Animal Farm

george orwell

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animal farm

index

Quizzes

the plot

the characters

The author

George Orwell whose birth name was Eric Arthur Blair, was born on June 25th , 1903 in Motihari, Bengal, India and died on January 21st 1950 in London. He was an English novelist, essayist, and critic famous for his novels Animal Farm (1945) and Nineteen Eighty-four (1949). The latter of these is a profound anti-utopian novel that examines the dangers of totalitarian rule.

the author

01

• Mollie

• Minor Characters

• Benjamin

• Squealer

• Mr Jones

• Boxer

• Snowball

• Old major

• Napoleon

All Animals are equal

The characters

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04

03

02

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The novel ends with the pigs behaving and even dressing like the humans the animals tried to get rid of in the first place.

However, trouble brews as the pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, fight for the hearts and minds of the other animals on the farm. Napoleon seizes power by force and ends up exploiting the animals just as Farmer Jones had done.

The animals get fed up of their master, Farmer Jones, so they kick him out. Once they are free of the tyrant Jones, life on the farm is good for a while and there is hope for a happier future of less work, better education and more food.

Animal Farm is a novel about a group of animals who take control of the farm they live on.

The plot

03

Characters Activity

Form, Structure and Language Question

Themes Quiz

Characters Test Questions

Form, Structure and Language Quiz

Plot Summary Quiz

Quizzes

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Old Major is Mr Jones' prize boar. He gathers all the animals together in the big barn to make a speech. He tells the animals that mankind and Mr Jones are the 'enemy', it is their fault that the animals' lives are miserable. He points out how cruel the men are to the animals - consuming without producing. He says that one day a rebellion will come - the animals will overthrow mankind and live in harmony. Old Major is very intelligent, well-respected, an excellent speaker and an inspiration to the animals. He ends his speech by teaching the animals a song called Beasts of England. It is about a time when animals are free and humans are overthrown. He dies shortly after giving his speech and the other pigs take what they learnt from him and create 'Animalism', a set of rules for animals to live by.

Napoleon is a threatening and 'fierce looking' Berkshire boar. He is one of the three pigs that take Old Major's ideas and turn them into 'Animalism' - a system of thought that encourages the animals to rebel. He is not a gifted speaker but is known for getting his own way. He also manages to get the support of the sheep, he encourages them to chant 'four legs good, two legs bad' during debates, preventing others making their points. He takes two litters of puppies from their mothers and brings them up himself. Once they have grown up he uses them to take control of the farm. After he has done this, he and the other pigs start to break the Seven Commandments that the animals agreed to live by. He eventually becomes as much of a tyrant as Mr Jones ever was and exploits the other animals.

Snowball is one of the key pigs who take the teachings of Old Major and turn them into a way of thinking called 'Animalism'. He is an intelligent and animated pig. He comes up with new ideas and cares about the working animals. His plans and ideas revolve around providing education and better conditions on the farm. He is also a brave fighter, organising the animals during 'The Battle of the Cowshed'. Napoleon does not like Snowball's ideas and so has him chased off the farm by his guard dogs. We do not see Snowball after this incident. He is used by Napoleon as a scapegoat - anything that goes wrong on the farm is blamed on him. Napoleon also convinces the animals that Snowball was never brave during the battle and was actually on Mr Jones' side.

Boxer, a horse, is a tragic hero. He is a hard worker, strong, loyal and caring. He also fights bravely against the humans. Unfortunately, he is too loyal, the pigs take advantage of this and work him until he collapses. Then they sell him to the horse slaughterer so that they can buy more whisky. Whenever something goes wrong, he blames himself and vows to work even harder. His favourite sayings are 'Napoleon is always right' and 'I will work harder'. He is the strongest animal and could easily fight off the pigs and dogs. He never does though, as he is too used to taking orders.

Mr Jones is the owner of Manor Farm. He neglects the animals, spends most of his time drinking and reading the newspaper and not feeding them. He is taken by surprise by the animals when they fight back against him and his men, so much so that he is thrown off the farm. He tries twice to take back the farm but both attempts fail. He ends up dying in a home for alcoholics.

Squealer is another of the three most important pigs. Like Snowball he is clever and a good speaker and he is excellent at persuading the other animals. He ends up being Napoleon's spokesperson - he delivers his orders, explains his choices and tells lies to support Napoleon. He delivers propaganda to the other animals. It is also hinted that he reports back to Napoleon about what the other animals say.

Benjamin is an old and pessimistic donkey. No one on the farm knows exactly how old he is but it is hinted that he has been around for a very long time. He is never enthusiastic when things go well for the animals; likewise, he is never surprised or upset when things go wrong. He often gives vague answers. Some might say that he is a realist. He is close friends with Boxer and plans to spend his retirement with him. He calls all the other animals to help when Boxer is being taken away by the horse slaughterer.

• Clover - the mother figure of the farm. A kind and caring horse that sees the faults in Napoleon’s rule but like Boxer, lacks the words to express herself.
• The dogs - there are good dogs: Bluebell, Jessie and Pitcher, then there are Napoleon's dogs that he uses to police the farm. They represent the secret organisations of the police.
• The hens - they bravely protest about their eggs being taken.
• Moses - Jones' pet raven, also a preacher.
• The young pigs - they speak out against Napoleon and are executed as a result.
• The sheep - they interrupt debate on the farm with chants of "four legs good, two legs b
• ad". They play a crucial role in Napoleon's rise to power. Mr Pilkington - an 'easy going' gentleman farmer who spends most of his time hunting.
• Mr Frederick - a tough farmer who fights to get what he wants.
• Mr Whymper - a lawyer that the pigs hire.

A horse that is happy to be ruled by humans because they seesome advantages to the comfort they offer