Enter Category Name
How does Napoleon seize power?
Napoleon trains a litter of puppies to be loyal to him: when they are fully grown, he uses the dogs to chase Snowball, his main rival, off the farm. Napoleon justifies his takeover by telling the other animals that Snowball was a traitor secretly working for the human farmers
What is Animalism
Napoleon, Snowball and Squealer develop Old Major’s idea that animals have a right to freedom and equality into “a complete system of thought” which they call Animalism. The central beliefs of Animalism are expressed in the Seven Commandments, painted on the wall of the big barn.
What does Boxer represent
Within Animal Farm’s allegory of Soviet history, Boxer represents the Russian working class. Boxer does most of the work on the farm, and his strength and size give him a great deal of power. However, he is illiterate and trusting, which makes it easy for the pigs to trick him into submitting to their leadership.
How does Mr. Frederick trick Napoleon
Mr. Frederick agrees to pay a high price for Animal Farm’s timber, and encourages Napoleon to insult Mr. Pilkington. Knowing that the animals are not familiar with money, Frederick pays for the timber in forged banknotes. When the forgery is discovered, Frederick attacks Animal Farm and destroys the windmill.
Explain the windmill controversy from Napoleon's point of view.
He thinks the major problem on the farm is increasing food production. He thinks the whole windmill thing is nonsense, or so he says, and urinates on Snowball's plans
Why does Mollie run away from the farm?
Mollie likes being praised, admiring herself, wearing pretty ribbons, eating sugar, and being stroked by humans. She does not like working on the farm
What changes does Napoleon make after his dogs chase Snowball off the farm?
There will be no more Sunday Meetings. The animals will now meet on Sundays to salute the flag, sing "Beasts of England," and receive their orders for the week
What changes have been made in the weekly meetings over the last year?
The pigs now decide the farm policy. Snowball and Napoleon still disagree over almost everything
Why don't the other animals protest Napoleon's decisions?
None of them is really smart enough to bring up any arguments. The sheep begin their bleating, and the dogs growl before anyone can think of a protest.
Note how the animals now arrange themselves when they enter the barn to receive their orders, as compared with the description in Chapter I.
Napoleon, Squealer, and Minimus, the poet, sit on a raised platform, The nine dogs sit in a semicircle around the three, and the other pigs sit behind them. The rest of the animals stand facing the pigs
What is the importance of the dogs' accompanying Squealer when he comes to talk to the animals?
Napoleon wants to make sure there is no protest or rebellion against his orders. In addition to Squealer's natural ability to convince, he has three vicious dogs to back him up.
How much work are the animals now doing?
The animals still believe they are working for themselves. Although they already work a 60-hour week during spring and summer, Napoleon informs them that they can volunteer for Sunday afternoon work, as well. However, any animal not volunteering will have his rations cut in half
Why does Napoleon decide to engage in trade with neighboring farms?
Because certain items such as paraffin oil and dog biscuits are in short supply, Napoleon decides to sell a stack of hay and part of the wheat crop. Later they may have to sell some of the hens' eggs
How do the animals react?
They are troubled and think they remember a resolution against trade with humans. Four young pigs try to protest but are silenced by the dogs' growls and the sheeps' bleating of the slogan, "Four legs good, two legs bad." Squealer later explains the decision and asks if they have seen such a resolution written down, but no such record is found
How is the windmill destroyed? Why does Napoleon blame Snowball?
A violent November storm blows it down. Instead of admitting that the windmill's walls were not thick enough to support it against a strong wind, Napoleon blames Snowball for blowing it up. Since Snowball had drawn up the plans, the blame for its failure is partly his
Why does Napoleon insist the windmill must be rebuilt immediately?
Napoleon probably had many reasons, including preventing the animals from becoming too discouraged to begin building if they wait until spring. By keeping the animals busy building a windmill that will supposedly ease life for all of them, the animals will forget how miserably cold and hungry they are during the hard winter
Why does Napoleon order that the hens' eggs be sold?
The animals are nearly starving and there is almost no food left. The hens must give up their eggs for sale so that meal and grain can be purchase for the good of all
How does Napoleon react when the hens rebel against his orders?
He orders the hens' food rations cut off. If any other animals give any food to the chickens, they are to be killed. The dogs enforce his orders. Nine hens die of starvation before then hens give up their five-day protest
Why does Napoleon revive the threat of the farm being sabotaged by Snowball?
Snowball is the perfect scapegoat, the one who can be blamed when something goes wrong. It is not the pigs' fault when a storage-shed key is lost, or the cows' fault when they don't give much milk - it is Snowball's fault. They need an outside enemy to hate, someone they can accuse in place of wrongdoers. Snowball is discredited totally through the use of lies and false accusations. The other animals want to disagree but can't, and finally give in and agree with Boxer that if Napoleon says it is so, it is, because "Napoleon is always right."
Explain why the animals confessed to being traitors. Or is there any explanation?
The four pigs who are taken first are the same four who had disagreed previously with Napoleon's decisions. They probably are guilty of not wholeheartedly supporting Napoleon's policies. Next, the three hens who had led the egg rebellion confess, as do many others, to crimes against the state. death might be seen as a release for these poor animals at this point.
Why does Napoleon order the animals to stop singing "Beasts of England?"
The rebellion is over, and the pigs are in control of the farm. Even though the rest of the animals seem too dull-witted to realize that the pigs are just as bad as Mr. Jones, one might finally realize that one rebellion was not enough and lead another rebellion, this time against the pigs. The bleating of the sheep keeps any of the animals from protesting. One of the last traces of the society envisioned by Major is now gone, replaced by a patriotic song about Napoleon, leader of Animal Farm
What purpose is served by the production figures Squealer reads to the animals?
The pigs fool the other animals by manipulating facts and figures to prove they are producing more and are much better off than they have ever been before. Nobody can dispute facts! Not even today
How is Napoleon becoming more and more like a typical dictator?
He is rarely seen in public, is always surrounded by his guard dogs, has an entourage that attends him whenever he goes out, has his own apartment in the house, has a taster for his food, and eats alone off fine china. The gun is also fired on his birthday. He has added many titles to his name, including "Terror of Mankind."
Describe the sale of the stack of lumber. How does Napoleon outwit himself?
The lumber is to be sold first to Mr. Pilkington and then to Mr. Frederick. Napoleon plays the men against each other until he gets the price he wants. He insists on being paid in banknotes, which turn out to be forgeries. When Frederick attacks the farm, Pilkington refuses to help Napoleon
What makes the battle against Frederick's men different from the Battle of the Cowshed?
There is no strategic defense planned for the farm. The men are better prepared and have more weapons, and the leaderless animals quickly hide