writing assignment for animal farm

15 RELEVANT ANIMAL FARM ESSAY IDEAS

Reading for pleasure allows enjoying the process instead of forcing yourself to make it through. Most of the people who start reading George Orwell's "Animal Farm" share that they are immersed in the novel completely. Even those who tell that books aren't their cup of tea agree that this story is a masterpiece.

Still, choosing the proper "Animal Farm" essay ideas to discuss in an academic paper isn't an easy task. Writing a good essay on this topic can be a challenge. That's because the book itself is rather philosophical - there's a lot of issues to analyze. The narrator covers many aspects related to politics, history, sociology, and psychology, and any area will be a relevant ground for your writing. You may ask how it is possible to highlight those issues if the book is about animals. But, while working on your homework assignment on "Animal Farm," you will discover the meaning of different techniques author uses to deliver his ideas.

As in the case with many other writings, an essay on Orwell's novel aims to make a student analyze the concepts, images, and messages covered in the book. And, if you are going to write a good essay, the first and major step remains the same - you have to choose and formulate a relevant topic. But how to find a perfect one? In this article, we will go through some issues that may be used by students of Literature specialties. We hope that our ideas will inspire you and help to come up with a judgment of a topic you need.

Recall the Background

First, let us recall the basics of the book's plot so that everyone will get the point without reading the entire piece.

It all starts when an aged boar who represents the farm's major calls a meeting. It suggests that the pets are nothing but garner Jones's slaves that have no rights of freedom, and the man gains the advantage of using them for his own purposes. The boar calls for a revolution to fight for rights, and in three days, it kicks the bucket. The pets get rid of Jones's easily and occupy his lands - the Animal Farm is founded.

There is another character, a pig named Snowball, which is presented in a book as an idealist. For it, being free means being polite and educated. That is why Snowball tries to teach the animals things that people can do - reading and thinking logically. Snowball believes that everyone should respect each other and be equal.

And, Boxer - a horse that is the strongest animal on the farm. With Snowball, these two get along well at first. But that's until the smart Snowball offers to build a windmill and provide all animals with electricity. The opposition traits it as an endeavor and scare off Snowball by bringing out the dogs. Napoleon, who is in the head of the farm, decides that now, only pigs have a right to make decisions and implement laws. And that is when it's getting worse. During an attempt to build the windmill using Boxer and other animals as slaves or free labor, Napoleon crashes down. As the windmill falls over, he blames Snowball for everything taking place.

So, how does the plot remind you of a real-life situation? What social issues do you think are hidden in the book "Animal Farm" and how can you use them for a good essay? Take your time - we have prepared an insightful guide on how to implement those ideas from the novel in your writing.

15 Best "Animal Farm" Paper Topics

To begin with, collect the necessary information from the external sources and the book itself, and develop an outline. The best reference is the original Orwell's story, for sure. Have the book right beside you to consult it, if needed. While reading, make notes to pick the best quotes, and support your statements well.

The next stage is to make an outline - it will help you to move on while writing a paper. Depending on the theme you choose, your points will be named differently, but the overall image of your outline can be the following:

• A quote from the story
• The significance of the selected question
• Background information
• Thesis statement
• Claim 1 (A farm represents the country)
• Claim 2 (Animals underestimate the role of farm in their lives)
• Claim 3 (A farm as a real-life image from your experience)
• Paraphrased thesis statement
• Summary of the main points (claims)
• A rhetorical question (how far it could go if...)

At this stage, make sure that your paragraphs are organized logically, and the essay content will be coherent for the audience. The theme you select has a great impact on how your overall structure will look. And now, it is time to list the possible topics to write on.

The story is full of extraordinary characters that you can discuss. Pick and analyze one of them and try not to retell the plot.

• Snowball: A Vivacious Pig
• Squealer as an Example of a Brilliant Talker
• Boxer: An Enormous Beast
• The brutality of the nine dogs
• Benjamin and the stereotypes about the older generation

Those can be a good ground for a character analysis essay as well.

"Animal Farm" covers various social and political issues, so you have plenty of ideas to choose from.

• Leadership & corruption
• Total control of the labor class
• Lies and deception
• American Dream
• Social injustice

These are the central themes covered by George Orwell, and investigating one of them through the novel's plot will be a relevant choice.

There are many hidden messages in the story written by Orwell. If you can see those references, you understand what historical events are described in the book, and if you're not a fan of symbols - here are some topics for you:

• Character symbols: what do Old Major and Snowball symbolize?
• Image of the Soviet Union in The Animal Farm
• Parallels of historical and political events with the book plot
• The Battle of the Cowshed
• Post-communistic spirit and the role of the windmill

Those were some relevant essay topics for your Animal Farm assignment. Feel free to use them and express your ideas on the book in the best manner.

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Animal Farm Themes – Meaning and Main Ideas

Home » Literature Explained – Literary Synopses and Book Summaries » Animal Farm » Animal Farm Themes – Meaning and Main Ideas

Key Themes in Animal Farm – An Introduction

The novella opens on Manor Farm where animals are dutifully working for their human rulers. Considering that Animal Farm is an allegory, it is important to note that this version of the farm—Manor Farm—is meant to represent imperialist Russia ruled by aristocrats. Later, once the animals overthrow the humans in charge, the farm is renamed Animal Farm and represents Russia under communist revolution. The farm on which this story takes place is located in the English countryside which suggests that a communist revolution is not as far away as most English people wanted to believe at this time. Considering that the Russian communist revolution occurred from about 1917 into the 1940s, it can be surmised that Animal Farm likely took place sometime in this timeframe.

There are two major motifs that speak to the broader themes of this novella: songs and rituals. Songs are an important motif because they intertwine with some of the major themes of the novella seamlessly. The story starts with Old Major teaching the animals “Beasts of England” which, combined with his speech about his dream of animals working only for themselves instead of humans, sets the revolution in motion. Later, once Napoleon has turned the farm more into a dictatorship than anything else, songs and chants are made up as pieces of propaganda to encourage the farm animals’ unwavering support for Napoleon. Although the first song encouraged animals to work together for a common good, the function of songs shifts to brainwashing focused on erasing individuality.

The other major motif of the novella is rituals. They follow a similar path that songs do—starting out as a revolutionary tool to pump up the animals to work together for a common good. However, after Napoleon takes over, the way rituals occur changes. For example, rituals that originated during the days of rebellion and revolution are ended such as the democratic meetings. Replacing these types of rituals are rituals that reinforce Napoleon’s dictatorship by making the working-class animals dependent on the ruling class to tell them what to do, think, and feel.

Themes in Animal Farm by George Orwell

Here’s a list of major themes in Animal Farm .

• The Corruption Of Communism.
• Social Class Structure.
• Forced Naivety of Working-Class Individuals.
• Rhetoric as a Political Tool.

The Corruption of Communism

First, the theme is seen with the animals forming a rebellion to throw their human overseer, Mr. Jones, off the farm. The animals become completely self-sufficient with the pigs acting as leaders because of their superior intelligence. The theme is seen enforced again by the rise of two leaders—the pigs Snowball and Napoleon. When Napoleon overthrows Snowball by having his aggressive dogs chase him off the farm, we see the total rejection of any sort of democracy with Napoleon asserting himself as dictator of Animal Farm. He then uses propaganda to encourage support from the rest of the farm. The animals’ rebellion started out as a democratic move to be free of human rulership. However, this eventually gave way to corruption in their political system that represents the corruption in Stalin’s Russia.

Social Class Structure

However, as time passed, the animals inevitably slid into a social and political class system due to the pigs asserting themselves as the smartest animals and, therefore, the leaders of the farm. This is a thematic element that speaks to Orwell’s belief that humans have a tendency to slip into class stratification in which certain individuals hold more power than others, and in some cases, this can happen unintentionally or even secretly.

The novella shows that even though intentions may be good at the start of a political or social revolution, it does not mean that the ideals will actually carry forward into practice because the animals split into an intellectual/leading class and a working class—and there is no in between or crossover.

 The Working Class

The Forced Naivety of Working-Class Individuals – One of the things that Orwell does skillfully in the novella is to portray the working class as clearly as he portrays the ruling class. He provides insight into both classes of animals and his portrayal of the working class is meant to show readers how gullible, hardworking, loyal, and unquestioning these individuals can be when they trust in their leaders.

This naivety paves the way for corruption to take root and grow into something dangerous before the working class can even realize what has happened. In the case of Animal Farm, the ruling class pigs know this and exploit it through propaganda.

Rhetoric as a Political Tool

For example, Napoleon begins to change the Animal Commandments to fit his liking and his spokesperson, Squealer, justifies this to the animals in way that convinces them that everything is okay. He does this either by saying that it has always been that way and that the animals are misremember or by telling the animals that what is happening is still for the common good and that the animals are being successfully led because they are still no longer working for the humans.

Furthermore, the pig Minimus writes a patriotic song called “Animal Farm, Animal Farm” that replaces Old Major’s democratic visionary anthem “Beasts of England.” This is done to minimize revolutionary thinking and is justified by Napoleon and Squealer claiming that “Beast of England” is about rebellion but there is no longer a need for rebellion so the song should be replaced. This seems harmless enough but the truth of the matter is that the working class is now being exploited so badly that they would be justified in a rebellion—and the pigs know this so they use a new hymn to minimize that threat.

About the Book

Themes and Analysis

Animal farm, by george orwell.

'Animal Farm' is a political allegory based on the events of the Russian revolution and the betrayal of the cause by Joseph Stalin.

Written by Mizpah Albert

M.A. in English Literature and a Ph.D. in English Language Teaching.

The novel echoes the corrupting nature of power through the themes and symbols. It is a satire on totalitarianism and dictatorship.

Animal Farm Themes

Totalitarianism.

Orwell’s use of Totalitarianism as the theme demonstrates, without education and true empowerment of the lower classes, any revolution led would only be led into oppression and tyranny. Initially, the results of the revolution look promising, as the animals get the direct benefit of their labor. Soon, the pigs adopt human ways and make business deals with farmers that benefit them alone. But, only negative changes happen in the life of the other animals. Still, they continue to work as their leader Napoleon bid them. In the end, the revolutionary leaders become as corrupt and incompetent as the government they overthrew.

Power of Language

Language has the power to engage and disengage. In Animal form, Orwell excellently depicts the power of language through the pigs, only animals with a strong command of language. In the beginning, singing “Beasts of England,” taught by the Old Major, infuses the emotional response.

Also, Snowball compiles the philosophy of Animalism and with his eloquent speech persuades his fellow animals on the farm to follow it. Similarly, Squealer with his adept skill of oration controls the animals on the farm. At the same time, the animals’ adoption of slogans like “Napoleon is always right” or “Four legs good, two legs bad” underlines their lack of understanding and easy to be manipulated nature.

Class structures

From time immemorial class division seems to be a major issue of human society. George Orwell comments on the same through the class division in ‘ Animal Farm ‘ before and after the revolution. He ironically presents the human tendency to have class structures even though they speak of total equality. When the story begins, class division is evident with the human beings being on top of every animal as the rulers of Manor Farm.

During the revolution, they vow not to treat any animal inferior. Soon it all changes, when the pigs, so-called “brain workers”, assume the role of leader and superiors start to control other animals. Evidently, Orwell points out the threat the class division imposes on society when they aim to have democracy and freedom.

Power leading to corruption

“Power leading to corruption” is another major theme Orwell explores in ‘ Animal Farm ’. Many of the characters, predominantly the pigs after the humans demonstrate the theme in the novel. Initially, humans exploit their power over animals. Later following the revolt, the pigs start to fill in the gap created by the eviction of man. They manipulate their position of leadership to exploit other animals. Though Napoleon is presented as the villain of the novel, neither Snowball nor the Old Major is immune to corruption.

As brain workers, the pigs, including Snowball, take advantage of the animal and keeps milk and apple away for them. Even Old Major, who brings forth the idea “all animals are equal,” lecturing from a raised platform, symbolically presents an idea of him being above the other animals on the farm. Altogether, it is made clear that the desire for power, evidently corrupt people.

The Failure of Intellect

Orwell presents a sceptical view on intellect that doesn’t produce anything of importance. In the novel, the pigs, identified as the most intelligent animals, use their intelligence only to exploit other animals than making their life better. Similarly, Benjamin, who is good, acts indifferent towards using the knowledge and speaks philosophically of moral values. Also, the dogs, equally intelligent like the pigs, don’t use their knowledge except to read “the Seven Commandments”. Thus, intelligence is often being unused or ill-used.

The Exploitation of Working Class

‘ Animal Farm ‘ more than being an allegory of the ways humans exploit and oppress one another, throws light upon how they exploit and oppress animals. In the first chapter, through Old Major’s speech, we get a detailed picture of how humans exploit the animals and rob them of their productions.

Also, in the second chapter, when the animals break open the harness-room at the end of the stables, they see “the bits, the nose-rings, the dog-chains, the cruel knives” with which Mr Jones extracted cruelty on the animals. Much like this, during the conversation between Mr Pilkington and Napoleon in chapter 10, he loosely comments “If you have your lower animals to contend with […] we have our lower classes!” Ultimately, it gives a perspective that, in the views of the ruling class, animals and workers are the same.

Analysis of Key Moments in Animal Farm

• Old Major shares his dream of a life without humans. He also teaches the animals “Beasts of England” a song that inspires them.
• Few months after the Old Major’s death, the revolt breaks out when Mr Jones forgets to feed the animals and a fed-up cow pushes her way into the store-shed to look for food. The animals rejoice in their victory. They change the name of the farm to ‘Animal Farm’ and decide on seven commandments to live by.
• The animals are happy and they work well together more efficiently than Mr Jones ever did. Boxer, the horse, puts in a huge effort, with the motto ‘I will work harder!’.
• The Battle of the Cowshed establishes Snowball as a hero. He also sets up ‘committees’ focused on education, reading and writing.
• Napoleon, however, thinks educating the old animals is a waste of time. He focuses on the youngsters and removes the puppies of Jessie and Bluebell, to educate himself which foreshadows his guile nature.  
• At one point, Napoleon drives Snowball out of the Farm with the help of the puppies, who are now grown-up dogs. But, Squealer convinces the other animals that Snowball was a traitor.
• Napoleon announces himself to be the leader. And, he keeps making changes in the seven commandments. Finally, they have only one commandment that says, “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
• Later, he announces that the farm will be trading with neighboring farms. This comes as a shock to the animals as it goes against their commandments of Animalism.
• In the final image, the animals in the Farms are confused and bewildered when they realize that they cannot tell the difference between man and pig. Both have been sublimated into each other.

Style, Tone, and Figurative Language

The style and language of  ‘ Animal Farm ‘ are simple as it involves Animal characters. The dialogues are delivered in short sentences, including the conclusion of the novel: “It was a pig walking on his hind legs […] He carried a whip in his trotter” (Chapter 10).  Further, Orwell has written the sentences in the passive voice, emphasizing the characters (animals) lack of control over the incidents that are happening.

To speak about the tone, it is playful and lighthearted in the beginning. It opens like any other fable where the animals could speak. Also, a tint of excitement could felt, as the animals win over their human suppressers and have hope for a beautiful future of their own. Soon, the tone turns bitter and monotonous in accordance with the story unfolds.

Two of the dominant figurative language use in ‘ Animal Farm ‘ is “onomatopoeia” and “Allusion”. Orwell employs animal sounds and movements to describe the actions. For example, while “stirring” and “fluttering” speaks of their movement, “cheeping feebly” and “grunting” explains their way of communications. 

‘ Animal Farm ,’ being an allegorical novel, alludes to Russian Revolution, through its settings and characters.  The character of the Old Major, Snowball, and Napoleon, alludes respectively to Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, and Stalin. Also, the events following the revolution: Battle of the Cowshed, Snowball being chased off the Farm, and the slaughter of the hens allude to Trotsky’s exile and the Moscow trials of 1936-38.  Though, the character of Napoleon is an allusion to Joseph Stalin, Russia’s totalitarian dictator, his name attributes to Napoleon Bonaparte, the French world conqueror.

Analysis of Symbols

‘ Animal Farm ’ uses symbols prevalently as it is more than a story of animals. From the Farm to the animals represent the People and events of the Russian Revolution. Unlike a narrative fiction in which the author decides on which events or characters to highlight, here he carefully standardized his plot to evoke the desired response from the readers. are not driven by the plot as in. Instead, his choices are carefully calibrated to evoke a desired response from the reader.

“Whiskey” symbolizes corruption in the novel. The changing perspective of the pigs over, consuming Whiskey delineates how steadily they fall prey to corruption. In the beginning, when Animalism is founded, one of the commandments read: ‛No animal shall drink alcohol.’ For the animals suffered in the hands of humans. But, when Napoleon and the other pigs come to enjoy whiskey, they change the commandment ‛No animal shall drink alcohol to excess’. Finally, when Napoleon uses the money received by selling Boxer, embodies his corrupted nature similar to that of human beings.

The Windmill

The windmill in the novel represents the attempt to modernize Russia. Initially, when Snowball proposes the idea of a Windmill, Napoleon protests against it. Later, he claims it as his own idea. Also, the product coming out inferior in quality refers to the general ineptitude of Stalin’s regime.

Boxer’s character in the novel symbolizes the Russian working class. With his strength, he does most of the work on the farm. Similarly, the working-class people of the Soviet Revolution were exploited for their energy. Like Boxer and the other animals betrayed by the pigs, the people were betrayed by the intellectuals. On the whole, communism was not as beneficial for the working class as it was originally intended to be.

About Mizpah Albert

Mizpah Albert is an experienced educator and literature analyst. Building on years of teaching experience in India, she has contributed to the literary world with published analysis articles and evocative poems.

George Orwell

George Orwell is remembered today for his social criticism, controversial beliefs, and his novels ' Animal Farm ' and '1984'.

Orwell Facts

Explore ten of the most interesting facts about Orwell’s life, habits, and passions.

Orwell's Best Books

Explore the nine books George Orwell wrote.

Democratic Socialism

Was George Orwell a Socialist?

Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past. George Orwell

Cite This Page

Albert, Mizpah " Animal Farm Themes and Analysis 🐖 " Book Analysis , https://bookanalysis.com/george-orwell/animal-farm/themes-analysis/ . Accessed 26 March 2024.

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Tips and ideas for teaching high school ELA

One of my favorite parts of British literature is teaching Animal Farm.  It’s short. It’s accessible. It’s always a hit. One of the great things about Animal Farm  is that there is more to it than meets the eye. At the surface level, it’s a fun novel (novella?) about a bunch of farm animals who grow tired of their alcoholic farmer/owner mistreating them, so they stage a coup and run him off. On a deeper level, it’s a wonderful allegory of the Russian Revolution and the beginnings of the Soviet Union. With topics of power and corruption, Orwell’s novel is an excellent tool for allegorical and literary analysis.

Below are some of my favorite ideas for teaching this classic allegorical novel. 

Introducing animal farm: background/pre-reading

Before getting into the actual reading, I always started with some background information and context. I would review this presentation and have students take notes. My thought process was that students would be able to better understand the allegorical meaning of the text if they were able to recognize the historical counterparts and events. 

I recently read, however, of a teacher who didn’t do any of the historical background until after the class has read the novel. This allows the students to focus on the literary analysis side without getting tripped up on trying to keep the allegorical characters straight. Next time I teach Animal Farm, I may try this method. Either way, historical background/context is vital. 

 I also like to start every novel unit with a little author biography to provide additional context. You can check out the Britannica biography of George Orwell here . 

Another activity for teaching  Animal Farm that my students really enjoyed was this Make Your Class Animal Farm lesson plan from Teachers.net. The last time I taught the novel I had a small class (special education resource), so this activity didn’t really work. My first time though? It was a huge success. The things high school students will do for some candy. It can be brutal. 

The basic premise of the activity is this: the class is divided into groups – human, dog, raven, horse, or pig. Each group “runs” to become the leading party. Once the party is chosen, their privileges increase while their responsibilities decrease (similar to the novel). After students finish reading the novel, they do research on their historical counterparts: 

• Pigs = Bolsheviks 
• Dogs = White Russians 
• Horses = Proletariats 
• Humans = Tsars 
• Ravens = Russian Church 

during reading

You have the background information/context. Now for the fun part: reading. 

Make Your Classroom Animal Farm

The great thing about this activity is that it lasts the entirety of the novel. The lesson plan breakdown covers six weeks, but could easily be adjusted to accommodate different schedules.   

Student Workbooks 

Have students interact with the novel using student workbooks. These workbooks were designed to engage students by allowing them to go beyond basic comprehension questions and dig into the novel. 

Character Analysis 

Animal Farm is ripe for character analysis. Have students analyze each character throughout the text. Alternately, assign students a specific character to focus on – even better if you can tie their character(s) into their “animal” from the Make Your Class Animal Farm project! 

These character analysis graphic organizers are a perfect way for students to hone their analysis skills and provide textual evidence for their stances.   Students provide examples of indirect characterization, chose and analyze a key quote, trace the character’s impact on theme development, and more. 

Political Cartoons 

One of the recurring motifs is the herd mentality of the sheep. A quick Google search will reveal tons of examples of political cartoons involving sheep. Have students use a method such as OPTIC to analyze the cartoons. This is also a great time to review satire. Then, have students use a program such as Canva to create their own political cartoons about a theme from the novel.  

Film Adaptations

What student doesn’t love movie day? There are several film adaptations of  Animal Farm – this 1999 live version .  and   this 1954 animated version.

after reading activities

It’s time to put it all together. Here are two of my favorite after-reading activities when teaching Animal Farm. 

Escape Room 

If you’re looking to bring some engagement and competition into your classroom, escape rooms are the way to go! (Read more about how to use escape rooms in the classroom here ). 

During my last time teaching Animal Farm ,  students reviewed the novel by completing an escape room. They started off with their introduction – they were playing as an animal who lived through the Rebellion and Napoleon’s reign. Each of the four tasks (plot, characters, close reading, and encrypted message) moved them through a different stage of their life as this animal. The winning team got candy and a few extra points on their test. You want to see some cut-throat competition? Offer seniors peppermints and Jolly Ranchers

Soundtrack Project 

Another review/wrap-up activity that has been met with great success is a soundtrack project. The great thing about this project is that it can be repurposed for any novel. 

Students chose a minimum of 6 songs:

• setting 
• 3 characters 

They then create a soundtrack using songs that relate to each category. For each song, they had to include: 

• song name and artist
• track 
• lyrics (they could just choose the ones that best fit the purpose) 
• reasoning behind choosing the song 

Other Resources for teaching animal farm

In addition to the novel itself, I like to bring in supplemental resources – especially in the way of nonfiction. If you’re looking for additional texts, check out CommonLit.org. They have a whole section of related texts for  Animal Farm . 

For connections to real life, check out this Life under Stalin video. 

So there you have it. Some of my favorite activities for teaching  Animal Farm . 

Interested in student workbooks and escape room mentioned above? Check out the  Animal Farm Unit Bundle.  

Looking for more Brit Lit curriculum ideas? Check out  7 Units for a Complete Brit Lit Curriculum .

Want an editable British Literature Curriculum Map? Subscribe to the newsletter and grab your free scope and sequence today! 

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Animal Farm Essay Topics: 50+ Ideas and Example for Your Paper

by  Antony W

December 16, 2023

It’s easier and faster to write an animal farm essay if you teacher gives you a topic to cover. It’s the opposite if you have to choose a topic yourself because ideation is time consuming.

Quite too often, you have to read books, search the internet, or even consult your course mate for topics and ideas. By the time you find a good title, you probably have only a few hours left to complete the paper.

Fortunately, there’s an easier way to find essay topics . That’s by looking at our pre-compiled ideas on Animal Farm. In this post, you’ll find 50+ topic ideas related to Animal Farm, the beast fable by George Orwell.

You can use the list to inspire you to come up with a new, solid idea, or you can pick a topic from it and explore it further in your paper.

We have divided these topics into different categories, so you can choose your area according to the type of essay your teacher wants you to write. Also, while this is by no means an exhaustive list, it’s a good starting point for brainstorming.

Key Takeaways

• Choose a topic that you find interesting, especially one that falls within a theme that you‘ve always wanted to explore. 
• If you already have a topic but not enough time to write the paper, you can pay an essay writer here to get the first draft of the paper written for you.

50+ Best Animal Farm Essay Topics

Below are list of animal farm essay topics divided into different categories:

Easy Animal Farm Essay Topics

• How the narrative of Animal Farm serve as a reflection of democratic principles
• Ways in which Animal Farm mirror the inverse of Russia under Hitler’s reign, as depicted by Orwell?
• How do the animals willingly surrender their freedom in Animal Farm, and what does this signify?
• Why is the theme of freedom so crucial in George Orwell’s Animal Farm?
• The role symbolism plays in conveying the deeper messages within Animal Farm
• How does George Orwell’s biography connect to the themes and motifs explored in Animal Farm?
• Explore the theme of fear and its various manifestations throughout Animal Farm.
• The instances of corruption evident within the narrative of Animal Farm
• In what ways does Animal Farm function as an allegory for the Soviet Union?
• Analyze Squealer’s use of propaganda as a tool to instill fear among the animals in Animal Farm.
• How does the concentration of power affect the characters and events within Animal Farm?
• What are the explicit manifestations of communism in Animal Farm’s storyline?
• What are the inherent faults or shortcomings depicted within the construct of Animal Farm?
• Assess the effectiveness of Napoleon’s propaganda tactics in Animal Farm.

Help for Assessment can write your paper fast and deliver on time.

Interesting Animal Farm Essay Topics

• How does George Orwell’s use fear utilized as a potent tool for spreading propaganda in Animal Farm?
• Discuss the rhetorical issues presented within the narrative of Animal Farm.
• Trace the evolution of efficiency as portrayed in the Soviet Union mirrored within the storyline of Animal Farm.
• How are issues of corruption addressed or confronted within the context of Animal Farm?
• Explore the subsequent effects of favoritism depicted in Animal Farm and its impact on the farm’s dynamics.
• How does the narrative portray the decline or deterioration of democracy within the farm?
• Assess the repercussions of curtailed freedom as depicted in Animal Farm.
• What implications does ignorance hold within the context of Animal Farm and its narrative?
• Investigate the thematic implications of freedom within the context of the story.

Good Essay Topics Derived from Animal Farm

• Compare and contrast the parallels between The Stranger and Animal Farm.
• In what ways can you compare and contrast the ideologies of Nazism and Animal Farm?
• How does Animal Farm depict the conflict between socialism and communism?
• Explore the Marxist perspective and its applicability to Animal Farm.
• Analyze Napoleon’s dictatorship and its characteristics within Animal Farm.
• Discuss the complexities and harsh realities associated with the concept of freedom in Animal Farm.
• How does Animal Farm depict the interplay between intelligence and manipulation among its characters?
• What role does education and knowledge play in the ascent and downfall of power dynamics within Animal Farm?
• How is propaganda and rhetoric used to sway and control the animals’ intelligence in Animal Farm?
• Can you explore the varying types of intelligence exhibited by different animals in Animal Farm and their significance to the story?
• How do the struggles for intelligence among the animals in Animal Farm parallel the human experience?
• Analyze the theme of intellectual suppression and control within the narrative of Animal Farm.
• How is history and memory manipulated to control the intelligence of the animals in Animal Farm?
• Discuss the failure of the intelligent animals in Animal Farm to recognize their own oppression despite their intellect.

General Animal Farm Essay Topics

• How George Orwell’s Animal Farm serves as a metaphor for life in the USSR during its time
• How George Orwell presents and characterizes Napoleon within the narrative of “Animal Farm.
• Explore the significance of the animals’ inability to read and its impact on their lives within Animal Farm.
• Analyze the use of distortion as a literary device in George Orwell’s Animal Farm and its effects on the narrative.
• In what ways does Animal Farm by George Orwell portray the importance of freedom within society?
• Examine the distortion of socialism as depicted in George Orwell’s Animal Farm.
• Trace the path to tyranny depicted in Animal Farm by George Orwell and its underlying themes.
• Discuss how Benjamin embodies a prototypical character in the tale of Animal Farm by George Orwell and the significance of his role.
• Analyze the political message against totalitarianism conveyed in George Orwell’s Animal Farm.

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Animal Farm Lesson Plans for Teachers

Teaching Animal Farm

The Animal Farm lesson plan contains a variety of teaching materials that cater to all learning styles. Inside you'll find 30 Daily Lessons, 20 Fun Activities, 180 Multiple Choice Questions, 60 Short Essay Questions, 20 Essay Questions, Quizzes/Homework Assignments, Tests, and more. The lessons and activities will help students gain an intimate understanding of the text, while the tests and quizzes will help you evaluate how well the students have grasped the material. View a free sample

Target Grade: 7th-12th (Middle School and High School)

Length of Lesson Plan: Approximately 96 pages. Page count is estimated at 300 words per page. Length will vary depending on format viewed.

Browse The Animal Farm Lesson Plan:

Full Lesson Plan Overview

Completely customizable.

The Animal Farm lesson plan is downloadable in PDF and Word. The Word file is viewable with any PC or Mac and can be further adjusted if you want to mix questions around and/or add your own headers for things like "Name," "Period," and "Date." The Word file offers unlimited customizing options so that you can teach in the most efficient manner possible. Once you download the file, it is yours to keep and print for your classroom. View a FREE sample

Lesson Plan Calendars

The Lesson Plan Calendars provide daily suggestions about what to teach. They include detailed descriptions of when to assign reading, homework, in-class work, fun activities, quizzes, tests and more. Use the entire Animal Farm calendar, or supplement it with your own curriculum ideas. Calendars cover one, two, four, and eight week units. Determine how long your Animal Farm unit will be, then use one of the calendars provided to plan out your entire lesson.

Chapter Abstracts

Chapter abstracts are short descriptions of events that occur in each chapter of Animal Farm . They highlight major plot events and detail the important relationships and characteristics of important characters. The Chapter Abstracts can be used to review what the students have read, or to prepare the students for what they will read. Hand the abstracts out in class as a study guide, or use them as a "key" for a class discussion. They are relatively brief, but can serve to be an excellent refresher of Animal Farm for either a student or teacher.

Character and Object Descriptions

Character and Object Descriptions provide descriptions of the significant characters as well as objects and places in Animal Farm . These can be printed out and used as an individual study guide for students, a "key" for leading a class discussion, a summary review prior to exams, or a refresher for an educator. The character and object descriptions are also used in some of the quizzes and tests in this lesson plan. The longest descriptions run about 200 words. They become shorter as the importance of the character or object declines.

Daily Lessons

This section of the lesson plan contains 30 Daily Lessons. Daily Lessons each have a specific objective and offer at least three (often more) ways to teach that objective. Lessons include classroom discussions, group and partner activities, in-class handouts, individual writing assignments, at least one homework assignment, class participation exercises and other ways to teach students about Animal Farm in a classroom setting. You can combine daily lessons or use the ideas within them to create your own unique curriculum. They vary greatly from day to day and offer an array of creative ideas that provide many options for an educator.

Fun Classroom Activities

Fun Classroom Activities differ from Daily Lessons because they make "fun" a priority. The 20 enjoyable, interactive classroom activities that are included will help students understand Animal Farm in fun and entertaining ways. Fun Classroom Activities include group projects, games, critical thinking activities, brainstorming sessions, writing poems, drawing or sketching, and countless other creative exercises. Many of the activities encourage students to interact with each other, be creative and think "outside of the box," and ultimately grasp key concepts from the text by "doing" rather than simply studying. Fun activities are a great way to keep students interested and engaged while still providing a deeper understanding of Animal Farm and its themes.

Essay Questions/Writing Assignments

These 20 Essay Questions/Writing Assignments can be used as essay questions on a test, or as stand-alone essay topics for a take-home or in-class writing assignment on Animal Farm . Students should have a full understanding of the unit material in order to answer these questions. They often include multiple parts of the work and ask for a thorough analysis of the overall text. They nearly always require a substantial response. Essay responses are typically expected to be one (or more) page(s) and consist of multiple paragraphs, although it is possible to write answers more briefly. These essays are designed to challenge a student's understanding of the broad points in a work, interactions among the characters, and main points and themes of the text. But, they also cover many of the other issues specific to the work and to the world today.

Short Essay Questions

The 60 Short Essay Questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of Animal Farm by describing what they've read, rather than just recalling it. The short essay questions evaluate not only whether students have read the material, but also how well they understand and can apply it. They require more thought than multiple choice questions, but are shorter than the essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

The 180 Multiple Choice Questions in this lesson plan will test a student's recall and understanding of Animal Farm . Use these questions for quizzes, homework assignments or tests. The questions are broken out into sections, so they focus on specific chapters within Animal Farm . This allows you to test and review the book as you proceed through the unit. Typically, there are 5-15 questions per chapter, act or section.

Evaluation Forms

Use the Oral Reading Evaluation Form when students are reading aloud in class. Pass the forms out before you assign reading, so students will know what to expect. You can use the forms to provide general feedback on audibility, pronunciation, articulation, expression and rate of speech. You can use this form to grade students, or simply comment on their progress.

Use the Writing Evaluation Form when you're grading student essays. This will help you establish uniform criteria for grading essays even though students may be writing about different aspects of the material. By following this form you will be able to evaluate the thesis, organization, supporting arguments, paragraph transitions, grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. of each student's essay.

Quizzes/Homework Assignments

The Quizzes/Homework Assignments are worksheets that can be used in a variety of ways. They pull questions from the multiple choice and short essay sections, the character and object descriptions, and the chapter abstracts to create worksheets that can be used for pop quizzes, in-class assignments and homework. Periodic homework assignments and quizzes are a great way to encourage students to stay on top of their assigned reading. They can also help you determine which concepts and ideas your class grasps and which they need more guidance on. By pulling from the different sections of the lesson plan, quizzes and homework assignments offer a comprehensive review of Animal Farm in manageable increments that are less substantial than a full blown test.

Use the Test Summary page to determine which pre-made test is most relevant to your students' learning styles. This lesson plan provides both full unit tests and mid-unit tests. You can choose from several tests that include differing combinations of multiple choice questions, short answer questions, short essay questions, full essay questions, character and object matching, etc. Some of the tests are designed to be more difficult than others. Some have essay questions, while others are limited to short-response questions, like multiple choice, matching and short answer questions. If you don't find the combination of questions that best suits your class, you can also create your own test on Animal Farm .

Create Your Own Quiz or Test

You have the option to Create Your Own Quiz or Test. If you want to integrate questions you've developed for your curriculum with the questions in this lesson plan, or you simply want to create a unique test or quiz from the questions this lesson plan offers, it's easy to do. Cut and paste the information from the Create Your Own Quiz or Test page into a Word document to get started. Scroll through the sections of the lesson plan that most interest you and cut and paste the exact questions you want to use into your new, personalized Animal Farm lesson plan.

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Enhance Your Animal Farm Unit with Interactive Activities

Enhance your Animal Farm unit with interactive activities.

Engaging Activities to Elevate Your Animal Farm Unit

Animal Farm is a book that I could teach half asleep. (Not that I would. I enjoy the content, and love it too much.) I feel that I’m passionate while teaching it and developing Animal Farm lesson plans. I’ve taught it probably close to two dozen times. Easily, it’s in my top five favorite books to teach and create accompanying activities.

I created my Animal Farm unit after borrowing ideas from myself and mismatching ideas and never having complete cohesiveness. After finishing the vocabulary, research into World War II, and writing prompts, I realized that after I spent time covering events of the novel and historical time period, we then complete literary analysis.

Therefore, I’ve divided my Animal Farm free ideas below into those two segments—comprehension and analysis.

What grade would you teach Animal Farm ?

Animal Farm is typically taught in high school, specifically for students in grades 9-12. Some middle schools read the story.

The complexity of the themes and allegorical nature of the novel make it more suitable for older students who can grasp the political and social commentary.

Can I teach Animal Farm without boring students?

Teaching Animal Farm requires a connection to students’ lives and to their experiences. Only when readers understand the vocabulary and concepts in connection to their lives will they understand the novella. Comprehension is important to understand the events of Animal Farm .

Fun Animal Farm activities should be an integral part of the lessons because the message remains important.

Relate brainwashing to their lives.

Part of successful brainwashing is the repetition of ideas—the changing of ideas. Students encounter subtle brainwashing in their lives. During my first teaching job, I worked next to an incredibly bright lady. The easiest way to teach this (she taught me) was to show advertisements. Open up any magazine, preferably a fat one with gobs of ads. Start flipping through. What do you see? Repeats—brainwashing of products. Lipsticks, mascaras, baseballs, video games: no matter what topic, you can show students that repetition is a major part of advertising.

And why? Because marketing executives know repetition works! The pigs were marketing themselves and their beliefs to the other animals. Show students this quick read that states, “Repetition is fundamental to the success of any advertising program.” The pigs knew that too.

Add a digital element to your Animal Farm lesson plans: Ask students to find an example of an advertisement that uses repetition. Students can look for print or videos.

Understand the hen-confession-scene.

The most difficult section of the book for students is when hens confess to crimes they didn’t commit. Understanding these scenes requires a psychological explanation . Why would people confess to something they didn’t do?! On the simplest of scales, bullied victims will align themselves with their bullies to end the teasing. Victims will go along with odd requests to be liked, to be left alone. Here, the hens were under stress to please Napoleon. This video from History can help students understand the situation.

Add a digital element to your Animal Farm lesson plans: What other psychological tricks does Napoleon use? Did Stalin use similar ones? Ask students to find research about manipulation, starvation, and devotion.

Don’t forget the propaganda.

Teaching the propaganda techniques in Animal Farm can be rewarding. The pigs’ techniques are over the top and unhidden to readers, so students easily recognize them.

Take for instance the use of songs and slogans. “Beasts of England” and parades serve purposeful features for the pigs, as does the seven commandments. Students eagerly recognize these propaganda techniques.

Our job, of course, is to question students about how they respond to propaganda.

Add the Seven Commandments to a wall.

This takes planning, but I wrote out the Seven Commandments one year, and my students talked about it for the next two years. I used a poster board and wrote the commandments. As I assigned chapters, I replaced one poster board with another, modifying the commandments as the pigs did. We would discuss the additions/subtractions during review. I never told students about switching the poster boards; I waited for them to notice.

And- what! Students don’t notice the changes immediately? Even better. Now they can see how easy it is to overlook something staring you in the face.

Add a digital element to your Animal Farm lesson plans: Create a simple background to your Google Classroom (or other platform) with the commandment. Change them every few days.

Map how the pigs are never the other animals’ equals.

Before the pigs took over the farm, they had taught themselves to read—automatically making themselves advanced. The increments of learning and regard from the pigs make equality long gone before the other animals catch on. Have students find the examples of how the pigs “better” themselves. Plus, this opens the door to a writing assignment concerning ‘equality’ and their society today (lots of textual evidence). It’s beautiful when the unit and lessons align, right?

Add a digital element to your Animal Farm lesson plans: What power does literacy provide people? Ask students to contribute a resource for their classmates. Create a hyperdoc with information for students to browse.

Can I teach literary analysis with Orwell’s story?

Yes! Young readers will have plenty of analysis for Orwell’s Animal Farm . You’ll be able to meet literature standards. Young readers can explore the dangers of tyranny, the effectiveness of symbolism, or any injustice that struck them.

Literary analysis is the perfect ending to an Animal Farm unit. Here are common areas of focus.

Satire and Tyranny

George Orwell uses satire in Animal Farm to critique society. The animals represent different individuals and groups in society. Through their actions and interactions, Orwell satirizes the corruption, inequality, and abuse of power that he saw in political systems. (Students might need to add information about the communist party, Russian Revolution, and other historical events.)

Point of View

A common standard for literary analysis is to analyze the point of view outside the United States. Historical-loving students often explore the Soviet Union and communism in different countries, and then draw conclusions. Once, a student found information on YouTube concerning language from textbooks in different countries.

Another option for working with point of view is connecting Orwell’s Animal Farm with current events. What points of view do we (mass media consumers) see?

What characters, symbols, or events build the theme? The main theme is the corruption of power. The novella explores how those in positions in authority can become corrupts and abuse their power. Ultimately, the less powerful experience oppression and exploitation.

But then, writers must analyze how Orwell built that theme.

Build a powerful Animal Farm unit!

Those are my Animal Farm free ideas, and no matter how you teach Orwell’s story, you can hopefully incorporate them.

When I teach Animal Farm , I want my students to understand a piece of literature that has warnings and ramifications for political situations today. If students understand the deeper connection of Orwell’s political allegory, I have met standards and made an impact.

These ideas can be used with any Animal Farm unit! As always, check out my Animal Farm unit plan .

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Are you interested in other ideas for teaching popular pieces of literature? Try my ideas for The Odyssey , Julius Caesar and Romeo and Juliet .

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Animal farm assignments

Animal Farm Activities and Assignments for Every Chapter

Animal Farm Assignment : Using the Power of Rhetoric to Inspire

Animal Farm Chapter 3 Propaganda Poster Assignment George Orwell Digital

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Russian Revolution - Animal Farm - Chapter Assignments and Essay

ENTIRE Animal Farm Unit Plan: Slides, Texts, 5 Assignments , 5 Quizzes & MORE!!!!

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Animal Farm Post-Reading Creative Writing Assignment : What Would Old Major say?

Ethos, Pathos, Logos & Animal Farm : Paper Assignment and Teaching Resources

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Animal Farm 5 Paragraph Essay Assignment

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Animal Farm Final Project: Seating Chart Nightmare! Fun assignment /essay/rubric

" Animal Farm " George Orwell Vocabulary Bundle (21 Assignments )

Animal Farm Chapter 4 Press Release Assignment (Battle of the Cowshed)

Animal Farm Beast Fable Writing Assignment and Rubric Checklist

Animal Farm : Homework Assignment

Animal Farm Writing Assignment : Eulogy for Boxer

Assignment : " Animal Farm -Exploring Allegory and Sociopolitical Themes"

Animal Farm Pre Reading Assignment

Animal Farm Research Essay Assignment

Animal Farm 5-paragraph essay assignment (PDF)

Animal Farm Quizzes and Vocabulary Assignments

Animal Farm Propaganda Speech Assignment

Animal Farm Essay Assignment + Thesis Prompts

Mini-Research Project Assignment for Setting of Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm Epilogue Writing Assignment

Animal Farm Essay Assignment

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George Orwell: Animal Farm and 1984 Teaching Materials

Animal farm  and 1984  by george orwell.

In our day and age when media plays such a large part in the way people think, everyone (and I do mean everyone) should read George Orwell's Animal Farm  and 1984 .   Orwell masterfully wraps his warnings about corrupt governments and the loss of human rights up inside intriguing and well-written tales.  Below are some ways to make Animal Farm   and  1984  more engaging and meaningful for your students.

KEY PLAYERS IN THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION AND THE SOVIET UNION (PDF) This presentation gives a general overview of the key players in the Russian Revolution as well as the first leaders of the Soviet Union. This is helpful when asking students to spot parallels for these historical figures in the novel.

ANIMAL FARM CHAPTER READING QUIZZES (SALE ITEM) This download includes a 10-question, multiple-choice reading quiz for each of the ten chapters of  Animal Farm  by George Orwell. I have used these quizzes in my classroom for years, and I can vouch that they keep students accountable for their reading.

INTRODUCTION TO PROPAGANDA PRESENTATION (PDF) This presentation showcases propaganda from the World War II and Cold War era. Some of the propaganda is pro-Nazi and antisemitic in nature, so teacher discretion is advised.

HUMOROUS PROPAGANDA EXAMPLES (PDF) These images spoof propaganda posters by using references to pop culture (Star Wars, Disney films, etc.)

AESOP'S FABLES   This collection of classic fables shows students the idea of using animal stories to demonstrate human problems. If time allows, it is always a fun assignment to have students dramatize one of these fables.

JAMES THURBER FABLES These excerpts from Fables For Our Time by James Thurber are hilarious parodies of the fable genre. They are also interesting comments on our society.

ANIMAL FARM ACTION FIGURE (PDF) This assignment asks students to design an action figure based on a character from Animal Farm. Each action figure must have actions it performs, accessories, a vehicle, etc. This is a non-threatening way to ask students to analyze the characters of the novel and incorporate a little artwork in the process.

STUDENT SCHOOL (PDF) This assignment asks students to imagine that they have been given absolute control of their high school. The teachers are driven away, and the student body is under their complete control. What now? (This assignment always gets some interesting responses from my students.)

PLANET OF THE APES DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (PDF)   These discussion questions are a great post-film assignment.

ORWELL, ANIMAL FARM, AND PLANET OF THE APES QUOTE POSTERS (PDF) These are nothing fancy, but if you print them out on colored paper, they make nice wall decorations. Make sure your students realize they are examples of verbal irony!

"NOTHING TO ENVY" EXCERPTS:  LIFE IN NORTH KOREA (PDF) These excerpts from Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick give haunting glimpses into the Orwellian world of North Korea. This makes a great follow-up activity for the novel. Read the whole book if you have time! To purchase the book or read more about it, visit Amazon.com by clicking here.

"THE FIREBIRD AND PRINCESS VASILISSA" (PDF) This is a Reader's Theater script-story of a famous Russian folktale. This tale gives a glimpse into the culture of Imperial Russia.

STALIN: RED TERROR DOCUMENTARY QUESTIONS (PDF)   A&E Biography produced an excellent documentary on Stalin's rise to power. These questions progress in order and follow the details of the video. To purchase or read more about this documentary about Joseph Stalin, visit Amazon.com by clicking here.

RASPUTIN: THE MAD MONK DOCUMENTARY QUESTIONS (PDF)   A&E Biography has produced an excellent documentary on the life of Grigory Rasputin. These questions progress in order and follow the details of the video. Rasputin's life shows much of what was corrupt and unstable about Imperial Russia--flaws that led to the overthrow of the government. To purchase or read more about the A&E Biography of Rasputin, visit Amazon.com by clicking here.

"GOD SEES THE TRUTH, BUT WAITS" BY LEO TOLSTOY AND READING GUIDE QUESTIONS (PDF)   This classic short story introduces students to the world of Imperial Russia, the unfair treatment of Russian subjects, and the treatment of prisoners in Siberia.

"THE SIGNAL" (PDF) This classic short story shows the lives of two peasants--one who is content with being a peasant and another who considers terrorism as an alternative.

1984 READING QUIZZES (SALE ITEM)  These 14 classroom-tested reading quizzes divide the novel up into manageable reading assignments and then assess the material. Each quiz has 10 multiple-choice questions (lettered A-D) that ask recall and inference questions related to the text. These are the same reading quizzes I have used in my own classroom, and they are as Sparknotes-proof as you can find. Keys with similar format are included as well for simple side-by-side grading.

Animal Farm Activities and Assignments for Every Chapter

Animal Farm Activities for Every Chapter: Engage your students as you read Animal Farm with these chapter activities and writing prompts. This 25-page document includes 21 pages filled with different common core aligned classroom activities to use to help students understand and analyze George Orwell’s novel “Animal Farm.

UPDATE 5/10/22: Resource now includes answer keys

Included in this packet:

⭐️ Animal Farm Chapter 1 Activities – Rhetorical Analysis

• Analyzing Major’s Speech
• Full Text of Major’s Speech
• Questions to Answer as You Read
• Rhetorical Triangle Analysis
• Ethos, Pathos, and Logos Analysis
• Diction Analysis

⭐️ Animal Farm Chapter 2 Activities

• Characterization
• Cause and Effect
• Explanatory Writing

⭐️ Animal Farm Chapter 3 Activity

• Argument Writing

⭐️ Animal Farm Chapter 4 Activity

• Understanding Allegory

⭐️ Animal Farm Chapter 5 Activity

• Snowball vs. Napoleon

⭐️ Animal Farm Chapter 6 Activities

• Understanding Symbolism

⭐️ Animal Farm Chapter 7 Activity

⭐️ Animal Farm Chapter 8 Activities

• The Battle of the Windmill
• Making Predictions

⭐️ Animal Farm Chapter 9 Activity

⭐️ Animal Farm Chapter 10 Activity

• Understanding Irony

Buy this in a bundle and save!

Animal Farm Teaching Unit with 5-Week Pacing Guide

Other Animal Farm resources that might interest you:

⭐️ Animal Farm” by George Orwell: A Group Research Project

⭐️ Animal Farm Character Analysis Graphic Organizers

Find more Animal Farm Resources Here: Animal Farm Resources .

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25 comments, ms. spencer.

I needed something else to start with. Thank you for being accessible!

Thank you for the resources!

Kelly Morgan

Extremely helpful, thank you so much! I had made a whole load of Animal Farm resources at a previous school, but got taken ill suddenly and left them all there, never to return. Found myself unexpectedly asked to teach Animal Farm this morning out of the blue and here you were to help! Most appreciative! Kelly

Brian J Christiana

Thank you so much!!! 1st year teacher, and this resource has been so valuable to me! I appreciate your work!

Very good worksheets. The website is great. We don’t have any books and your website is helping a lot. Very much appreciated.

Tracy Jiang

Thanks a lot. Although I havn’t used it yet, based on the feedback of other users, I believe it will help me and my Chinese students a lot. Thank you again

Thank You!!! This is the first year I am teaching this. I have to adapt all my material for my special education students, and this gives me a starting point.

cameron swallow

I spend most of my time and creative energy on my English II classes, so it is a wonderful relief to find good-quality materials for my English I. Thank you for these worksheets–they make me feel better about the time I just can’t give to my single class of freshmen.

Absolutely great help…..We do welcome these worksheets…!! us tired teachers!! Our profession turns us into “Boxer-like” characters… so finding these was like touching the sky…!! Thank you sooo much!!

I love the way that you put that. One day I hope to finish these reading units. In the mean time, thank you for appreciating what I have.

Thank you! These sheets are great 🙂

Thanks for the worksheets!

You are a life saver. First year teaching this novella. Any ideas on how to contrast the Russian revolution to this allegory would be welcomed. Thanks so much for worksheets. You are my hero!

Oh I wish. I love this novel so much but I haven’t taught it in years. Practically burned the photocopy machine out last time we tried reading it… I’d do a wild act of hyperbole for a classroom set of this text.

Jigsaw research presentations covering major figures: Marx, Stalin, Trotsky, etc. Tie in with writing or discussion about symbolism. Best wishes!

Awesome worksheets! Thank you so much.

Excellent resource for teachers.

Robin Trimmer

Thanks so much for these worksheets. I have my soon-to-be freshman reading over the summer break. I read Animal Farm all so many years ago when I was in 8th grade.

I love that book so much. I can’t wait until it falls into the public domain (fingers crossed).

Ulung Gulung

I used the worksheets with my student today. Those helped us a lot. I express my sincere gratitude on behalf of my student and myself to you.

Teacher4Kidz

Do you by chance have the worksheets made for the other chapters, yet? The ones you posted worked wonderfully!

I wish. I fell of the ball on that and I haven’t taught the novel since 2008. Now I don’t have a class set anymore, but I’ve been bugging my principal. Anyway, sorry I can’t help more at this time. Maybe try to give them a project ?

These are wonderful, do you not have one for every chapter?

Not yet. I’ll get some made next time around. Thanks for visiting.

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Language and Manipulation in Animal Farm

• Language and Manipulation in Animal…

Throughout the novel, Animal Farm, by George Orwell, the build-up of power is caused by language and the use of eloquence. The control of words and language used is what causes the banishment of Mr. Jones to occur and thus Napoleon’s unjust dictatorship is made possible.

The pigs use their eloquent ability and manipulation through language for any situation that questioned their supremacy which is what controlled the destiny of the farm.

In this novel, the animals on the farm, demonstrate humans’ vulnerability to the manipulation of language, the false idea of righteousness and selflessness created by strong words and the influence of persuasive speech without actually grasping the meaning.

To begin, after the dismissal of Mr.Jones and the revolution on Manor Farm the animals create seven commandments in order to govern themselves that they must abide by. All the animals on the farm help formulate and engrave them on the side of the barn to ensure that they are visible to all of the animals.

The power of language in the novel is evidently shown through the pigs manipulation of these commandments to have authority over the other animals. The pigs disobey one of the commandments which is  “Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy, but rationalize their actions to the other animals by using powerful speech.

This is evident as Napoleon announced that he had decided upon a new policy and says, “From now onwards Animal Farm would engage in trade with neighboring farms: not of course, for any commercial purpose but simply in order to obtain certain materials which were urgently necessary.” (Orwell, p.42).

After the banishment of Mr.Jones the animals agreed that Animal Farm would never again socialize with anything that has two legs, predominately human beings. Being that the animals were low on materials for building the windmill and income for themselves, the pigs sold some of the  hens ‘  eggs  in the nearby town of  Willingdon .

Although this is contrary to what the animals originally stated in the commandments the pigs manage to persuade them into thinking that it was vital to their existence to communicate with the creatures around them.

Despite the other animals being doubtful of this proposal, the pigs are able to convince them using mannerism; the pigs assert their proposal on survival based on trade with humans, thus no trouble was brought.

Moreover, the power of language utilization is shown through the pigs modifying the fourth commandment which is “No animals shall sleep in a bed” so they could be the ones to takeover Mr. Jones’ old house, but when they are questioned by the other animals; the pigs construe the commandment’s true meaning.

This is evident when Squealer says, “You have heard, then comrades,’ he said, ‘that we pigs now sleep in the bed of the farmhouse? And why not? You did not suppose, surely, that there was ever a ruling against beds? A bed merely means a place to sleep in. A pile of straw in a stall is a bed, properly regarded. The rule was against sheets, which are a human invention.” (Orwell, p.45- 46).

Through the manipulation of language, Squealer is able to assure the animals that there is no difference between an animal bed and a human bed. He rationalizes his action by stating that they sleep without sheets; they follow the fourth commandment. Once again the animals tolerate this because of the pigs’ prudent use of words and ability to manipulate the meaning of the commandments to what they as the inferior want to hear.

In addition, after the rebellion on the farm, all of the major decision making was given primarily to the more intelligent animals on the farm, the pigs and their leaders, Napoleon and Snowball.

They were often the ones who opposed the many issues that were related to the farm until Napoleon banished Snowball from the farm by using the guard dogs to chase him out; took control of the farm and its inhabitants. Despite the banishment of Snowball, the pigs still find a way to take the pressure off of them by accusing him of any adversity the farm may encounter through the use of persuasive language.

The pigs accuse Snowball of destroying the windmill that the animals built for a long time with a lot of effort.  This is shown when Napoleon says, “Comrades,” do you know who is responsible for this? Do you know the enemy who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL! He suddenly roared in a voice of thunder” (Orwell, p.47).

It was obvious that the storm the night before could have had something to do with windmill being destroyed; although Snowball was banished from the farm, the pigs were still able to convince the animals that he was the one guilty of the damage.

Furthermore, subsequently, the Battle of the Cowshed, the pigs dishonor Snowball of his hero medal, Animal Hero, First Class, for courageously fighting during the battle. This is shown as the author states, “The animals now also learned that Snowball has never- as many of them believed hitherto- received the order of ‘Animal Hero, First Class’ (Orwell, p.65).

Before Snowball’s banishment, the animals considered Snowball as not only a gentleman, but a scholar and were doubtful about many terrible allegations which were passive-aggressively made about him. However, through the propaganda ability of Squealer and the other pigs, they successfully convinced the other animals into thinking that Snowball was never awarded the “Animal Hero, First Class” which is what made him known and respected by all.

By dishonouring Snowball’s award the pigs were able to successfully remove any tie of Snowball as a hero and could, therefore, use him as an escape for any of their problems without the other animals questioning them. Although the pigs obvious abuse on Snowball’s name was completely disregarded, greater manipulation by the pigs of other situations was only possible due to their intelligence and verbal communication which creates the false idea of their righteousness and selflessness.

Finally, numerous problems are thrown at the pigs when trying to run their own ostracized farm. The pigs, however, often find different ways for themselves to benefit from the threats of the other animals, but through the control of language, it creates the false idea of selflessness and righteous behavior.

This is highly evident when the pigs persuade the animals into thinking that Napoleon’s dictatorship of the farm was not something Napoleon wanted but was vital for the survival of the farm. This is seen when Napoleon says, “Comrades,” I trust that every animal here appreciates the sacrifice that Comrade Napoleon has made in taking this extra labor upon himself. Do not imagine, comrades, that leadership is a pleasure! On the contrary, it is a deep and heavy responsibility” (Orwell, p.37).

Although Napoleon’s high authority has given him all the fortune and power of the farm, the pigs have concealed this with arguments of work and pressure which Napoleon must undergo.

Furthermore, the pigs assert that their selfish hoarding of the extra apple and milk ratios are essential to the farm’s prosperity. This is shown when Squealer says, “Comrades!” he cried, “You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself.

Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well- being of a pig. We pigs are brain workers. The whole management and organization of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare.

It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. (Orwell, p.23). The refusing of these extra ratios perfectly depicts the pigs selfish intentions and corruption from the very beginning. Their control of language creates the false idea, that the pigs only require the extra ratios which are essential to make the farm a better place for all; however, this is far from the truth.

They have through words convinced the other animals with their “excess intelligence” of their need for the apples and milk as to not comprise their appearance of innocent and selfless.

In conclusion, Animal Farm shows that the true intention of some can often be hidden with humans’ susceptibility to the manipulation of language , the false idea of righteousness created by powerful words and the influence of persuasive speech without fully grasping its meaning, which often leads the masses into confusion and vulnerability.

Although the characters in the novel were animals and could be considered unintelligent, the novel portrays humans as being no better when it comes to utilizing one another with the power of words.

Related Posts

• Animal Farm: Character Analysis of Napoleon
• Animal Farm Monologue: Squealer
• Essay: How the Pigs Took Over the Farm in George Orwell’s Animal Farm
• Animal Farm: Characters, Political Allegory, Power of Language
• Animal Farm Critical Passage

Author:  William Anderson (Schoolworkhelper Editorial Team)

Tutor and Freelance Writer. Science Teacher and Lover of Essays. Article last reviewed: 2022 | St. Rosemary Institution © 2010-2024 | Creative Commons 4.0

thanks for the info, I can write my speech now.

Thank you so much for this, it really helped me write my essay for school!

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