Question

None of the old dreams had been abandoned. The Republic of the Animals which Major had foretold, when the green fields of England should be untrodden by human feet, was still believed in. Some day it was coming: it might not be soon, it might not be with in the lifetime of any animal now living, but still it was coming.
. . . It might be that their lives were hard and that not all of their hopes had been fulfilled; but they were conscious that they were not as other animals. If they went hungry, it was not from feeding tyrannical human beings; if they worked hard, at least they worked for themselves. No creature among them went upon two legs. No creature called any other creature “Master.” All animals were equal.

–Animal Farm,
George Orwell

Which lines from the passage help develop dramatic irony? Check all that apply.

“the green fields of England”
“It might be that their lives were hard.”
“They were conscious that they were not as other animals.”
“If they worked hard, at least they worked for themselves.”
“All animals were equal.”

Answer 1

“They were conscious that they were not as other animals.”
“If they worked hard, at least they worked for themselves.”
“All animals were equal.”

Explanation (brief): These lines state beliefs and ideals the animals hold but the reader knows will be betrayed later—the pigs become like the humans (walking on two legs, taking power), the animals end up exploited, and the slogan “All animals were equal” is perverted. That gap between what the animals believe and what the reader knows creates dramatic irony.