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ANIMAL FARM
Chapter 5
Chapter 5—Summary
Mollie disappears from the farm
 Ends up with one of Pilkington’s men
 Seen at the pub dolled up with ribbons
 Seemed to be enjoying herself
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Snowball vs. Napoleon--Windmill
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Snowball:
Wanted to build a
windmill
Says it would supply
electricity
Provide Light and Warmth
Save labor time
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Napoleon:
Wanted to increase
food production.
Said the windmill
would be wasted
time and energy
Said everyone would
starve to death
Snowball vs. Napoleon—Defense
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Napoleon:
Wants to get firearms
and train themselves
how to use them
Believes in making the
farm safe from attacks
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Snowball:
Wants to spread the
rebellion
Says if the rebellion
happened everywhere,
they would have no need
to defend themselves
Chapter 5 Summary
Before the animals can vote Napoleon calls out
nine ferocious dogs, who chase Snowball off
the farm.
 Napoleon then announces that all debates will
stop and institutes a number of other new rules
for the farm.

New Leadership
Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky battled for the
leadership of the communist party.
 Stalin won.
 In 1927 Stalin expelled Trotsky from the party and
the country just like Napoleon did to Snowball
 In 1940 Trotsky
was assassinated,
under Stalin’s
Stalin
orders.

Trotsky 
Russian Revolution – KGB/Secret Police/Cheka
Personal body guards to Stalin
 Created to prevent against any
counter-revolutionary activity after
communism took over Russia
 Used any means necessary
to keep “social order”

Animal Farm – The dogs
Napoleon’s enforcers
 Used to instill fear in other animals
 Taken from their parents when they
were puppies and raised by Napoleon
 A part of his strategy to
control the animals

Napoleon—Secret Motives
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We have suspected the motives of the pigs and
Napoleon
Chapter III stealing apples and milk for themselves
The pigs appear more interested in grabbing resources
When Napoleon sets his dogs on Snowball, he proves
that his socialist ideas about the common good is quite
empty
Napoleon’s takeover a long period of careful plotting:
He first took control of the dogs’ training in Chapter III.
The banishment of Snowball is the end of long-held
resentments and aspirations
Propaganda in Action
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Squealer is used to explain Napoleon’s actions
Says it was a sacrifice on Napoleon’s part to take on
so much extra responsibility
“No one believes more firmly than Comrade
Napoleon that all animals are equal.” p. 55
Says it’s for the animals own good that Napoleon rule
“He would be only too happy to let you make your
decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might
make the wrong decisions … and then where should
we be?” p.55
Chapter 5 Summary—The Windmill
Napoleon suddenly insists that
the animals build the windmill
 Squealer is sent to convince the
animals that the windmill was
Napoleon’s idea all along
 Tactics get rid of the
“dangerous character and bad
influence” of Snowball
 Page 57-58
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Allegorical Connections to History
1928: Stalin announces his first Five Year Plan
(an attempt to make Russia a modern
industrial state)
 Convinces “comrades” throughout the Soviet
Union to work harder than they ever have
 Need to fix the infrastructure neglected by the
Tsars
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Other Allegorical Connections
Vladimir Lenin’s Body laying in state—January
1924
 The body is still visible in Moscow
 The Mausoleum is open every day from 10:00 am
to 1:00 pm, except holidays, Mondays and Fridays

Other Allegorical Connections
Old Major’s skull
was dug up and
placed at the foot of
the flagstaff
 Satire pointed at the
Russian practice
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Other Notables:
Orwell was part of a Trotskyist group in the late
1930’s during the Spanish Civil War
 Could be why Snowball is looked at in a positive
manner
 Boxer adds a new maxim: Napoleon is always right
 His personal motto “I will work harder”
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Emerging Themes
1.
2.
3.
Poor Memory of the past makes the
people easier to control
Lack of knowledge or education makes it
impossible to speak out against injustice
Boxer-“…in the end he could not think of
anything to say.” p. 54
Blind loyalty to one’s leaders is dangerous
“Napoleon is always right”