See if you can find some of these events, which refer to the first five chapters. What do you think might be Orwell’s allegorical meaning or message about each of the items below? The page numbers relate to my edition – however they might be a useful guide on where to look.
The dogs chase the rats
The cat never works and in the re-education committee (18 & 19)
Milk and apples are solely for the pigs (22)
Benjamin does not exercise his faculties (20)
The animals cannot learn to read (20) nor learn the commandments
Education of the young (21)
Mollie (10, 28)
Boxer throws away his hat
Pigs take control e. g. ‘sent for’ (15)
The Napoleon versus Snowball disputes (29) degenerate (urinating on plans 31)
There is a power struggle and Snowball is banished (33)
Ridiculous committees (19)
Sheep chanting (34)
Dynamo and cables are needed (31)
The use of dogs (33), and later to silence dissent (34)
The dogs wag their tails at Napoleon and growl at others (34)
Debates are stopped (34)
Squealer uses techniques of propaganda (22, 35, 37)
The skull of Old Major becomes part of an empty ritual