Animal Farm Assessment Review

Animal Farm Assessment Review

What You Need to Know

• Major characters and what they represent

• Allegory and satire

• Old Major’s speech

• Ethos, pathos, and logos

• Propaganda techniques

• Major events in Animal Farm

• Napoleon’s rise to power

• Squealer’s role and manipulation

• The Seven Commandments

• Major themes

• Connections to the Russian Revolution and Stalin’s Soviet Union

• Old Major → inspires the rebellion; represents Lenin and ideas connected to Marxism

• Napoleon → authoritarian leader; represents Joseph Stalin

• Snowball → revolutionary leader and Napoleon’s rival; represents Leon Trotsky

• Squealer → spreads propaganda and manipulates information

• Boxer → loyal, hardworking, but not highly educated

• Mr. Jones → represents the old ruling system the animals overthrow

Characters & Historical Connections

Match

Identify each animal by matching it with the correct characterization

• Napoleon

• Squealer

• Snowball

• Boxer

• Old Major

A tyrannical leader who uses fear tactic

A brilliant talker; Represents the propa

A leader in the revolution; More enthusi

Huge, strong horse; not very smart, but

Began the whole idea of the revolution;

• A tyrannical leader who uses fear tactic

• A brilliant talker; Represents the propa

• A leader in the revolution; More enthusi

• Huge, strong horse; not very smart, but

• Began the whole idea of the revolution;

• Uses humor, exaggeration, irony, or criticism to expose problems

• Orwell uses the animals and farm to criticize abuses of political power

​Satire

• Characters/events represent people, ideas, or events beyond the story

• Animal Farm represents events connected to the Russian Revolution and Stalin’s Soviet Union

​Allegory

Allegory and Satire

​Ask: What does this character/event represent? What is Orwell criticizing?

Multiple Choice

How is Animal Farm an allegory?

• Napoleon's purges, forced confessions of pigs, sheep, hens, etc.

• Animal Farm is an allegory because it uses fictional characters and events to symbolize the Russian Communist Revolution and the Soviet Union under Stalin's cruel reign of terror.

• Revolutions may result in a change of political power but people's lives remain basically the same, power corrupts those who possess it, people's ignorance contribute to their political and social oppression, and in society, individuals are not treated equally.

• Animal Farm is an allegorical satire through which Orwell indirectly attacks the Russian Communism under Stalin.

​How Old Major Starts the Revolution

• Old Major explains why the animals are unhappy

• He identifies humans as the source of their suffering

• He introduces the idea of rebellion

• His speech inspires the animals to imagine a different future

• “Beasts of England” becomes a symbol of their hopes and revolutionary ideals

Multiple Choice

What is the significance of Old Major’s speech at the beginning of Animal Farm?

• It warns the animals about Napoleon’s future leadership.

• It introduces the idea of rebellion and inspires the animals to rise against humans.

• It convinces the animals that working harder will improve their lives.

• It forces the animals to immediately overthrow Mr. Jones.

​Rhetorical Appeals

• Ethos → credibility/trust

• Pathos → emotions

• Logos → logic/reason

• Ask: How is the speaker trying to persuade the audience?

• Fear, sadness, anger, hope → look for pathos

• Experience or authority → look for ethos

• Facts/reasoning → look for logos

Multiple Choice

In his speech, Old Major says the following: "I feel it my duty to pass on to you such wisdom as I have acquired. I have had a long life, I have had much time for thought as I lay alone in my stall, and I think I may say that I understand the nature of life on this earth as well as any animal now living."

Which rhetorical device is being used?

• Ethos

• Pathos

• Logos

Multiple Choice

Squealer was able to convince the animals that giving the apples and milk to the pigs was a benefit to all of them by asking, "Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back. Yes! Jones would come back!" Squealer uses a fear tactic as what rhetorical device?

• Ethos

• Pathos

• Logos

​Propaganda Techniques

• Loaded Words → emotionally powerful language

• Pinpointing the Enemy → identifies one person/group as the cause of problems

• Scapegoating → unfairly places blame on someone/group

• Slogan → short, memorable phrase

• Plain Folks → speaker presents themselves as an ordinary person

• Glittering Generalities → positive-sounding words without specific evidence

• Propaganda is designed to influence, not simply inform.

Multiple Choice

Old Major says:

“There, comrades, is the answer to all our problems. It is summed up in a single word—Man.”

What propaganda technique is Old Major using?

• Slogan

• Plain folks

• Pinpointing the Enemy

• Loaded Words

Multiple Choice

Old Major's speech: Let us face it: our lives are miserable, laborious, and short... and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength; and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty. No animal in England knows the meaning of happiness or leisure after he is a year old. No animal in England is free. The life of an animal is misery and slavery

What propaganda technique is being used?

• Scapegoating

• Loaded Words (provokes emotions; involves the use of transfer)

• Faulty Logic

• Glittering Generalities

Multiple Choice

What type of propaganda technique is the constant bad-mouthing of humans? "Worthless parasitical human beings," Old Major speech: "Man is the only real enemy we have. Remove man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished forever."

• Cardstacking

• Scapegoating

• Name Calling

• Bandwagon

Multiple Choice

When the pigs chat the following: "Friend of the fatherless! Fountain of happiness... Thou are the giver of all that they creature love... Comrade Napoleon!..."

What propaganda technique is being used?

• Bandwagon

• Testimonial

• Plain Folk

• Glittering Generalities

Multiple Choice

Boxer's maxims include, "I will work harder. Napoleon is always right."

What type of propaganda technique would this be?

• Plain Folk

• Slogan

• Glittering Generalities

• Bandwagon

​From Rebellion to Pig Leadership

• Jones fails to feed the animals → hunger helps trigger the rebellion

• The animals successfully take control of the farm

• The pigs claim their intelligence makes them best suited to lead

• Special privileges begin appearing

• Milk and apples become an early sign that equality is already disappearing

• Squealer convinces the animals that pig privileges are necessary

Multiple Choice

What justification does Squealer give for the pigs taking the milk and apples?

• He says that the pigs need them for their health because they are the brainworkers of the farm.

• He explains that the pigs worked harder than the other animals and deserve extra food.

• He admits that the pigs are selfish and taking the food for themselves.

• He claims that Old Major’s original vision included extra privileges for pigs.

​Napoleon Takes Control

• Napoleon and Snowball compete for influence

• Napoleon secretly raises the puppies

• The dogs become Napoleon’s source of force and intimidation

• Napoleon uses the dogs to drive Snowball away

• Opposition is eliminated

• Napoleon increasingly controls decisions

• Squealer uses propaganda to justify Napoleon’s actions

Multiple Choice

When a character, such as Napoleon, imitates a political figure, such as Joseph Stalin, in a way that is exaggerated to point out their behavior, this is an example of:

• satire

• parody

• fable

• allegory

Multiple Choice

At the end of Chapter 5, what is the significance of Napoleon using his dogs to chase Snowball off the farm?

• It demonstrates that Snowball was a traitor who needed to be removed.

• It shows that the other animals support Napoleon’s leadership over Snowball’s ideas.

• It marks the moment when Napoleon seizes total control through force and eliminates his biggest rival.

• It proves that the dogs are the most powerful animals on the farm.

• The pigs receive increasing privileges

• The Seven Commandments are repeatedly altered

• The changes make the pigs’ behavior appear acceptable

• Napoleon relies on fear and force

• Squealer changes facts and memories

• The animals have difficulty challenging what they are told

• The original promise of equality gradually disappears

How Power Changes the Farm

Multiple Choice

What is the purpose of the repeated changes to the Seven Commandments?

• To ensure that all animals are treated fairly

• To remind the animals of their revolutionary ideals

• To justify the increasing privileges of the pigs

• To make life easier for all the animals on the farm

• Power can corrupt those who gain it.

• Propaganda and language can control thought.

• Fear can be used to maintain political control.

• Lack of education makes manipulation easier.

• Class divisions allow some groups to exploit others.

• Revolutions can replace one oppressive system with another.

• Ideals such as equality can be betrayed by those in power.

Major Themes

Multiple Choice

Which one is NOT a major theme in Animal Farm?

• Revolutions may result in a change of political power but people's lives remain basically the same.

• Power corrupts those who possess it.

• People's ignorance contributes to their political and social oppression.

• People within a society are always treated equally.

Multiple Choice

Review this quote: "If she could have spoken her thoughts it would have been to say that this was not what they had aimed at when they set themselves years ago to work for the overthrow of the human race" (Orwell 86). Animals are worse off with Napoleon than they were with Jones.

The evidence supports which of the following themes:

• Revolutions may result in a change of political power but people's lives remain basically the same.

• Power corrupts those who possess it.

• People's ignorance contributes to their political and social oppression.

• People within a society can all be treated equally.

Multiple Choice

Review this quote: Boxer and Clover "absorbed everything as they were told" (Orwell 18).

The evidence supports which of the following themes:

• Revolutions may result in a change of political power but people's lives remain basically the same.

• Power corrupts those who possess it.

• People's ignorance contributes to their political and social oppression.

• People within a society can all be treated equally.

​The Ending Matters

• The pigs gradually adopt human behaviors.

• The animals' original ideals have been abandoned.

• The pigs become increasingly similar to the rulers they replaced.

• By the end, the animals cannot distinguish pigs from humans.

• Orwell brings the novel full circle: the rebellion changed the rulers, but oppression returned.

Multiple Choice

Throughout the book, the animals talk about how the farm is better without Man in charge. However, the ending of the book is an example of situational irony.

How is the end of the book ironic?

• Boxer is sent away to be killed after working so hard he is useless.

• Mollie runs away to one of the neighboring farms.

• The pigs become the same as Man.

• The windmill is destroyed.

Multiple Choice

Why can the animals no longer tell the difference between the pigs and the humans at the end of the novel?

• The pigs have physically transformed into humans.

• The animals are too tired to notice the changes.

• The pigs have adopted all the same behaviors and corruption as the humans they once opposed.

• The pigs begin to wear clothes and walk on two legs, confusing the other animals.

​Informational Texts + Animal Farm

Reminders:

• Read the informational passage carefully.

• Identify its central idea.

• Connect that information to events in the novel.

• Return to the passage for evidence.

• Eliminate answers that contradict either the passage or the novel.

• Choose the answer supported by both.

Multiple Choice

Read this text excerpt and answer the following question:

Propaganda is a powerful tool used by totalitarian leaders to control the public. Through the manipulation of information, censorship, and emotional appeals, leaders create a version of reality that benefits their rule. In Stalin’s Soviet Union, propaganda was used to glorify the leader, rewrite history, and instill fear of enemies—both real and imagined. The press and media were tightly controlled, ensuring that only state-approved messages were spread. Similarly, in Animal Farm, Squealer frequently rewrites history, changes facts, and uses fear tactics to keep the animals loyal to Napoleon.

How does Squealer’s use of propaganda in Animal Farm reflect the techniques used in Stalin’s Soviet Union?

• By providing unbiased news updates to the animals.

• By rewriting history and spreading fear to maintain Napoleon’s power.

• By ensuring that all animals receive equal information.

• By allowing open discussion and debate among the animals.

​One Last Idea: Watch the Progression

• Napoleon does not gain absolute control all at once.

• Small privileges and abuses appear first.

• Propaganda makes those changes seem reasonable.

• Opposition is gradually removed.

• Fear and force increase.

• Rules are rewritten.

• By the end, Napoleon has betrayed the ideals of the rebellion.

Multiple Choice

How does Orwell structure Animal Farm to show the progression of Napoleon’s corruption?

• He keeps Napoleon as a fair leader throughout the book.

• He gradually increases Napoleon’s power, showing small corruptions that build over time.

• He presents Napoleon as corrupt from the very beginning.

• He only reveals Napoleon’s corruption at the very end.