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English Literature Quiz - Animal Farm - Character (Questions)

This GCSE English Literature quiz takes a look at character. Character in George Orwell’s novella, Animal Farm, is interesting. Many of the animals are unnamed, including the sheep, the dogs raised by Napoleon, the cat and the pigeons, to list a few. These animals represent specific groups or types of people: the dogs, for example, are an obedient private police force; the sheep are the sort of conformist people who believe everything they are told, challenging and questioning nothing; the cat stands for the kind of person who is always self-interested.

Some of the animals are named characters: for example, Boxer and Clover, Mollie, Benjamin, Muriel, Snowball, Napoleon and Squealer. Yet, these animals, too, stand for those other than themselves.

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Boxer’s fortitude and uncomplaining contribution to better the lives of all are not his alone, but the qualities of dependable working classes everywhere. Clover shares these traits, trusting the pigs despite her occasional doubtful thought. Some of the characters represent historic individuals in addition to groups. So Mr Jones symbolises all selfish landowners and bosses as well as Tsar Nicholas, and by extension, all traditional rulers overthrown in revolutions. Snowball specifically represents Leon Trotsky, but also all idealist revolutionaries. Napoleon is both Joseph Stalin, and dictators everywhere.

We see these characters through the voice of what would traditionally be known as an omniscient third-person narrator. If you pay close attention you will notice, however, that the narrator cannot tell us what everyone is thinking, only knowing the thoughts of some of the animals. The narrator also seems as misled as the others and appears to harbour some of the same suspicions as Clover, being also similarly reassured.

When thinking about these characters, remember to consider the different roles they play as representations of historic figures as well as types of people. As an allegory and a fable, Animal Farm presents figures which also symbolise abstract qualities such as greed, ambition, naivety and ruthlessness.

Answer the questions below to see how well you understand the characters in Animal Farm.

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1. Clover occasionally asks Muriel to read out specific commandments that are written on the wall. Which of the following is true of her response to the altered commandments?
[ ] She is inclined to mistrust her memory, instead having faith in written words
[ ] She mistrusts the pigs and immediately recognises that the commandments have been altered through additions
[ ] She is a naturally suspicious and cynical character and these views are confirmed by the alterations
[ ] She is merely indulging her curiosity and thus feels satisfied after hearing the commandments read
2. Snowball paints the commandments on the wall, organises the animals into committees and creates plans for the windmill. He exercises leadership through which of the following?
[ ] Living in absolute equality with the other animals
[ ] Secrecy and intimidation
[ ] Inspiration and education
[ ] Threats and lies
3. Which of the following is NOT true of Mollie?
[ ] She enjoys the attentions of human beings
[ ] She prefers good food and comfort to suffering any discomfort for the animals' cause
[ ] She feels humiliated when humans dress her up with ribbons, although she tolerates this practice
[ ] She allows people to pet her and stroke her nose in return for sugar lumps
4. Benjamin takes the long view, refusing to engage with debates or even to share his knowledge with the other animals. What finally prompts a change in his behaviour?
[ ] The first obvious lie from the pigs
[ ] The pigs' betrayal of his friend
[ ] The first time the pigs suffer from hangovers
[ ] The appearance of Squealer walking on two legs
5. What does Boxer see as his responsibility to the animals' revolution?
[ ] Hard work and obedience
[ ] Literacy and holding the leaders to account
[ ] Fully supporting and repeating Squealer's propaganda
[ ] Intimidating human neighbours and enemies through violence
6. Which of the following does NOT contribute to Napoleon's rise to leadership?
[ ] Secrecy
[ ] Lying
[ ] The use of violence
[ ] Cooperation with neighbouring farmers
7. How do the humans show their enmity to Animal Farm?
[ ] Refusing to participate in any trade with the farm
[ ] Causing the collapse of the first windmill
[ ] Spreading lies about conditions on the farm and continuing to refer to it by its former name
[ ] Harbouring Snowball and encouraging his activities against the farm
8. Which of the sheep's characteristics are used against the possibility of dissent amongst the animals?
[ ] Their tendency to act in a group
[ ] Their inability to master complex thoughts
[ ] Their obedience
[ ] All of the above
9. "Here Squealer's demeanour suddenly changed. He fell silent for a moment, and his little eyes darted suspicious glances from side to side before he proceeded." What causes Squealer to feel suspicious while speaking to the other animals?
[ ] He believes the other animals intend to harm him
[ ] He is aware that not all of the other animals believe his reports
[ ] He believes that one of the horses might usurp his position
[ ] He is concerned that his truthful account will deliberately be undermined by malicious lies from the others
10. What causes rebellion amongst the hens?
[ ] The agreement to trade their eggs for necessities for the farm
[ ] The sudden reduction in food rations
[ ] The sudden increase during the spring of the number of eggs to be traded
[ ] All of the above

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Characters

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English Literature Quiz - Animal Farm - Character (Answers)
1. Clover occasionally asks Muriel to read out specific commandments that are written on the wall. Which of the following is true of her response to the altered commandments?
[x] She is inclined to mistrust her memory, instead having faith in written words
[ ] She mistrusts the pigs and immediately recognises that the commandments have been altered through additions
[ ] She is a naturally suspicious and cynical character and these views are confirmed by the alterations
[ ] She is merely indulging her curiosity and thus feels satisfied after hearing the commandments read
Clover, like many of the animals, has a misplaced trust in authority, both that of the pigs and that expressed through writing
2. Snowball paints the commandments on the wall, organises the animals into committees and creates plans for the windmill. He exercises leadership through which of the following?
[ ] Living in absolute equality with the other animals
[ ] Secrecy and intimidation
[x] Inspiration and education
[ ] Threats and lies
Inspiration can easily give rise to empty promises and education can also become indoctrination, tactics which the other pigs put to use after the banishment of Snowball. Snowball does not fully believe in equality, since he accepts better conditions for those engaged in intellectual labour
3. Which of the following is NOT true of Mollie?
[ ] She enjoys the attentions of human beings
[ ] She prefers good food and comfort to suffering any discomfort for the animals' cause
[x] She feels humiliated when humans dress her up with ribbons, although she tolerates this practice
[ ] She allows people to pet her and stroke her nose in return for sugar lumps
The other animals see the wearing of human clothes as humiliating, but Mollie does not agree. Mollie prefers luxuries and attentions to the life offered on the farm, even at the cost of wearing reins and a harness
4. Benjamin takes the long view, refusing to engage with debates or even to share his knowledge with the other animals. What finally prompts a change in his behaviour?
[ ] The first obvious lie from the pigs
[x] The pigs' betrayal of his friend
[ ] The first time the pigs suffer from hangovers
[ ] The appearance of Squealer walking on two legs
Benjamin is so disturbed by the animals' misunderstanding of events when Boxer is taken away that he rouses them by reading the side of the van, explaining what is really happening to their faithful friend
5. What does Boxer see as his responsibility to the animals' revolution?
[x] Hard work and obedience
[ ] Literacy and holding the leaders to account
[ ] Fully supporting and repeating Squealer's propaganda
[ ] Intimidating human neighbours and enemies through violence
Boxer's two maxims are "I will work harder" and "Napoleon is always right". The second motto he adopts to cope with the anxiety produced by the terrifying expulsion of Snowball from the farm
6. Which of the following does NOT contribute to Napoleon's rise to leadership?
[ ] Secrecy
[ ] Lying
[ ] The use of violence
[x] Cooperation with neighbouring farmers
Napoleon begins to cooperate with humans after he usurps leadership of the farm. The long germination of his plans is evident in his secret behaviour, especially in the training of the puppies into his own private security force
7. How do the humans show their enmity to Animal Farm?
[ ] Refusing to participate in any trade with the farm
[ ] Causing the collapse of the first windmill
[x] Spreading lies about conditions on the farm and continuing to refer to it by its former name
[ ] Harbouring Snowball and encouraging his activities against the farm
The human farmers wish for Animal Farm to fail at any cost and also punish their own animals if caught singing "Beasts of England". The stories about their protection of Snowball are invented by Napoleon to create a sense of fear on the farm
8. Which of the sheep's characteristics are used against the possibility of dissent amongst the animals?
[ ] Their tendency to act in a group
[ ] Their inability to master complex thoughts
[ ] Their obedience
[x] All of the above
The sheep are used as a weapon against the other animals. Their cry of "Four legs good, two legs bad" prevents the others from complaining, asking questions or disagreeing with the pigs
9. "Here Squealer's demeanour suddenly changed. He fell silent for a moment, and his little eyes darted suspicious glances from side to side before he proceeded." What causes Squealer to feel suspicious while speaking to the other animals?
[ ] He believes the other animals intend to harm him
[x] He is aware that not all of the other animals believe his reports
[ ] He believes that one of the horses might usurp his position
[ ] He is concerned that his truthful account will deliberately be undermined by malicious lies from the others
Squealer is aware of the large gulf between his report of Boxer's death and the other animals' awareness of reality. He suspiciously guards the official report from alternative accounts
10. What causes rebellion amongst the hens?
[ ] The agreement to trade their eggs for necessities for the farm
[ ] The sudden reduction in food rations
[x] The sudden increase during the spring of the number of eggs to be traded
[ ] All of the above
The hens' rebellion is ruthlessly quashed, through starvation and the punishment of sympathisers. The rebellion also leads to a purge of ringleaders and a time of hysterical self-denouncement and general punishment of those perceived as internal enemies