Politics
Miscellaneous Terms
Character Descriptions
Character Quotations
Connections between the Novel and History
100
This is the parallel episode and symbolic significance of The Russian Civil War.
What is the Battle of Cowshed?
100
This is the name of the philosophy which the animals live by after the overthrow of Mr. Jones. It is synonymous with Communism.
What is Animalism?
100
This character is described in the following passage: “A white stripe down his nose gave him a somewhat stupid appearance, and in fact he was not of first-rate intelligence, but he was universally respected for his steadiness of character and tremendous powers of work” (26).
Who is Boxer?
100
This character says the following: “Will there be sugar after the Rebellion?” (36)
Who is Mollie?
100
Napoleon's dogs (as described in the following passage) represent this. “Though not yet full-grown, they were huge dogs, and as fierce-looking as wolves. They kept close to Napoleon” (68).
What is Stalin's police force (the KGB)?
200
This person wrote about social equality in the Communist Manifesto.
Who is Karl Marx?
200
This is the spreading of lies in order to promote one cause while damaging the opposing one (such as how Squealer makes up facts about the amount of food the animals have, even though they are starving).
What is propaganda?
200
This character is described in the following passage: “ . . . Mr. Jones’s especial pet, was a spy and a tale-bearer, but he was also a clever talker. He claimed to know of the existence of a mysterious country called Sugarcandy Mountain, to which all animals went when they died” (37).
Who is Moses?
200
This character says the following: “Why then do we continue in this miserable condition? Because nearly the whole of the produce of our labour is stolen from us by human beings. There, comrades, is the answer to all our problems. It is summed up in a single word—Man” (28).
Who is Old Major?
200
The following passage parallels this event in Russian history: “They had never seen anything like it before, and this sudden uprising of creatures whom they were used to thrashing and maltreating just as they chose, frightened them almost out of their wits. After only a moment or two they gave up trying to defend themselves and took to their heels” (39).
What is the overthrow of Czar Nicholas II?
300
In this political system, there is an unequal distribution of wealth among a nation's people.
What is capitalism?
300
Animal Farm is sometimes considered to be this genre because the story features animal that speak.
What is a fable?
300
This character is described in the following passage: He “was a more vivacious pig than Napoleon, quicker in speech and more inventive, but was not considered to have the same depth of character” (35).
Who is Snowball?
300
This character says the following: “I have no wish to take life, not even human life” (59).
Who is Boxer?
300
The pigs mentioned in the following passage represent these two historical figures who competed for power after Lenin's death: “Three nights later Old Major died peacefully in his sleep. . . Preeminent among the pigs [who took charge after Major’s death] were two young boars named Snowball and Napoleon” (35).
Who are Stalin and Trotsky?
400
This is a form of socialism in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed.
What is communism?
400
This is when the audience knows something that the characters themselves do not understand (such as when the animals believe that Boxer had died a peaceful death).
What is dramatic irony?
400
This character is described in the following passage: “ . . . a solicitor living in Willingdon, had agreed to act as intermediary between Animal Farm and the outside world, and would visit the farm every Monday morning to receive his instructions” (77).
Who is Mr. Whymper?
400
This character says the following: “I was at his bedside at the very last. And at the end, almost too weak to speak he whispered in my ear that his sole sorrow was to have passed on before the windmill was finished” (124).
Who is Squealer?
400
The Pigs (as described in the following passage) represent these historical figures: “The working of teaching and organizing the others fell naturally upon the pigs, who were generally recognizsed as being the cleverest of the animals," (15).
Who are the Loyalists of the Communist Party?
500
Orwell said that he wrote against totalitarianism but in favor of this two-word term that refers to a system in which the people have rights but are also required to share the wealth.
What is democratic socialism?
500
This is the name of the tenets the animals create for themselves.
What is Animalism?
500
This character is described in the following passage: “He had flogged an old horse to death, he starved his cows, he had killed a dog by throwing it into the furnace” (102).
Who is Frederick?
500
This character says the following: “Serves you right” (107).
Who is Mr. Pilkington?
500
Mollie's desire for nice things and better treats and opposal to changer were parallel to this group in Russian history. "As winter drew on, Mollie became more and more troublesome. She was late for work every morning..."(45).
What are the White Russians?
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