Use this extract to answer Question 1
Animal Farm
Extract taken from pages
A week later Napoleon gave orders that the small paddock beyond the orchard, which had previously
been intended to set aside as a grazing-ground for animals who were past work, was to be ploughed
up. It was given out that the pasture was exhausted and needed re-seeding: but it soon became
known that Napoleon intended to sow it with barley.
About this time there occurred a strange incident which hardly anyone was able to understand. One
night at about twelve o’clock there was a loud crash in the yard, and the animals rushed out of their
stalls. It was a moonlit night. At the foot of the end wall of the big barn, where the Seven
Commandments were written, there lay a ladder broken in two pieces. Squealer, temporarily
stunned, was sprawling beside it, and near at hand there lay a lantern, a paintbrush and an
overturned pot of white paint. The dogs immediately made a ring round Squealer, and escorted him
back to the farmhouse as soon as he was able to walk. None of the animals could form an idea as to
what this meant, except old Benjamin, who nodded his muzzle with a knowing air, and seemed to
understand, but would say nothing.
But a few days later Muriel, reading over the Seven Commandments to herself, noticed that there was
yet another of them which the animals had remembered wrong. They had thought that the Fifth
Commandment was ‘No animal shall drink alcohol’, but there were two words that they had forgotten.
Actually, the Commandment read: ‘No animal shall drink alcohol to excess’.
1 Answer all the parts of the question that follows as fully as possible.
(a) Explain how the author presents the character of Napoleon in this extract.
Use evidence from the extract to support your answer.
(8)
(b) Comment on how the language in the extract is used to create an impression of the animals’
unwillingness and inability to admit that the pigs are betraying them.
Use evidence from the extract to support your answer.
(10)
(c) Explore the significance of memory and remembering in this extract.
Use evidence from the extract to support your answer.
(10)
(d) Explore the importance of memory and remembering in Animal Farm in one other part of
the novel.
Use evidence from the extract to support your answer.
(12)
1(a) Explain how the author presents the character of Napoleon in this extract.
Use evidence from the extract to support your answer.
(8 marks)
Responses may include:
 “Napoleon gave orders” – he is an authority figure
 “previously” – Napoleon has so much authority that he can overturn earlier decisions taken by the
collective
 “Napoleon intended to sow barley” – the readers realise that Napoleon intends to make whisky
because of the crop he chooses to sow; the animals probably do not realise the significance of
“barley”
 Squealer is presented as secretly, “one night at about twelve o’clock”, supporting Napoleon’s
schemes to undermine the animals’ collective
 The change in the commandment shows that Napoleon is changing his views on alcohol and
becoming more like Mr Jones, who mainly lost the farm through his excess drinking
Students do not have to give all the above examples in the short time available to them.
For Band 3, (6 – 8) AO1, they should show:
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Perceptive understanding of the character
Use a variety of discriminating examples from the text to demonstrate knowledge of the
character
Select consistently appropriate and discriminating textual detail
1(b) Comment on how the language in the extract is used to create an impression of the animals’
unwillingness and inability to admit that the pigs are betraying them.
Use evidence from the extract to support your answer.
(10 marks)
Responses may include:
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Passive verbs are used to show that the animals are unwilling to attribute blame to the pigs:
e.g. ‘It was given out’; ‘there occurred a strange incident’.
The animals are presented as being unable to understand what is happening: ‘a strange
incident which hardly anyone was able to understand’; ‘None of the animals could form an
idea’.
The animals no longer trust their own memories of recent events: ‘there was yet another of
them which the animals had remembered wrong.’
Benjamin refuses to explain what he, as one of the more intelligent animals, understands, so
that animals continue in their ignorance: ‘old Benjamin … seemed to understand, but would
say nothing.’
Muriel reads the commandments “to herself”; she does not share her thoughts with the other
animals. The reader notices that the animals are being isolated from each other. In
particular, the dogs who “immediately made a ring round Squealer” have begun to associate
with only the pigs rather than with all the animals.
Students do not have to give all the above examples in the short time available to them.
For Band 5, (9 – 10) AO2, they should show:
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Convincing reference to use of text by writer to achieve effect
Perceptive understanding of linguistic, grammatical, structural and presentational features of
language
Perceptive use of relevant examples
1(c)
Explore the significance of memory and remembering in this extract.
Use evidence from the extract to support your answer.
(10 marks)
 There are examples of general, public or shared memory being found to be “inaccurate”.: ‘Muriel
… noticed that there was yet another of them which the animals had remembered wrong’ i.e. The
pigs are relying on the animals’ lack of intelligence to make them doubt their memories and believe
the propaganda which the pigs deliver to them.
 The animals remember that the orchard ‘had previously been intended to set aside as a grazingground for animals who were past work’; it should therefore be for the benefit of all the animals.
Nonetheless, they allow Napoleon to change the use of the orchard without thinking about who will
now benefit from it.
 Squealer is clearly working to eradicate the memory of the past by changing the Seven
Commandments.
 Readers are expected to take an ironic view of the animals’ memories. Some students may
comment on the use of the word “Actually”.
 Some students may go on to comment on how history is controlled, even “created”, by the
powerful in society.
Students do not have to give all the above examples in the short time available to them.
For Band 5, (9 – 10) AO1, they should show:
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Make convincing reference to context supported by sustained relevant textual reference
Explain the importance of theme in the extract to show perceptual understanding
1(d)
Explore the importance of memory and remembering in Animal Farm in one other part of the
novel.
Use evidence from the extract to support your answer.
(12 marks)
Candidates will select material from ONE other part of the novel outside the extract.
Candidates will make reference to the use of language, structure and form in presenting the
theme.
Candidates may select any suitable extract from the novel dealing with memory and remembering.
The following are suggestions only.
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Candidates may refer to the earlier instance of a commandment being changed, Chapter 6.
The words “with sheets” have been added to the commandment “No animal shall sleep in a
bed”. Clover’s memory of the original version is explained away by Squealer’s smooth
talking. As usual, he evokes the memory of Jones, an unhappy memory which closes most
discussions, as no animal wants Jones to return. Boxer seems to live only in the present,
without memory: “Napoleon is always right”, he says, “as usual”.
OR Candidates may refer to the end of Chapter 7 where Clover remembers old Major’s
speech and that the farm belongs to all the animals. She remembers and sings “Beasts of
England”, which is immediately forbidden by Squealer. The extract is important as it is a
poignant reference to the vision of “animals set free” which has been destroyed by the pigs
and their selfishness. Clover’s problem with memory, a problem shared by most of the
animals, is that she lacks the words to express her thoughts. The sheep exemplify this
paucity of words when they chant the phrase they have memorised, “Four legs good, two legs
bad”.
OR Candidates may refer to Chapter 10, “A time came when no one remembered the old
days”. Very few animals are left who took part in the rebellion against Mr Jones, but all talk of
“the heroic old days”, a sort of folk-memory, which they project into the future “Republic of the
Animals”. The novel closes with the animals unable to distinguish between pigs and humans:
all memory of any distinction has been erased.
For Band 5, (11 – 12) AO1 and 2, candidates should show:
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Perceptive use of relevant examples from the text to demonstrate knowledge about
theme/character
Assured understanding of linguistic, grammatical, structural and presentational features of
language
Convincing selection of textual detail to support interpretation