snowball

• In which war did Orwell serve in a Trotskyist battalion?

  Spanish Civil War
• How did Orwell's experience in the Spanish Civil War influence his writing?

  It inspired his critique of totalitarian communism
• Who does Snowball parallel in Orwell's work?

  Leon Trotsky
• What leads to Snowball's downfall in Animal Farm?

  His reliance on logic and rhetoric
• What is Snowball's primary goal in Animal Farm?

  To spread Animalism worldwide
• How does Orwell depict Snowball's character?

  In a relatively appealing light with flaws
• What moral flaw does Snowball accept regarding the pigs?

  He accepts their superiority over other animals
• What could Snowball's enthusiasm for projects like the windmill lead to?

  Megalomaniac despotism
• What does Orwell suggest about government corruption in the novella?

  Power itself corrupts, not just individuals
• What are the key themes presented in Orwell's portrayal of Snowball?

  • Critique of totalitarian communism
  • The duality of idealism and moral flaws
  • The corrupting influence of power
• What does Snowball claim a bird's wing is an organ of?

  Propulsion
• How does Snowball reassure the birds regarding their alignment with the maxim?

  By stating wings are like legs
• “‘A bird's wing, comrades,’ he said, ‘is an organ of propulsion and not of manipulation. It should therefore be regarded as a leg. The distinguishing mark of man is the HAND, the instrument with which he does all his mischief.’” 
• What does Snowball's reference to man and mischief signify in relation to Old Major's ideology?

  It highlights man as the source of suffering
• How does Snowball's speaking style contrast with Napoleon's?

  Snowball's speeches are long; Napoleon's are short
• What are the key ideological differences between Snowball and Napoleon?

  • Snowball: Long-winded, focuses on intelligence and rhetoric
  • Napoleon: Short, direct speeches
  • Snowball aligns with Old Major's views
  • Napoleon's ideology is more authoritarian
• What had the animals never heard of before?

  Fantastic machines for their work
• Why were the animals astonished while listening to Snowball?

  They had never encountered such ideas
• What type of farm is described in the text?

  Old-fashioned with primitive machinery
• What does Snowball propose in Chapter 5?

  The idea of the windmill
• “The animals had never heard of anything of this kind before (for the farm was an old-fashioned one and had only the most primitive machinery), and they listened in astonishment while Snowball conjured up pictures of fantastic machines which would do their work for them while they grazed at their ease in the fields or improved their minds with reading and conversation.”
• How does Snowball's vision for the windmill contrast with Napoleon's goals?

  Snowball wants progress, Napoleon seeks control
• What is the intended benefit of the windmill for the animals?

  To work smarter, not harder
• What would be the ideal outcome of Snowball's windmill proposal?

  Improvement in daily lives of animals
• Why does Napoleon reject Snowball's ideas?

  Leisure would lead to loss of control
• What does Snowball's desire for technological progress signify in the context of the farm?

  It represents hope for a better future
• What does Snowball want the animals to do while the machines work for them?

  Graze and improve their minds
• What is the main conflict between Snowball and Napoleon?

  Ideological differences on progress and control
• If Snowball's windmill were built, what would likely change for the animals?

  They would have more leisure time
• What does the rejection of the windmill idea imply about Napoleon's leadership style?

  He prioritizes control over the animals' welfare
• “‘Comrades,’ he said quietly, ‘do you know who is responsible for this? Do you know the enemy who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL!’ he suddenly roared in a voice of thunder.”

  In Chapter 6, tensions between Snowball and Napoleon reach their peak. Napoleon says these lines to the other animals, effectively paint Snowball as a traitor and an enemy of the farm. Similar to the way in which Stalin used Trotsky as a scapegoat for all of the failures of Soviet Russia, Snowball is ostracized and forced to occupy a similar position.
• Who painted over the sign of Manor Farm?

  Snowball
• What does the renaming of Manor Farm to Animal Farm signify?

  Transition from human to animal control
• What did Snowball codify into commandments?

  The laws of the farm
• What does Snowball's act of renaming the farm symbolize?

  Hope for a better future
• How do Snowball and Napoleon differ in their roles during the revolution?

  Snowball organizes, while Napoleon leads
• What happens to Snowball after the revolution?

  He is ostracized and forgotten
• “Then Snowball (for it was Snowball who was best at writing) took a brush between the two knuckles of his trotter, painted out MANOR FARM from the top bar of the gate and in its place painted ANIMAL FARM.” 
• What does Napoleon's renaming of Animal Farm back to Manor Farm represent?

  Undoing of Snowball's progress
• What are the key events surrounding Snowball's actions in Animal Farm?

  • Snowball renames Manor Farm to Animal Farm
  • Codifies laws into commandments
  • Represents hope for a better future
  • Eventually ostracized by Napoleon
  • Napoleon renames it back to Manor Farm
  • Symbolizes undoing of Snowball's progress