This is a comprehensive and detailed study guide with questions and answers based on the book Animal Farm by George Orwell.
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Questions with ** require research and are extra credit. Answer other questions to the best of your
ability. Long answers that don’t fit the space may be listed by chapter on a separate sheet of paper.
1. The animals act as animals do (ex. cows chew their cuds). Because they think and speak, they also
seem to represent types of humans. What types of people do these animals represent?
Boxer
Mollie
The cat
2. Keeping in mind the Russian Revolution, whom do the animals collectively represent? Thinking of
the allegory, what person does Old Major represent?
3. Specifically in Russia’s history, whom might Mr. Jones represent? In general power struggles, whom
might he represent?
4. When Old Major addresses the animals, what emotions is Orwell trying to arouse in the reader?
5. Why do you suppose Orwell has this microcosm (miniature fictional world) set in England, rather
than Russia? Why might he name the human farmer “Mr. Jones”?
6. While Orwell is making fun of revolutionary rhetoric, which truth in the speech seems sincere?
7. Early in the story how considerate are the animals, who represent the exploited masses) to each
other?
8. The revolutionary rhetoric has stirred and united them. What is the first sign of potential disunity?
9. Old Major warns the animals that they must always be hostile to Man and his ways. Specifically,
what are man’s evil ways?
10. As they sing the song “Beasts of England,” what is the mood in the barn?
11. Some critics see Old Major’s speech as a parody that makes fun of overblown revolutionary
rhetoric. How can a parody mock something while still being deadly serious?
12. The sentiments expressed in the song may represent Orwell’s feelings, but how does the tune go? Is
there meaning to his tune choice?
, Chapter II
Vocabulary
vivacious- lively scullery- kitchen
stove- kicked unalterable- unchangeable
ecstasy- great joy gamboled- frisked
1. Old Major dies, but his dream has awakened all the animals. Whose job is it to lead and organize the
animals? Why them?
2. If there is a classless society which strives to treat everyone the same, why do the pigs take the lead?
3. Within the ranks of the pigs, which three are predominant? Why?
4. What is suggested about Sugarcandy Mountain? What does the name of the raven suggest?
5. If Mr. Jones represents the state, who is the raven, Moses, meant to represent? What is implied
about the relationship between the two?
6. What is “Animalism,” and what does it represent?
7. How does revolution come about?
8. After Jones runs off, what image of the animals does the reader get?
9. Napoleon leads the animals back to the storage shed and serves everyone a double ration of corn.
How did he become the one to pass out the food? Why do you suppose he gives the dogs two
additional biscuits?
10. On what did the animals base the Seven Commandments?
11. The reader is told at the end of Chapter 2 that when the animals came back, “the milk had
disappeared.” What does this mean?
12. From whose point of view is this story written?
Chapter III
Vocabulary
acute- sharp chaff- wasted part
dockerel- rooster cryptic- mysterious
paddock- small fenced in field indefatigable- untiring
1. We are told “the pigs were so clever that they could think of a way round every difficulty.”
Apparently it is because of their cleverness that they do not do physical work, but supervise others.
Yet, in terms of the business of farming, who understands it better than anyone else does, even better
than Jones?
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