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Animal Farm Chapter 7 Summary
The winter had arrived and it was bitter and stormy weather. The work continues on the windmill through the bitter winter because the animals want to prove themselves to the humans outside the farm, who doubt them. These same humans say the windmill collapsed because the walls were too thin, but the animals continue to believe that Snowball is responsible. However, they also decide to rebuild the windmill with thicker walls, which means they need more stones. Collecting the stone in winter weather is slow and difficult, impeding their progress. Only Boxer and Clover, with their unshakable work ethic, keep up the animals spirits.
Other problems also abound. In January an improperly planted crop fails, leaving the farm with a severe food shortage from the outside world. Napoleon and the animals work frantically to conceal the shortage from the outside world. Rumours of famine are already circulating among the humans, so confirming these rumours would put the farm in danger. The animals are instructed to talk about increased rations when Mr. Whymper is around. Still, Napoleon makes arrangements to sell more of the hen’s eggs so the farm can buy grain to make up for the shortfall in their stores.
Wanting their eggs to become chicks, the hens rebel, laying their eggs in the hen house rafters so they fall to the floor and break. Napoleon responds Jjy withholding the hen’s rations, but their resistance still lasts for five days. Nine hens die of starvation, but Napoleon makes sure the other animals are told they died of disease.
It was heard that Snowball was hiding in one of the adjoining farms. There was a pile of timber and Mr. Pilkington ‘ and Mr. Frederick, were interested in it. However, whenever the deal took shape, Snowball was noticed to be in that particular farm. Everything bad that happened in the farm was put on Snowball’s head. Even broken windows and blocked drains were put on his name. All the bad things that happened were blamed on Snowball, even if the true causes became apparent later. Eventually, Squealer announces Snowball, has sold himself to Frederick and says Snowball was always in league with the humans, even fighting for Jones at the Battle of Cowshed.
Later, Napoleon uses the threat of Snowball to eliminate some of his enemies. During a meeting, he sends his dogs after the four pigs who question his trade plans, the hens that have rebelled over the eggs, and a few other animals who confess to working with Snowball. All of these animals are executed immediately. This violence stuns the other animals, especially Clover.
After the executions, she and other animals got there on the knoll where the windmill stood. In an attempt to comfort themselves, the animals try to sing ‘Beasts of England ‘but Squealer tells them the song in now banned, replaced with a new song swearing allegiance to Animal Farm. Minimus, the poet, had composed it but somehow neither the words nor the tune was as appealing as ‘Beasts of England’.
Animal Farm Chapter 7 Summary Word Meanings:
- Emboldened – Give someone the courage or confidence to do something
- Pullets – A young hen, especially less than one year old
- Lurking – Be or remain hidden so as to wait in ambush for someone or something
- Frisking – Skip or leap joyfully, frolic
- Tumult – A state of confusion or disorder
- Knoll – A small hill or mound.
- Swishing – Move with a hissing round
- Spinney – A small area of trees and bushes.
- Whinny – A gentle, high pitched neigh
- Lumbering – Moving in a slow, heavy, awkward way.
Animal Farm Chapter 7 Summary Questions and Answers
Question 1.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
When it was all over, the remaining animals, except for the pigs and the dogs, crept away in one body. They were shaken and miserable. They did not know which was more shocking: the treachery of the animals who had leagued themselves with Snowball, or the cruel retribution they had just witnessed Since Jones had left the farm, until today, no animal had killed another animal.
(i) Mention the two crimes that the four pigs had just confessed to. As a result what happened to them ?
(ii) Who was Snowball ? In what way had he deceived the other animals ?
(iii) What happened to the other animals who had ‘leagued’ themselves with Snowball ?
(iv) Why had Mr. Jones left the farm ? Which two persons were willing to take over the farm from the animals ?Who did Napoleon favour ?
(v) How was the Sixth Commandment, ‘No animal shall kill any other animal’ modified ? Briefly describe any
other incident which led to the change in another Commandment.
Answer:
(i) The four pigs confessed that they had been secretly in touch with Snowball ever since his expulsion, that they had collaborated with him in destroying the windmill, and that they had entered into an agreement with him to hand over Animal Farm to Mr. Frederick. They added that, Snowball had privately admitted to them that he had been Jones’ secret agent for years past. When they had finished their confession, the dogs promptly tore their throats out.
(ii) Snowball was one of the cleverest pigs, who won the loyalty of the other animals by his decision for the betterment of the farm. He failed to see the sinister thoughts of Napoleon who easily chased him away from the farm. In his absence Napoleon and Squealer wanted to prove him traitor. According to them, they forced the four pigs to make false confession which stated that Snowball had deceived the other animals, because Snowball had privately admitted to them that he had been Jones’ secret agent for years past, and he had ditched animals welfare, for his personal interests.
(iii) The other animals who had leagued themselves with Snowball were all executed. The three hens were slaughtered. The goose and the sheep were all slain on the spot. And so the tale of confessions and executions went on 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.
(iv) The animals had chased Mr. Jones, his family and his men out of the Manor Farm during the Rebellion. They had beaten and chased him during the Battle of Cowshed too. Mr. Frederick the owner of Pinchfield, a neighbouring farm and Mr. Pilkington, owner of Foxwood farm, were willing to take over the farm from the animals. And Napoleon was in favour of Mr. Pilkington, the owner of Foxwood Farm.
(v) Lot of animals were killed by Napoleon under the revenge of Snowball. He proved all of them traitors working for Snowball. The Commandment was changed to “No animal should kill other animal, without cause”. The pigs sleeping in the beds with sheet, is another example of change in the Fourth Commandment.
Question 2.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
One Sunday morning Squealer announced that the hens, who had just come in to lay again, must surrender their eggs. Napoleon had accepted, through Whymper, a contract for four hundred eggs a week.
(i) Who is Mr. Whymper ?
(ii) Why had Squealer announced that the hens must surrender their eggs ?
(iii) How was Napoleon behaving in these days ?
(iv) How did the hens react to this statement ?
(v) What happened to the hens after this ?
Answer:
(i) Mr. Whymper was a solicitor living in Willingdon. Upon Napoleon’s consideration, he had agreed to act as intermediary between Animal Farm and the outside world. He would visit the farm every Monday morning to receive his instructions.
(ii) The winter was very harsh that year. There was a severe food shortage at the Animal Farm. Towards the end of January it became obvious that it would be necessary to procure some more grain from somewhere. Hence, the price of these would pay for enough grain and meal to keep the farm going till summer came on and conditions were easier.
(iii) In these days, Napoleon rarely appeared in public, but spent all his time in the farmhouse, which was guarded at each door by fierce-looking dogs. When he did emerge, it was in a ceremonial manner, with an escort, six dogs who closely surrounded him and growled if anyone came too near. Frequently, he did not even appear on Sunday mornings, but issued his orders through one of the other pigs, usually Squealer.
(iv) When the hens heard that they have to surrender the eggs, they raised a terrible outcry. They had been warned earlier that this sacrifice might be necessary, but had not believed that it would really happen. They were just getting their clutches ready for the spring sitting, and they protested that, to take eggs away now was murder.
(v) The hens made a determined efforts to thwart Napoleon’s wishes. Their method was to fly up to the rafters and lay their eggs there, which were smashed to pieces on the floor. Napoleon acted swiftly and ruthlessly. He ordered the hens’ rations to be stopped, and decreed that any animal giving so much as a grain of corn to a hen should be punished through death. The dogs saw to it that these orders were carried out. For five days the hens held out, then they surrendered and went back to their nesting boxes. Nine hens had died in the meantime.
Question 3.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
Four days later, in the late afternoon, Napoleon ordered all the animals to assemble in the yard. When they were all gathered together, Napoleon emerged from the farmhouse, wearing both his medals with his nine huge dogs frisking round him and uttering growls that sent shivers down all the animals’ spines. They all cowered silently in their places, seeming to know in advance that some terrible thing was about to happen.
(i) Who had been called a traitor four days ago ?
(ii) When had Napoleon been awarded the two military honours ?
(iii) What happened just after the extract ?
(iv) What happened when the dogs pounced on Boxer ?
(v) Why were the animals in a shock after what followed the extract ?
Answer:
(i) Snowball had been called a traitor. This was not the first time that he had been decreed as a traitor.He was accused of helping the humans attack the Animals Farm and even destroying the windmill.
(ii) After the Battle of the Cowshed, the animals had decided to create the military decorations, ‘Animal Hero, First Class’ and ‘Animal Hero, Second Class’. Napoleon had recently awarded himself with these honours.
(iii) Napoleon stood sternly surveying his audience; then he uttered a high-pitched whimper. Immediately the dogs bounded forward, seized four of the pigs by the ear and dragged them, squealing with pain and terror, to Napoleon’s feet.
(iv) The dogs had tasted blood and then unexpectedly, three of them pounced on Boxer. However, he was much more agile and strong. Boxer saw them coming and put out his great hoof, caught a dog in mid-air, and pinned him to the ground. The dog shrieked for mercy and the other two fled with their tails between their legs.
(v) The four pigs confessed that they had conspired with Snowball in destroying the windmill. After they had confessed to all their crimes, the dogs tore their throats out. Then the three hens, a goose and a sheep, were all slained on the spot for their crimes. The other animals were totally shaken and miserable. Since Jones had left, no animal had killed another animal. But now, the air was heavy with the smell of blood. They had never wanted to see this.