Chapters 7-8

Test yourself

Chapter 7: The Hens Rebel (Part 1)

Here are a few key features of the first part of Chapter 7:

Reducing the corn ration

The animals rebuild the windmill, but “only Clover and Boxer never lost heart”.
The corn ration is reduced due to shortages and starvation appears to be close. Napoleon fills the food bins with sand and then puts grain on the top, so that when Mr Whymper visits he thinks they are prospering and reports this to the outside world.
Napoleon rarely appears in public and the farmhouse doors are “guarded by fierce-looking dogs”.

Hen's rebellion

One Sunday, Squealer announces that the hens must “surrender” their eggs as Napoleon has agreed to trade 400 eggs per week.
The hens rebel by laying their eggs in the rafters so that they smash. “Napoleon reacted swiftly and ruthlessly”, just like the farmers did when their animals started to rebel.
He stops the hens’ rations and orders that any animal that helps them will be killed. Nine hens die and the 400 eggs are delivered. Napoleon has again corrupted Old Major’s vision of Animalism and demonstrated that he rules through fear and violence.

Snowball the traitor

Snowball is repeatedly declared a traitor and a saboteur who creeps into the farm “under cover of darkness” to cause trouble. He is blamed for any mishap.
When Boxer says that he remembers Snowball fighting bravely and being wounded, Squealer responds that “secret documents” show that Snowball was tricking them and acting for the enemy.
Squealer begins to rewrite history, creating fear of Snowball and popularity for Napoleon.
Squealer uses the animals’ lack of education to deceive and manipulate them.

Chapter 7: Confessions (Part 2)

Here are a few key features of the second part of Chapter 7.

Confessions

Napoleon calls an assembly.
Some of the dogs grab four of the pigs and three dogs attempt to grab Boxer. Boxer overpowers the dogs and pins one down with his hoof. Napoleon orders Boxer to let the dog go.
Napoleon calls the pigs to confess and they confess that they have been in league with Snowball. The dogs “promptly tore out their throats”.
Napoleon forces confessions and sets his dogs on anyone who threatens him. The animals seem to have no control over their own memories.

More confessions

More animals come forward and are “slain on the spot” until “there was a pile of corpses lying before Napoleon’s feet and the air was heavy with the smell of blood, which had been unknown there since the expulsion of Jones.”

Clover's lament

Clover thinks sadly back to Old Major’s speech and his utopian vision of “a society of animals set free from hunger and the whip”. Her thoughts of the past contrast with her present: “a time when no one dared speak his mind, when fierce, growling dogs roamed everywhere, and when you had to watch your comrades torn to pieces”.

Persisting loyalty

Even with these thoughts, however, Clover stays loyal to Napoleon: “there was no thought of rebellion or disobedience on her mind [...] they were far better off than they had been in the days of Jones.”
Clover’s thoughts show the reader how different Napoleon’s totalitarian dictatorship is to Old Major’s idea of Animalism.
This use of her perspective also shows the reader how controlling and manipulative this regime is; Clover can see what is happening and yet still loyally follows Napoleon.

Rebellion over

Squealer reports that Napoleon has abolished the song Beasts of England because the Rebellion is over.

Chapter 8: The Battle of the Windmill

Here are a few key features of Chapter 8:

The Sixth Commandment

Benjamin reads Clover the Sixth Commandment which now says: “No animal shall kill any other animal without cause”.
Napoleon is hardly ever seen. When he is out, he is escorted by his dogs and a black cockerel. A gun is fired on his birthday and he is referred to as “Our leader, Comrade Napoleon” and “Father of all animals”. All achievements and successes on the farm are attributed to Napoleon.
The pig Minimus writes a poem about Napoleon’s greatness and benevolence which is written on the wall opposite the commandments, along with a portrait of Napoleon.

Frederick

The windmill is finished and named Napoleon Mill.
Napoleon sells timber to Frederick, the neighbouring farmer, but Frederick pays with forged banknotes. Frederick and his men attack and a number of animals are wounded. The men blow up the windmill.
In a fury, the animals charge and chase the men off the farm. Squealer declares a “victory” for the animals, even though they are wounded and the windmill destroyed. However, after the gun is fired, the flag raised and Napoleon makes a congratulatory speech, the animals also feel that it was a “victory”.

Drinking

The pigs get drunk on Mr Jones’ whiskey and Napoleon is seen wearing Mr Jones hat. In “Animal Farm”, all human habits are symbols of corruption.
Squealer is caught drunkenly changing the Fifth Commandment to “No animal shall drink alcohol to excess”. The innocent animals (except for Benjamin), don’t realise that he is drunk.
This is another example of the pigs taking on the human habits that Old Major forbade and becoming more and more corrupt. Perhaps it also demonstrates that as the corrupt become more powerful, the weak become weaker, unable even to acknowledge their powerlessness.

1Important Plot Features

1.1Plot Summaries

1.1.1Chapters 1-2

1.1.2Chapters 3-4

1.1.3Chapters 5-6

1.1.4Chapters 7-8

1.1.5Chapters 9-10

1.1.6Keywords

1.1.7End of Topic Test - Chapters 1-5

1.1.8End of Topic Test - Chapters 6-10

2Characters & Their Links to History

2.1Key Characters

2.1.1Old Major

2.1.2Snowball

2.1.3Napoleon

2.1.4Squealer

2.1.5Boxer

2.1.6End of Topic Test - Key Characters

2.1.7AO2/3 - Key Characters

2.1.8Exam-Style Questions - Boxer

2.2Other Characters

2.2.1Mr Jones

2.2.2Clover

2.2.3Hens

2.2.4Sheep

2.2.5Mollie

2.2.6Benjamin

2.2.7Moses & Mr Frederick

2.2.8Pilkington & Mr Whymper

2.2.9End of Topic Test - Other Characters

2.2.10End of Topic Test - Other Characters 2

3Key Themes & Orwell's Purpose

3.1Key Themes

3.1.1Education

3.1.2Power & Control

3.1.3Power & Language

3.1.4Equality

3.1.5End of Topic Test - Key Themes

4Language, Form & Structure

4.1Language, Form & Structure

4.1.1Form & Structure

4.1.2Language

4.1.3Symbols

4.1.4Narrator & Allegory

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