Read the excerpt from Animal Farm and the
How do the circumstances in the Animal Farm
passage on the history of the Soviet Union.
excerpt relate to the events in the historical
On the third Sunday after Snowballs expulsion, the
passage?
animals were somewhat surprised to hear Napoleon O Napoleon has stolen the plans for the windmill
announce that the windmill was to be built after all.
He did not give any reason for having changed his
from Snowball, just as Stalin took his ideas for
mind, but merely warned the animals that this extra
industrialization and collectivization from Trotsky.
task would mean very hard work, it might even be
Napoleon wants to make the farm an industrial
necessary to reduce their rations. The plans,
power, just as Stalin wanted to make the Soviet
however, had all been prepared, down to the last
Union an industrial power no matter the sacrifices.
detail. A special committee of pigs had been at work
• Napoleon uses Squetler to communicate his
upon them for the past three weeks. The building of
ideas to the animals, just as Stalin used his
the windmill, with various other improvements, was
assistants to spread propaganda to the people.
expected to take two years.
• Napoleon sets forth a five-year plan to build the
That evening Squealer explained privately to the
windmill, just as Stalin launched several five-year
other animals that Napoleon had never in reality
plans to build up industry and agriculture in the
been opposed to the windmill. On the contrary, it
Soviet Union.
