Animal Farm
George Orwell
Contains spoilers for the entire book.
Discussion topics
Topic 01 of 08
Old Major's dream
What makes Old Major's vision so powerful to the animals, and what in it already carries the seeds of what goes wrong?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does the song Beasts of England matter so much to them?
- Was the rebellion against Mr Jones justified, whatever came after?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.
Discussion topics
What makes Old Major's vision so powerful to the animals, and what in it already carries the seeds of what goes wrong?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does the song Beasts of England matter so much to them?
- Was the rebellion against Mr Jones justified, whatever came after?
How do the changes to the Seven Commandments show the way power works on the farm?
Keep the conversation going
- Why do so few animals notice, or say anything, when the words on the barn wall change?
- What does 'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others' mean to you?
Would the farm have been any different if Snowball had won instead of Napoleon?
Keep the conversation going
- How does Napoleon use Snowball's exile to keep control?
- What does the story of the windmill tell you about who does the work and who takes the credit?
How does Squealer persuade the animals to accept things they can see with their own eyes are wrong?
Keep the conversation going
- Which of his tactics did you find most familiar from the world today?
- Why do the animals find it so hard to trust their own memories?
What does Boxer's fate say about loyalty and hard work under Napoleon's rule?
Keep the conversation going
- Is 'I will work harder' a virtue, a weakness, or both?
- How did you feel about the way the pigs explain what happened to him?
How does Napoleon use fear, from the dogs to the public confessions, to rule the farm?
Keep the conversation going
- Why do some animals confess to crimes they could not have committed?
- What did Clover's thoughts on the hillside after the executions make you feel?
What do Benjamin's silence and Mollie's departure say about the different ways of living under the pigs?
Keep the conversation going
- Is Benjamin's cynicism wisdom, or a way of avoiding responsibility?
- Does anyone on the farm ever have a real choice to resist?
What did you make of the final scene, where the animals can no longer tell pig from man?
Keep the conversation going
- Was this ending inevitable from the start of the revolution?
- What do you think Orwell wants readers to take away from the fable?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.