Animal Farm Chapters 1-5 Review

Question  Who does Old Major parallel in Russian history?

Karl Marx or Vladimir Lenin  Marx was the original revolutionist, like Old Major.  Their ideas inspired others to rebel.  Lenin’s body was put on display in Red Square of Moscow like Old Major’s skull was displayed at the foot of the flagstaff next to the gun in Chapter 5.

Question  Who is Farmer Jones in the Russian Revolution?

Czar Nicholas II  Both were poor leaders, leaving for periods of time and treating their people (animals) poorly.

Question  In Chapter 1, Mr. Jones takes his gun and shoots it 6 times into the darkness after Old Major incites the animals to rebel.  What is this like in Russian history?

Bloody Sunday (Revolution of 1905)  Czar Nicholas II shot at the people who were petitioning for more food and rights on Jan. 22 nd, 1905 at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg.

Question  Who is Napoleon in the Russian Revolution?

Joseph Stalin  Napoleon and Stalin were ruthless dictators who became worse leaders than their predecessors, Farmer Jones and Czar Nicholas II.

Question  Who is Snowball in the Russian Revolution?

Leon Trotsky  Both were original revolutionaries.  Trotsky was the leader and the hero of the Red Army, just like Snowball was the leader and the hero of the Battle of Cowshed.

Also…  Snowball gets kicked off of Animal Farm by Napoleon like Trotsky gets exiled from Russia by Stalin.  Both were more intelligent than Stalin and Napoleon.  Both were made out to be traitors.

Question  Who are the pigs in the Russian Revolution?

The Intelligentsia  They were the educated Russians.  They encouraged others to rebel.

Question  Who does Boxer parallel in the Russian Revolution?

The Proletariat or the Working Class  The proletariat were the uneducated and easily manipulated people who only wanted more land and an end to the war.  Most of the animals were uneducated and wanted to be free from the clutches of Man.

Question  What is Animalism in the Russian Revolution?

Marxism, Communism, and / or Socialism  All promoted an equal, classless society

Also…The Beasts of England is like…  the song, The Communist Internationale.  They are both the anthems that favored an equal and bright future for all.

Question  What do Sugarcandy Mountain and Moses parallel in the Russian Revolution?

The Russian Orthodox Church  All provided hope for the people / animals.  Stalin and the pigs were threatened by these ideas.  The church was dejected, just like Sugarcandy Mountain and Moses were.

Question  What does the overthrow of Farmer Jones parallel in the Russian Revolution?

The February Revolution  The people and the animals were starving and decided to riot.  Czar Nicholas II and Farmer Jones were both overthrown.

Question  Who does Mollie represent in the Russian Revolution?

The Bourgeoisie and possibly the White Army  Mollie was the upper middle working class.  Neither were in favor of the revolution because luxuries would be lost.  Mollie actually leaves the farm, but she is never heard from again.  Did she join the White Army?

Question  Who is Squealer in the Russian Revolution?

The Media  He represents Stalin’s ideas via the newspaper and media outlets.  Using propaganda, the media manipulated the Russian people and took advantage of their low intelligence.

Question  Manor Farm, later Animal Farm, parallels which place?

Russia and / or the USSR USSR stands for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, aka the Soviet Union.

Question  What type of propaganda is used here?  “ ‘Our sole object in taking these things (milk and apples) is to promote our health.’”

Bad Logic  Bad logic- An argument based on false premises  The pigs don’t really need milk and apples to promote their health.  They are just being selfish.

Question  What type of propaganda is being used here?  “ ‘ Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well being of a pig.’”

Transference and / or Bad Logic  Squealer is trying to transfer the authority of science to his argument that the pigs need the milk and apples.  Bad logic because this just doesn’t really make sense.

Question  What kind of propaganda is being used here?  “ ‘ We pigs are the brainworkers.’”

Loaded Words or Stereotyping  “Brainworkers” is a loaded word, creating a certain reaction in the animals.  It is also stereotyping the pigs as the smartest of the animals.

Question  What kind of propaganda is being used here?  “ ‘ Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples.’”

Bad logic  It is not for the animals’ sakes that the pigs eat the apples and drink the milk.  They do it because they are selfish.

Question  What kind of propaganda is used here?  “ ‘Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back!’”

Fear  Squealer is taking advantage of the animals’ fears that Jones will come back.  Things will go back to the way they were before if they don’t listen to the pigs.

Question  What kind of propaganda is used here?  “ ‘…surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?’”

Fear and Bandwagon  Fear about Jones coming back  Bandwagon because Squealer says they should all feel this way

Question  Snowball and Napoleon try to stir up ideas of rebellion to neighbouring farm animals.  What is this like in the Russian Revolution?

Lenin spreading his ideas before he and the Bolsheviks take over  Lenin told the people what they wanted to hear…he could get them land and stop the war

Question  Who is Pilkington and what is his farm, Foxwood, in the Russian Revolution?

Winston Churchill of England  He is a combination of all the leaders of England.

Question  Who is Mr. Frederick and his farm, Pinchfield?

Adolf Hitler of Germany  He, like Frederick, was a “tough, shrewd” man who didn’t get along with many.

Question  What kind of propaganda is being used here?  Frederick and Pilkington “began to talk of the terrible wickedness that now flourished on Animal Farm.”

Demonizing the Enemy  Animal Farm is being described as worthless and immoral because they are the enemy of these 2 men.

Question  When Jones and his men come back in Chapter 4 to try to retake their farm, what is this compared to in Russian history? (This is the Battle of the Cowshed.)

The October Revolution  This is when the Bolsheviks, and the pigs, solidify their presence and their status on the farm and in the country.  Both were expected to occur.

Question  What is the symbol that is used to represent and remember the victory at the Battle of Cowshed?

The gun at the foot of the flagstaff  It would be fired “twice a year, once on the anniversary of the Battle of the Cowshed, and once on Midsummer Day, the anniversary of the Rebellion.”

Question  Who are Clover, Benjamin, and Muriel most like in the Russian Revolution?

The are most like the intelligentsia  They are smart enough to figure out what is going on, but they choose not to get involved.

Question  Snowball and Napoleon disagree about the building of the windmill.  What is this similar to in history?

The 5 year plans  Trotsky wanted to develop Russia’s industry.  His 5 year plans were stolen by Stalin, like Napoleon stole Snowball’s plans for the windmill at the end of Chapter 5.

Question  What kind of propaganda is being used here?  “Snowball conjured up pictures of fantastic machines which would do their work for them while they grazed at their ease…”

Glittering Generalities  Creating an illusion on no particular grounds

Question  Napoleon uses what kind of propaganda here?  “Napoleon argued that the great need of the moment was to increase food production, and that if they wasted time on the windmill they would all starve to death.”

Fear  Like Stalin, Napoleon favored agriculture and wanted to scare the animals into believing they would die if they didn’t follow him.

Question  In addition to fighting over the windmill, what were Snowball and Napoleon’s views on the defence of the farm?

They disagreed about war.  Napoleon wanted to get firearms and train all to use them.  Snowball said weapons would not be necessary if rebellions occurred everywhere. They would have no need to defend themselves with weapons.

Didn’t the Russian people want the end to war?  Yes.  This is ironic because this is probably what Napoleon and Stalin both really wanted.  Yet they used a platform of peace to become a leader.

Question  Why do you think Napoleon did not exile Snowball sooner?

He wanted to steal his ideas for the windmill.  Just like Stalin, Napoleon wanted to use Trotsky until his brains were no longer necessary.

Question  Who are the puppies of Jessie and Bluebell that are being “educated” by Napoleon compared to in Russian society?

The KGB, or secret police  They were trained to carry out Stalin’s dirty work.  As grown dogs, they force Snowball into exile, as the KGB had a role in Trotsky’s exile and assassination, too.

Question  How is Napoleon becoming a dictator?

Many things:  No more Sunday meetings  A special committee of pigs, run by Napoleon, would make all decisions.  Animals would only receive orders and salute the flag on Sunday mornings.

In the upcoming chapters, watch for these things:  the problems the farm will encounter, especially with the windmill  the arrival of Mr. Whymper  the changes to the 7 commandments

Also, watch for…  the business arrangements between Napoleon, Frederick, and Pilkington  how Snowball is involved  the hens rebellion

And don’t forget to read…  Chapter 7- the best (and most brutal) chapter of them all, in my opinion  The sale of the timber  The Battle of the Windmill  Make sure you know what all of these are in history!

And finally…  Boxer’s decline  The return of Sugarcandy mountain  The meeting between Napoleon, Pilkington, and Frederick

Chapters 5-10  These chapters are post Russian Revolution, but they still parallel Russian history.  Happy reading!