Animal Farms Answers Worksheet

1. As the excerpt opens, who are Snowball and Napoleon, and what has led them to this point? How do you know? What is Snowball arguing for, and why? Cite textual details that support your explanation. They are both pigs who are fairly different from each other through their personalities. Napoleon was known as the leader of Animal Farm after a rebellion. He is considered to be more crafty and he tends to use his power in a negative way. Snowball is not as devious as Napoleon. He is much more loyal and he tends to win the love and loyalty of the animals. He is very intelligent, passionate, and eloquent. What led them to this point was their differences in thinking and the way they feel things should be done. They are arguing about when and how the windmill will be built. “The whole farm was deeply divided on the subject of the windmill. Snowball did not deny that to build it would be a difficult business. Stone would have to be carried and built up into walls, then the sails would have to be made and after that there would be need for dynamos and cables. (How these were to be procured, Snowball did not say.) But he maintained that it could all be done in a year. And thereafter, he declared, so much labour would be saved that the animals would only need to work three days a week. Napoleon, on the other hand, 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. The animals formed themselves into two factions under the slogan, "Vote for Snowball and the three-day week" and "Vote for Napoleon and the full manger." Benjamin was the only animal who did not side with either faction. He refused to believe either that food would become more plentiful or that the windmill would save work. Windmill or no windmill, he said, life would go on as it had always gone on--that is, badly.” 2. Was the attack of the dogs planned? Cite textual evidence to support your response. Yes, it was planned. “By the time he had finished speaking, there was no doubt as to which way the vote would go. But just at this moment Napoleon stood up and, casting a peculiar sidelong look at Snowball, uttered a high-pitched whimper of a kind no one had ever heard him utter before. At this there was a terrible baying sound outside, and nine enormous dogs wearing brass-studded collars came bounding into the barn. They dashed straight for Snowball, who only sprang from his place just in time to escape their snapping jaws. In a moment he was out of the door and they were after him. Too amazed and frightened to speak, all the animals crowded through the door to watch the chase. Snowball was racing across the long pasture that led to the road.” “Silent and terrified, the animals crept back into the barn. In a moment the dogs came bounding back. At first no one had been able to imagine where these creatures came from, but the problem was soon solved: they were the puppies whom Napoleon had taken away from their mothers and reared privately. Though not yet full-grown, they were huge dogs, and as fierce-looking as wolves. They kept close to Napoleon. It was noticed that they wagged their tails to him in the same way as the other dogs had been used to do to Mr. Jones.” 3. What reason does Napoleon give for ending the Sunday meetings? Why does he really end them? Cite evidence to support your response. The reason that Napoleon wanted to end the Sunday meetings was that he thought of them as being useless or pointless and that they are a waste of time. But the real truth as to why he really wants to end them is because he wants to lead the animals and have them be under his control and have things be done his way. “He announced that from now on the Sunday-morning Meetings would come to an end. They were unnecessary, he said, and wasted time. In future all questions relating to the working of the farm would be settled by a special committee of pigs, presided over by himself. These would meet in private and afterwards communicate their decisions to the others. The animals would still assemble on Sunday mornings to salute the flag, sing 'Beasts of England', and receive their orders for the week; but there would be no more debates.” 4. Use context clues to determine the meaning of the word procured as it is used in Animal Farm. Write your definition of “procured” here. Procured: To gain something that is difficult to gain In this sentence, he had said mentioned many different things about what they would do to make these windmills. But in order to make that, he would have to get the materials first and it seems as if, they do not have those materials and so they would have to try and figure out ways to get those materials and how to go about it. “The whole farm was deeply divided on the subject of the windmill. Snowball did not deny that to build it would be a difficult business. Stone would have to be carried and built up into walls, then the sails would have to be made and after that there would be need for dynamos and cables. (How these were to be procured, Snowball did not say.) But he maintained that it could all be done in a year. And thereafter, he declared, so much labour would be saved that the animals would only need to work three days a week.” 5. Use context to determine the meaning of the word factions as it is used in Animal Farm. Write your definition of factions here. Factions: split into groups “The animals formed themselves into two factions under the slogan, "Vote for Snowball and the three-day week" and "Vote for Napoleon and the full manger." Benjamin was the only animal who did not side with either faction.” When I read this sentence, I saw that there were the words, “formed themselves into two”, this made me think that they are splitting into two groups. And that is how I got my definition. 6. In this clip, the students discuss the meaning of allegory. How does this topic come up? How does Sasha explain why Animal Farm fits this definition? How does the exchange show their level of preparedness? Use evidence from the video to explain. The word allegory is a metaphor. Allegory has to do with story, poem, or picture that is interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning. She explains it by using examples and connecting it to real life things. She states that the farm is a representation of a country and the animals are supposed to represent the citizens. And there are many animals presented because it is supposed to represent the different kinds of people that are in the country. 7. In this clip, the students compare and contrast the characters Snowball and Napoleon. Which one do they think is more intelligent? How do they support their opinions with textual evidence? They think that Napoleon is much more intelligent than Snowball. They believe this because in the story it mentions that he was able to adopt and train dogs that were owned by another person. They had support their opinions with textual evidence by looking at the details and what has happened throughout the debate on windmills and the meeting they have had. 8. In this clip, the students discuss what Orwell's message to the reader might be. What do you think about the way the students discuss the theme? How do they summarize their points of disagreement? They discussed it fairly well. They had considered all the things that described each character and then they put out the pros and cons of each one being the better leader and what would make one of them better than the other. They had described and stated that what makes a great leader is evil instincts. They summarize their points of disagreement by looking back at the passage and grabbing out little details in which describes each character.