Animal Farm Chapter One

Comprehension Questions:
1. Who owns Manor Farm? 2. What problem does he have? 3. Who is Old Major? 4. Why does Old Major assemble the animals? 5. What broke up the meeting?

Characters
Make a list of characters, including their species. (humans, pigs, horses, etc.) We will add to this list as we read the book. It may be helpful to create something like the following:

Name Old Major

Species Pig

Comments Oldest pig, leader, encourages the animals to rebel against Mr. Jones

Old Major s Speech

What was the purpose of Old Major s speech? 2. Did he achieve his goal? 3. What is the content of Major s speech? Make a list of his main points. 4. How is Major s speech effective? What are some of the rhetorical skills he uses?
1.

Major s Speech: Content The miserable state of the animals lives

Creates discontentment among the animals.

 

Questions the cause of misery Attack against Man

Man is the enemy, the animals are victims

 

Rebellion Ideology

Examples in Major s Speech Rule of threes

 

Our lives are miserable, laborious, and short. Three rhetorical questions (cows, chickens, horses) Asks animals about their children Why would you continue in this miserable condition? What is the nature of this life of ours? No animal is free misery and slavery and you will never see them again.

Rhetorical questions
  

Exaggeration
 

 


Major s Speech: Rhetoric Comrades Rhetorical questions

Audience feels involved, but Major still guides the speech and gives the answers

  

Voting Rule of threes Hyperbole (exaggeration)

Ideology What does Major criticize about humans? -all their habits are bad -take away animals children, eggs, sells them for money -consumes without producing -gives only a small amount -sells old animals -overwork the animals -murders animals What are the main components of Major s ideal society? Make a list. In an ideal society, no one lives in a house sleeps in a bed, wears clothes, drinks alcohol, smokes tobacco, touches money, engages in trade

Beasts of England Hymn Read the hymn. What does it symbolize? Why do you think the animals are so eager to adopt this hymn? Why do they accept it so readily?

Refer to the questions students made last week. Which ones can be answered at this point?