Read the excerpt from chapter 10 of Animal Farm.

Question

But the luxuries of which Snowball had once taught the animals to dream, the stalls with electric light and hot and cold water, and the three-day week, were no longer talked about. Napoleon had denounced such ideas as contrary to the spirit of Animalism. The truest happiness, he said, lay in working hard and living frugally.

How does Orwell use irony in this excerpt?

The text shows that if the animals work harder, they will have luxuries they dreamed of.
The text shows that Napoleon’s dreams conflict with the dreams of the animals.
The text shows that the animals expected a different outcome than the reality they are facing.
The text shows that Snowball and Napoleon never meant to mislead the other animals.

Answer 1

In this excerpt, Orwell employs irony primarily through the contrast between the animals’ initial dreams and the reality they face under Napoleon’s leadership. The animals once aspired to enjoy luxuries, as inspired by Snowball’s visions, but now those dreams have been dismissed as contrary to Animalism. Napoleon's assertion that "the truest happiness... lay in working hard and living frugally" highlights the stark disillusionment—the animals expected to achieve a better life through their rebellion, but instead, they are deprived of the very luxuries they once dreamed of.

Therefore, the most fitting analysis of irony in this context is: The text shows that the animals expected a different outcome than the reality they are facing.