Hens
English Lit: AQA GCSE Animal Farm, topic 2.2.3
The Hens
Animal Farm is an allegory; all of the events and characters symbolise 20th century historical and political events.
5 key words
- Brave.
- Rebellious.
- Tough.
- Powerless.
- Punished.
Rebel
- The hens are ordered to give up their eggs to be sold. The hens rebel by smashing their eggs on the floor.
Example to betrayers
- Napoleon is ruthless and denies them any rations. He also says that any animal that helps the hens will be killed. Nine hens die before they give in.
- The hens are tough and brave, but they do not have the power to oppose Napoleon and his dogs.
- The 3 hens who lead this are later killed by Napoleon’s dogs at the forced confessions. They are used as examples to demonstrate what will happen to those who stand up to the regime. They are killed quickly and mercilessly.
Context
- The hens represent the Russian Peasants.
- The Russian peasants were forced to give up their produce for the state.
The Hens - Key Quotes
Here are a few key quotes about the hens:
Unfairly ordered
- __ “A contract for four hundred eggs a week”__.
Brutally punished
- “Napoleon acted swiftly and ruthlessly”.
- “Rations to be stopped”.
- “They, too, were slaughtered”.
Test yourself on Hens
What are 5 key words to describe the hens?
How do the hens rebel?
Who do the hens represent?
Which of the following is NOT a key quote about or in relation to the hens?
What does the quote “they, too, were slaughtered” tell us about the hens?