Question

Read the passage from chapter 7 of Animal Farm.

If she [Clover] could have spoken her thoughts, it would have been to say that this was not what they had aimed at when they had set themselves years ago to work for the overthrow of the human race. These scenes of terror and slaughter were not what they had looked forward to on that night when old Major first stirred them to rebellion. If she herself had had any picture of the future, it had been of a society of animals set free from hunger and the whip, all equal, each working according to his capacity, the strong protecting the weak, as she had protected the lost brood of ducklings with her foreleg on the night of Major's speech. Instead—she did not know why—they had come to a time when no one dared speak his mind, when fierce, growling dogs roamed everywhere, and when you had to watch your comrades torn to pieces after confessing to shocking crimes.

Which historical circumstance most likely influenced the writing of this passage?

Answer 1

The passage from Animal Farm Chapter 7 reflects the historical circumstance of the Soviet Union under Stalin's rule, particularly during the Great Purge. It alludes to the betrayal of the revolutionary ideals of freedom and equality and the coercive tactics used by the government.

Step-by-step explanation:

The historical circumstance that most likely influenced the writing of the passage from chapter 7 of Animal Farm is the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin's rule, particularly during the period of the Great Purge. George Orwell's Animal Farm is an allegory for the events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the early years of the Soviet regime. The scenes of terror and slaughter described in the passage reflect the brutal repression and purges that occurred in the Soviet Union, where the government used terror tactics against its own people, and those once seen as comrades were turned on and often executed or sent to labor camps for crimes against the state.

Orwell's work depicts a grim reality that was contrary to the promises of freedom and equality that were made during the revolution. The disillusionment felt by Clover in the passage is representative of the feelings of many Soviet citizens who saw the betrayal of the revolutionary ideals in favor of a regime that was as oppressive as the one it replaced.