Question

Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer—except, of course, for the pigs and the dogs. Perhaps this was partly because there were so many pigs and so many dogs. It was not that these creatures did not work, after their fashion. There was, as Squealer was never tired of explaining, endless work in the supervision and organisation of the farm. Much of this work was of a kind that the other animals were too ignorant to understand.

Which theme is revealed by Orwell’s use of situational irony in this excerpt?

Leaders should not be trusted.
Ideals can become mocked in practice.
Indifference can lead to corrupt governments.
Equality applies to all social classes.

Answer 1

"Ideals can become mocked in practice."

Explanation: The situational irony—the farm grows richer while most animals stay poor and only the pigs and dogs prosper—shows how the revolution's promise of equality is betrayed. The leaders justify their privilege as necessary "supervision and organisation," mocking the original ideals. The other options are less precise: it's not simply a warning never to trust leaders, nor does it claim equality is upheld; and while indifference can enable corruption, the passage primarily highlights the corruption of ideals in practice.