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
A
life under the rule of Lenin’s communist Russia, in which everyone shared and prospered
B
the farm during World War II, when many people died from battle as well as starvation
C
agriculture and farming under the reign of the Romanovs, when there was food for the rich
D
tyranny during Stalin’s dictatorship, in which he distorted the tenets of communism
Explanation
The passage contrasts the animals’ hopes for equality and freedom with fear, censorship, violent purges, and forced confessions. These details reflect Stalin’s dictatorship in the Soviet Union, where communist ideals were distorted and people faced repression and executions. Choice B, tyranny during Stalin’s dictatorship, best matches the passage; the other choices do not explain the terror and purges described.
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