Animal Farm
Chapter V
by Orwell, GeorgeThe chapter opens with Mollie, the vain mare, becoming increasingly unreliable as winter approaches. She neglects her duties, admires her reflection, and is eventually confronted by Clover about consorting with a human from a neighboring farm. When Clover discovers hidden sugar and ribbons in Mollie’s stall, it confirms her suspicions of betrayal. Mollie soon abandons Animal Farm altogether, choosing a life of comfort under human care, symbolized by her appearance pulling a dogcart with a red ribbon—a stark contrast to the farm’s principles. Her departure marks the first instance of an animal rejecting the rebellion’s ideals for personal comfort.
As harsh winter sets in, the pigs assume leadership, with Snowball and Napoleon emerging as rival figures. Their disagreements dominate farm meetings, with Snowball winning support through eloquent speeches while Napoleon quietly builds alliances, particularly with the sheep who disrupt proceedings with mindless slogans. Snowball, inspired by agricultural manuals, devises ambitious plans to modernize the farm, including an electrical windmill that promises reduced labor. Napoleon offers no alternatives but subtly undermines Snowball’s ideas, foreshadowing their escalating conflict. The ideological divide between progress and pragmatism begins to fracture the animals’ unity.
Snowball’s windmill plans reach full development, showcasing intricate designs drawn in a secluded shed. The animals marvel at his blueprints, though they don’t understand them, while Napoleon remains conspicuously opposed. In a striking act of defiance, Napoleon urinates on the plans during an inspection, demonstrating his contempt for Snowball’s vision. This vulgar rejection symbolizes the deepening rift between the two leaders and their competing visions for Animal Farm’s future—Snowball’s technological utopia versus Napoleon’s unspecified but traditional approach.
The farm splits into factions over the windmill debate. Snowball argues the project will eventually reduce work to three days weekly, while Napoleon insists on prioritizing immediate food production. Their slogans divide the animals, except for cynical Benjamin the donkey who refuses to engage. The chapter ends with this ideological stalemate, highlighting how the revolution’s initial unity has given way to polarization under competing leadership styles—Snowball’s intellectual idealism versus Napoleon’s calculating opposition.
FAQs
1. What were the signs that Mollie was becoming disloyal to Animal Farm, and what was the final evidence of her betrayal?
Answer:
Mollie exhibited several warning signs of disloyalty: chronic lateness, mysterious pains (despite good appetite), frequent visits to admire her reflection, and most damningly, being seen interacting with a human from Foxwood farm. The definitive proof came when Clover discovered hidden sugar lumps and ribbons in Mollie’s stall - contraband items representing human indulgence. Mollie’s eventual disappearance and reappearance in human service (wearing ribbons and enjoying sugar from a pub owner) confirmed her complete rejection of Animal Farm’s principles. This episode illustrates how material comforts can undermine revolutionary ideals.2. Compare and contrast Snowball’s and Napoleon’s leadership styles as demonstrated in their debates about farm management.
Answer:
Snowball emerges as an intellectual, innovative leader who studies agricultural science (using Jones’ books) and develops detailed plans like the windmill project. He wins support through eloquent speeches and visionary ideas about labor-saving technology. Napoleon operates more subtly - avoiding policy debates but quietly building support (especially with the sheep), dismissing Snowball’s plans without counter-proposals, and strategically waiting to undermine his rival. Their conflict manifests in opposing crop proposals (barley vs oats) and the fundamental windmill debate, showcasing their ideological divide between progressivism and pragmatic conservatism.3. Analyze the symbolic significance of Snowball’s windmill plans and Napoleon’s reaction to them.
Answer:
The windmill represents technological progress and the promise of easier labor (three-day work weeks), symbolizing Snowball’s modernist vision for Animal Farm. Napoleon’s visceral rejection - urinating on the plans - goes beyond mere disagreement; it’s a symbolic desecration of intellectualism and innovation. The detailed blueprints (covering half the floor with intricate mechanisms) contrast with Napoleon’s anti-intellectualism, foreshadowing their ideological clash. The windmill debate becomes a microcosm of larger political struggles between reformists and authoritarians, where complex ideas face destruction through crude opposition rather than reasoned debate.4. How does the sheep’s constant chanting of “Four legs good, two legs bad” function in the chapter’s political dynamics?
Answer:
The sheep’s mindless repetition serves as political manipulation, disrupting Snowball’s speeches at critical moments to benefit Napoleon. Their untimely interruptions exemplify how simplistic slogans can drown out complex policy discussions in political assemblies. The chapter reveals this isn’t random behavior but coordinated tactics (“especially liable to break into… at crucial moments”), suggesting Napoleon’s behind-the-scenes orchestration. This demonstrates early propaganda techniques in the farm’s power struggle, where rational debate gets sabotaged by repetitive dogma - a tactic employed by authoritarian figures to control discourse and suppress opposition.
Quotes
1. “Hidden under the straw was a little pile of lump sugar and several bunches of ribbon of different colours.”
This revealing discovery about Mollie’s secret human indulgences symbolizes the betrayal of the animals’ revolutionary ideals. It shows how some individuals prioritize personal comforts over collective principles.
2. “It had come to be accepted that the pigs, who were manifestly cleverer than the other animals, should decide all questions of farm policy, though their decisions had to be ratified by a majority vote.”
This quote marks a crucial development in the power structure of Animal Farm, illustrating how the pigs are gradually establishing their intellectual dominance while maintaining a facade of democracy.
3. “Snowball often won over the majority by his brilliant speeches, but Napoleon was better at canvassing support for himself in between times. He was especially successful with the sheep.”
This contrast between Snowball’s oratory skills and Napoleon’s behind-the-scenes manipulation foreshadows their coming power struggle and highlights different approaches to leadership and control.
4. “He walked heavily round the shed, looked closely at every detail of the plans and snuffed at them once or twice, then stood for a little while contemplating them out of the corner of his eye; then suddenly he lifted his leg, urinated over the plans, and walked out without uttering a word.”
Napoleon’s vulgar rejection of Snowball’s windmill plans demonstrates his growing opposition and contempt for Snowball’s ideas, using physical symbolism rather than intellectual debate to make his point.
5. “The animals formed themselves into two factions under the slogan, ‘Vote for Snowball and the three-day week’ and ‘Vote for Napoleon and the full manger.’”
This division into factions represents the ideological split emerging on the farm, with Snowball promising technological progress and leisure, while Napoleon appeals to immediate material needs - a fundamental political dichotomy.