Irony in Animal Farm (Chapters 9 and 10)
It is time to complete your reading of Animal Farm by George Orwell. Before you begin, review some unfamiliar vocabulary. In this interactivity, click on each of the tabs to view a term, its definition, its part of speech, and a sentence that uses the term. Click the player button to begin.
View a printable version of the interactivity.
Now, read Chapter 9 and Chapter 10 of Animal Farm. As you read these chapters, make sure to use the active reading strategies that you studied. Try to find examples of irony in your reading. Once you have read these chapters, return to this page to learn more about irony in Animal Farm.
Chapter 9 and Chapter 10 Analysis
In Chapter 9, you learn that Boxer continues to work, even though he is injured. In addition, the pigs continue to reduce the rations, and new baby pigs that resemble Napoleon are born on the farm. Because of farm shortages, rations are continually "readjusted" for all of the animals except for the pigs. Moses reappears and offers more of his opinions on Sugarcandy Mountain. Towards the end of Chapter 9, Boxer falls ill and is taken off to be slaughtered and made into glue. Even though the animals see the van clearly marked for the glue boiler, Squealer convinces them that they are mistaken and the animals end up believing him. How were Boxer's elderly years and demise different from that which he had been promised?
In Chapter 10, time has passed and many of the original animals who fought in the Rebellion have passed away. Except the pigs, all of the animals must work hard and the farm has started to prosper. Though the farm has made money, none of the animals have received any of it from the pigs. The other animals are startled when the pigs begin to walk on two legs. In addition, the Seven Commandments are removed from the side of the barn with the exception of one change - ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS. The pigs have ended up taking over the same roles and mannerisms as the humans, and (like Clover's predictions) the farm is very similar to how it was before the Rebellion.
Irony in Animal Farm
You already know quite a bit about the different types of irony. Now, explore how all three types are depicted in Animal Farm by George Orwell. In this interactivity, click on each of the buttons shown to read and hear a selection from the story. Then, try to guess which type of irony is portrayed in the selection. Click the player button to begin.
View a printable version of the interactivity.