Animal Farm by George Orwell English I Review Sheet Themes:

 Language is a powerful tool for persuasion o Old Major uses language to unite the animals in a vision of a wonderful future; o Snowball's followers are attracted by his enthusiastic and highly descriptive talk of the life they can make for themselves; his passion is persuasive; Snowball himself is largely inspired by READING books. (Napoleon uses force and gives favors (bribes) to get followers); o Squealer tricks the animals into believing his "hogwash" because of he speaks with passion and intelligence; they trust him because he speaks so well that he must be smart and therefore correct. He also knows how to use the power of suggestion to create guilt and fear to control the animals without ever openly threatening them.  Individuals must fight for rights and equality under the law o Even though some of the animals suspect that Napoleon is leading them away from their dream, no one will take a stand against him—they lie to themselves (like Boxer, thinking that the executions must have resulted from some fault in the animals themselves) or remain cynical or aloof, like Benjamin (who refuses to believe life can be better). o Ironically, Boxer is somewhat correct when he believes that the animals themselves are to blame for the horrible way things are turning out under Napoleon's reign of terror. The animals accept being led and are willing to suffer because it is easier than recognizing the truth and risking their lives to make a change, and when some (like the chickens) resist Napoleon's tyranny, none of the others help them.  Absolute power leads to corruption o The nature of animals seems to be to prefer comfort and leisure to hard, physical work, and since the work must be done, whoever is in the position of trusted leadership will be tempted to take advantage. How many are able to withstand such temptation and always put the best interests of others ahead of their own?

Characters: Character Mr. and Mrs. Jones

Brief Description in your own words

Quote from the text that illustrates character. Include page number

Own The Manor Farm; Mr. Jones is selfish in that he does not always take good care of his animals.

Mr. Jones spent his time "sitting in the taproom of the Red Lion complaining… of the monstrous injustice he had suffered in being turned out of his property by a pack of good-for-nothing animals."(33)

Old Major

"Remember... in fighting against Man, we must not come to resemble him."

The Dogs Boxer

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Benjamin

"God had given him a tail to keep the flies off… he would sooner have had no tail and no flies" (3) "Fools!...They are taking Boxer to the knacker's!"(106)

Snowball

Napoleon

Squealer

Most persuasive speaker; can tell animals that black is white and they believe him. Hops from side to side and whisks his tail when he talks. Serves as mouthpiece for Napoleon.

The sheep

"four legs good; two legs bad" "four legs good; two legs better!"

Mr. Whymper

A solicitor (lawyer)Liaison between Napoleon and the neighboring farms.

The Seven Commandments of Animalism created by Napoleon and Snowball before the rebellion eventually are broken. In the chart below, write when the commandments are broken, and explain how they are altered, if they are altered Commandments

When Broken

Revision, if any

1. No animal shall wear clothes. 2. No animal shall drink alcohol. 3. No animal shall kill any other animal. 4. All animals are equal.

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Literary Elements: Foreshadowing Foreshadowing is the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in the plot. In the chart below, explain how the passage provided foreshadows a future event in the novel 1. “And remember… that in fighting against Man, we must not come to resemble him.”

2. Napoleon took them [puppies] away from their mothers, saying that he would make himself responsible for their education.

3. “I believe the time will come when we shall find that Snowball’s part in it [Battle of the Cowshed] was much exaggerated.”

4. Tired out but proud, the animals walked round and round their masterpiece… the walls were twice as thick as before. Nothing short of explosives would lay them low…

Vocabulary Activities Circle the letter of the word or phrase that most nearly defines the italicized word in each excerpt from Animal Farm. 1. At one end of the big barn, on a sort of raised platform, Major was already ensconced on his bed of straw… a. asleep b. settled

c. covered d. standing

2. Preeminent among the pigs were two young board named Snowball and Napoleon, whom Mr. Jones was breeding up for sale. a. largest b. preferred

c. superior d. famous

3. He did his work in the same slow obstinate way as he had done it in Jones’s time, never shirking and never volunteering for extra work either. a. stubborn b. painful

c. hesitant d. obliging

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4. [H]e would say only, “Donkeys live a long time. None of you has ever seen a dead donkey,” and the others had to be content with this cryptic answer. a. reasonable b. Blunt

c. senseless d. puzzling

5. Snowball also busied himself with organizing the other animals into what he called Animal Committees. He was indefatigable at this. a. frustrated b. tireless

c. encouraged d. insistent

6. Any animal caught singing it was given a flogging on the spot. And yet it was irrepressible. a. incessant b. not restrained

c. respectable d. not pertinent

7. And so within five minutes of their invasion, they were in ignominious retreat by the same way as they had come… a. haphazard b. shameful

c. irrational d. unoriginal

8. In glowing sentences he painted a picture of Animal Farm as it might be when sordid labour was lifted from the animals’ backs. a. dishonorable c. harmful b. sickening d. difficult 9. In sheer malignity, thinking to set back our plans and avenge himself for his ignominious expulsion, this traitor has crept here under cover of night and destroyed our work of nearly a year. a. premeditation b. disloyalty

c. malice d. secrecy

10. In the late summer yet another of Snowball’s machinations was laid bare. a. foolish ideas b. misfortunes

c. schemes d. mechanisms

B. Circle the letter of the antonym that is most nearly opposite in meaning for each word in bold type. 11. benevolent:

(a) expansive (b) cruel

12. vivacious:

(a) lifeless

13. tractable:

(a) adhering

14. conciliatory: (a) unfriendly

(c) compassionate

(b) spirited (c) lifelike

(d) wise

(d) effective

(b) easily followed (c) traditional (d) uncontrollable (b) appeasing

15. superannuated: (a) overworked

(c) diplomatic

(d) working as a group

(b) new (c) managed (d) obsolete

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Literary Elements: Irony Irony is the difference between appearance or expectation and reality. Verbal irony occurs when someone says one things but means something else. Dramatic irony occurs when what a character believes to be true the reader knows is not. Situational irony occurs when there is a difference between what is expected or what would be appropriate and what really does happen. In the table below, identify whether the passages are verbal, dramatic, or situational irony, and explain the irony in each passage. Passage 1. Then there were lamp oil and candles for the house, sugar for Napoleon’s own table (he forbade this to the other pigs, on the ground that it made them fat)…

Type of Irony

2. But the luxuries of which Snowball had once taught the animals to dream… Napoleon had denounced such ideas as contrary to the spirit of Animalism. The truest happiness, he said, lay in working hard and living frugally. 3. . [T]hey were happy in their work; they grudged no effort or sacrifice, well aware that everything that they did was for the benefit of themselves and those of their kind… and not for a pack of idle, thieving human beings.

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Explanation