Animal Farm
Reading Questions
Chapter 1
1. Do you think Mr. Jones is a good, reliable farmer? Why/why not?
2. Describe Old Major’s reputation.
3. Why do the animals gather in the barn?
4. Describe Boxer’s reputation.
5. Describe Benjamin’s personality.
6. Major’s speech:
a. What is his “understanding” of life? (pages 6-7)
b. What is the cause of their trouble? (p. 7)
c. Why/How is that the cause of their trouble? (p. 8)
d. What is the solution? (p. 9)
e. What are the new rules for living their lives? (p. 11)
7. What is the song about?
8. How do the animals react to the song? Why do they react that way?
9. What ends the meeting?
Animal Farm
Reading Questions
Chapter 2
1. What happens to old Major?
2. Which animals are seen as the “cleverest” (most intelligent)? (p.15)
3. What are Napoleon and Snowball?
4. Describe Napoleon’s reputation.
5. Describe Snowball.
6. Describe Squealer.
7. What is Squealer good at? (p.16)
8. Why did the other animals hate Moses the raven? (p.18)
9. As a farmer, what did Mr. Jones do wrong? (p.19)
10. How does the rebellion start?
11. How do the animals win their rebellion?
12. How do the animals celebrate their victory? (pp.21-22)
13. What did the pigs learn to do?
14. Think about the rules from Chapter 1. How are the pigs already violating (going against) the rules?
15. Write down the Seven Commandments of Animalism.
16. Why do the pigs milk the cows and what happens to the milk? (pp.25-26)
Animal Farm
Reading Questions
Chapter 3
1. What are the horses better at and why? (27)
2. What do the pigs do behind the working horses? (28)
3. What is Boxer’s answer to every problem or setback? (29) What do you think of Boxer’s motto?
4. How much work do all of the other animals do? (29)
5. What do the animals do as a ceremony after breakfast every Sunday? (30)
6. Give Snowball’s explanation of the flag he made. (31)
7. Name the two animals that are the most active in debates. Do these two animals ever agree during
debates? (31)
8. List and describe the committees Snowball organizes. (32)
9. What is more important to Napoleon than Snowball’s committees? (34-35)
10. What did Napoleon do with the 9 puppies Jessie and Bluebell gave birth to? Why does Napoleon do this?
(35)
11. What is the answer to the mystery of the disappearing milk and the windfall apples? (35)
12. What is Squealer’s explanation of why the pigs are eating the apples and milk themselves? (35-36)
13. What do the other animals think of Squealer’s explanation? (36)
Animal Farm
Reading Questions
Chapter 4
1. Why did Snowball and Napoleon send out flights of pigeons? (37) What could this accomplish for them?
2. Who are Frederick and Pilkington? (38)
3. What do Frederick and Pilkington say about the animals managing themselves on “Manor Farm”? (3839)—be careful, they say 2 things—get them both.
4. Why do you think Frederick and Pilkington said those things?
5. What happens on other farms throughout the year? How and Why? (39)
6. Why did Jones go back to “Manor Farm” with men from the other nearby farms? (40)
7. How did the animals feel about Jones coming back? (40)
8. How do the animals deal with the return of the farmers (the “invasion” of the farmers)? (41-42)
9. What does Snowball say all animals must be prepared to do for Animal Farm? (44)
10. What do the animals create to honor those animals that fight above and beyond the others for Animal
Farm? (44)
11. What do the animals do with Mr. Jones’s gun which Mr. Jones left behind? (44)
Animal Farm
Reading Questions
Chapter 5
1. During debates between Snowball and Napoleon, how does Snowball win the animals over to his side?
(47)
2. How does Napoleon try to get the animals to disagree with Snowball? (48)
3. What did Snowball say would be the benefits of having a windmill which would make it worth all of the
effort to build it? (50)
4. What was Napoleon’s argument against the windmill? (50)
5. Who do you think is right and why?
6. What does Napoleon think they need to do about defense? (51)
7. What does Snowball say about defense? (51)
8. Who do you think is right and why?
9. How does Napoleon end the debate/vote for the windmill? (52-53)
10. Where did Napoleon’s security force of nine dogs come from? (53)
11. List all of the new rules Napoleon puts in place now that he’s the new leader. (54)
12. What does Squealer say about Napoleon’s decisions? (55)
13. What does Squealer say about Snowball’s part in the Battle of the Cowshed? (55)
a. Why do you think Squealer said these things?
14. What does Napoleon decide to have the animals build? (57)
15. What do you think of Napoleon and why?
Squealer’s speech (57-58)
16. What reason does Squealer give for Napoleon originally saying he was against the windmill when it was
Snowball’s mission?
17. What reason does Squealer give for Napoleon expelling Snowball from the farm?
18. What convinces the animals to believe Squealer about Snowball? (2 things)
Animal Farm
Reading Questions
Chapter 6
1. Why are the animals happy even though they are working like slaves? (59)
2. Is the “voluntary” work on Sundays really voluntary? Defend your answer. (59)
3. How do the animals break down the stones that are too big to use as they are? (60)
4. Describe Boxer as a worker. (61-62)
5. Why does Napoleon trade food from Animal Farm with neighboring farms? (62-63)
6. Why are the other animals uneasy about Napoleon trading with the other farms? (63)
7. What “roused” the animal’s pride about Napoleon doing business with Mr. Whymper? (65)
8. What do human beings think of Animal Farm? 2 things (65)
9. What does Squealer say to convince the animals that the pigs need to live in the farmhouse? (66)
10. What happens to Commandment 4? (67)
11. What does Squealer say to clarify what Commandment 4 means? (67)
12. How do the animals react to Squealer’s speech? (68)
13. How does Benjamin, the donkey, feel about the windmill? What does he say? (68)
14. What do the animals discover happened to the windmill after a very windy night? (69)
15. Who does Napoleon say is responsible for wrecking the windmill and what needs to happen? (70)
Animal Farm
Reading Questions
Chapter 7
1. Why did the animals feel the need to work so hard to finish the windmill? (73)
2. Did the animals find the most inspiration in Squealer or in Boxer to work hard and why? (74)
3. What does Napoleon do to counteract the bad rumors the humans are spreading about Animal Farm? (he
does 2 things) (75)
4. What does Napoleon decide to do to get more grain to feed all of the animals? (76)
5. What do the hens do in order to stop Napoleon from selling their eggs? How does Napoleon defeat the
hens? (76-77)
6. What are the new rumors about Snowball? (77-78)
7. What is the truth about all of the things said about Snowball? (78)
8. What is a scapegoat?
9. What does Squealer say he has as proof about Snowball being on Jones’s side at the Battle of the
Cowshed? (80)
10. What does Squealer say was Napoleon’s part in the Battle of the Cowshed? (81)
11. Why do the animals believe Squealer? (81)
12. How do the animals feel about the dogs killing all of the animals who confessed to doing bad things?
(84-85)
13. What do the animals remember “with surprise” about the farm? (86)
14. Why does Clover decide to “remain faithful” to Animal farm and “work hard” carrying out the orders
given by Napoleon? (87)
15. Why is their song, Beasts of England, banned (not allowed on the farm)? (88)
Animal Farm
Reading Questions
Chapter 8
1. What does Commandment 6 say, now? (91)
2. What are the animals’ memories of life before the rebellion? (92)
3. How do the pigs refer to Napoleon and what does Squealer say about him? (93)
4. How do the animals now feel about Napoleon—especially the hens and the cows? (93-94)
5. How do the animals feel about Frederick, owner of Pinchfield Farm? (96)
6. Napoleon was supposed to sell the beech wood to Pilkington. To whom is Napoleon actually selling the
prized wood? (99)
7. Snowball was rumored to be living on Pinchfield Farm as Frederick’s agent. Where is Snowball now
rumored to be living and for how long has he been there? (99)
8. What did Napoleon accomplish by appearing to be friendly with Pilkington? (100)
9. What do they discover about the money from Frederick? (101)
10. What did Pilkington say when Napoleon reached out to him to help save Animal Farm from an attack by
Frederick? (102)
11. What happens to the windmill and who is responsible? (103)
12. During the battle, where are Napoleon and his huge, blood-thirsty dogs? (103-104)
13. Was Squealer in the battle? (105)
14. What do the pigs find in the farmhouse and what do they end up doing? (107)
15. What are they planting in the field that had originally been set aside as a pasture for animals who were
too old to work? (108) What is this stuff used for?
16. What does Commandment 5 say now and who is responsible for the change? (109)
Animal Farm
Reading Questions
Chapter 9
1. What does Squealer say to convince the animals that their lives are good? At least 3 things. (112-113)
2. What do the animals add to what Squealer said, further convincing themselves that their lives are good?
(113)
3. What 2 rules about pigs are passed? (114)
4. What has been added to the pigs’ daily eating rations? (115)
5. What are Spontaneous Demonstrations?
6. Are these Spontaneous Demonstrations completely successful with the animals? READ CAREFULLY
and infer (115-116)
7. In April, what was Animal Farm declared? Define this word. (116)
8. Who was elected president and how did he win the election? (116)
Animal Farm
Reading Questions
Chapter 10
1. What two points about time passing by is the author making? (127-128)
2. How is the farm doing financially? (128)
3. According to Napoleon, what does the “truest happiness” lay in? (129)
4. What do the pigs and dogs do on the farm? (129-130)
5. What are “all animals” on page 132? Compare to question 11.
6. What/Who do the animals see walking on 2 legs? (132-133)
7. What does Napoleon carry in his trotter? (133)
8. What do the sheep chant? (134)
9. What happened to the 7 Commandments? (133)
10. What is the one and only Commandment, now? (134)
11. What does Pilkington say Animal Farm is doing right with the “lower animals”? (137)
12. What in human society does Pilkington compare to the “lower animals”? (138)
13. Who OWNS Animal Farm? (139)
14. What is the farm’s name, now? (140)
15. Why do Napoleon and Pilkington have a fight in the end? (141)
16. How do you feel about the last paragraph of the book?