking the rule: "Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend."
What is exiling Snowball, or murdering all of the confessing animals, or Boxer's end?
These animals represent the secret police, or KGB, of the Soviet Union, who were trained to threaten or kill anyone that threatened the power of their leader, Joseph Stalin.
Who are the dogs?
What kinds of work were the pigs and dogs doing that they claimed was so important that they needed extra rations?
What is "files", "reports", "minutes", and "memoranda" (i.e., bureaucratic paperwork)?
This stout lady horse is a maternal figure on Animal Farm, cuddling ducklings in her hoof during meetings and nurturing animals in need.
Who is Clover?
An example of breaking the rule: "No animal shall wear clothes."
What is Napoleon in a hat.
This scene in the novel represents Stalin's purge, during which millions of Russians, both enemies and allies to Stalin, were murdered or sent to gulags in Siberia, where 90% of them died.
What is the scene of animals making false confessions and being executed?
In reality, Snowball fought at the Battle of Cowshed, leading the other animals skillfully and getting injured (a bullet wound) in the process. By the end of the novel, what is the story the animals are told about his participation in this battle?
What is openly fighting on Jones' side and leading the human forces, shouting "Long Live Humanity!"?
Squealer takes the sheep aside for a whole day to teach them this "new song".
What is "four legs good, two legs BETTER"?
This raven preaches about Sugar Candy Mountain to the animals. He is allowed to stay on Animal Farm, even though Napoleon does not believe in what he says, because it helps keep the other animals from rebelling.
Who is Moses?
An example of breaking the rule: "No animal shall sleep in a bed"
What is pigs sleeping on the house beds and changing the rule to "with sheets"?
Which real-life figure does Old Major represent?
Who is Karl Marx?
When winter was cold and food was short, rations of all animals were reduced, except for those of the pigs and dogs. Squealer explained that they were NOT in reality having a food shortage, even though the animals were very hungry. These are some of the claims Squealer made to substantiate that there was no food shortage.
What is that they were producing more food, worked shorter hours, lived longer, had more children that survived infancy, had more straw in their stalls, and suffered less from fleas? What is, above all, that they were doing better than they had done in Jones' time (which none of the other animals could remember at this point)?
What is walking upright on two legs?
This rigid, controlling farmer of Pinchfield Farm next door to Animal Farm runs a tight police state. He is supposed to represent Hitler.
Who is Frederick?
An example of breaking the rule: "No animal shall kill any other animal?"
What are the executions, or Boxer's end?
This character represents the Russian Bolshevik leader Leon Trotsky, the main competitor to Stalin, who was exiled after Lenin died.
Who is Snowball?
Originally, animals were supposed to be able to retire when they reached certain ages. A field had been put aside as a pasture for elderly animals to graze in. However, after the pigs discovered certain barrels in the basement, Napoleon was inspired to do something else with that field.
What is grow barley for making alcohol?
When the animals look into the farmhouse window at the end of the chapter, they notice something shocking in the faces they see in there.