Animal Farm Chapters 1-4

Old Major - Gets the revolution started; inspires real hope for change

Napoleon - Expels Snowball out of the farm; and a despot

Snowball - Tries to increase the standard of living among the animals, but is corrupted.

Squealer - Helps Napoleon convince animals that Napoleon is always right

Boxer - Self-sacrificing, but dim

Mollie - Lazy and vain

Moses - Dependent on the ruling class--whether Mr. Jones or the pigs; a clever talker

Benjamin - Clever but is cynical



PERSONAL RESPONSE

Q1) What is your reaction to the animals' complaints and goals?

Ans: I think that the animals were right in starting the rebellion. However, I do not think that the rebellion will last long and it will be ineffective as the pigs were dominant even before the rebellion.

Q2) Do you sympathize with the animals' complaints and goals? Why and why not?

Ans: Yes, I sympathize with the animals' complaints and goals. Jones ill-treated the animals and took all their fruits of labour, while he did nothing except terrorise the animals.

ANALYZING LITERATURE

Q1) Describe how the Rebellion takes place. How does the animals' behavior during the Rebellion suggest both human and animal characteristics?

Ans: The animals cooperated and chased Mr Jones out of the farm. At the beginning, the pigs already started to be more privilliged than the other animals because they could drink milk and eat apples, and they were the only ones that voiced opinions during meetings.

Q2) How do the pigs gain the rights to the cow's milk? Why do the other animals allow this to occur? What does this event suggest about the power hierarchy on the farm?

Ans: They convinced the animals that the cow's milk was essential to the well-being of the pigs, who did all the brainwork of the farm. The other animals allowed this to occur because they feared Jones might return if the pigs were unwell. This shows that pigs held the greatest power on the farm and that they used this to their advantage.

Q3) How does the original vision of Animalism become the slogan "Four legs bad, two legs good"? In your opinion, do the animals want rules with simple language? What kind of language do the pigs use?

Ans: Originally, the vision of Animalism were on the seven commandments but the animals did not know how to read and write, so the slogan was created to allow all animals on the farm to understand. The pigs used English.

Q4) What technique does Orwell use to cast doubt on the likelihood of a successful revolution?

Ans: He portrayed many characters that were sceptical of the revolution being able to be successfully completed.

Q5) Characterize Snowball as a leader. Do you think his reaction to the stable-boy's death is the appropriate reaction to have during a revolution?

Ans: I feel that he is ruthless. I think that Snowball's reaction is not approriate during a revolution, because violence will solve nothing.