Question

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: 

All that year the animals worked like slaves. But they were happy in their work, they grudged no effort or sacrifice, well aware that everything that they did was for the benefit of themselves and those of their kind who would come after ·them and not for a pack of idle thieving human beings. Throughout the spring and summer, they worked a sixty-hour week, and in August ...............

(i)  What did Napoleon announce in August? 

(ii) How much time had elapsed since the constitution of the Animal Farm? As summer wore on, what unforeseen shortages began to be felt? 

(iii) What new policy did Napoleon make? The new • policy brought a vague uneasiness among the animals. What did they recall? 

(iv) Who had agreed to act as an intermediary between the Animal Farm and the outside world ' Describe him?

(v) What roused the pride of the animals and made them reconcile to the new arrangement? In the meanwhile, what sudden decision was taken by the pigs? What do we learn about Napoleon at this juncture? 

Answer 1

(i) In August, Napoleon announced that there would be work on Sunday afternoons as well. This work was strictly voluntary, but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half. Even so, it was found necessary to leave certain tasks undone. 

(ii) The constitution of the animal farm had elapsed for two years. As the summer wore on. various unforeseen shortages began to make themselves felt. There was need of paraffin oil, nails, string, dog biscuits, and iron for the horses' shoes, none of which could be produced on the farm. Later, there would also be a need for seeds and artificial manures, besides various tools and, finally, the machinery for the windmill.

(iii)  Napolean made a new policy which said, that from now onwards Animal Farm would engage in trade with the neighboring farms: not, of course, for any commercial purpose, but simply in order to obtain certain materials which were urgently necessary. The needs of the windmill must override everything else, he said. He was, therefore, making arrangements to sell a stack of hay and part of the current year's wheat crop, and later on, if more money was needed, it would have to be made up by the sale of eggs, for which there was always a market in Willingdon. The hens, said Napoleon, should welcome· this sacrifice as their own special contribution towards the building of the windmill. The animals were conscious of a vague uneasiness. Never to have any dealings with human beings, never to engage in trade, never to make use of money were the things that the policy demanded. All the animals remembered passing such resolutions: or at least they thought that they remembered it. 

(iv)  Mr. Whymper, a solicitor living in Willingdon, had agreed to act as an intermediary between Animal Farm and the outside world and would visit the farm every Monday morning to receive his instructions. 
He was a sly-looking little man with side whiskers, a solicitor in a very small way of business, but sharp enough to have realized earlier than anyone else that Animal Farm would need a broker and that the commissions would be worth having. 

(v) The sight of Napoleon, on all fours, delivering orders to Whymper, who stood on two legs, roused their pride and partly reconciled them to the new arrangement. 
The· pigs moved into the farmhouse not only took their meals in the kitchen and used the drawing-room as a recreation room but also slept in the beds. Napolean became dominating and clever. He developed evil designs to keep the animals on labor and he enjoyed the comfort. He kept up his individual identity as a leader.