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Question 2 • CMS 2026-2027 English II CREDIT RECOVERY

Which excerpt from chapter 1 of Animal Farm is an example of direct characterization?

Answer

“The two cart-horses, Boxer and Clover, came in together, walking very slowly and setting down their vast hairy hoofs with great care lest there should be some small animal concealed in the straw.”

“Boxer was an enormous beast, nearly eighteen hands high, and as strong as any two ordinary horses put together. A white stripe down his nose gave him a somewhat stupid appearance.”

“Clover made a sort of wall round them with her great foreleg, and the ducklings nestled down inside it and promptly fell asleep.”

“Last of all came the cat, who looked round, as usual, for the warmest place, and finally squeezed herself in between Boxer and Clover; there she purred contentedly throughout Major's speech without listening to a word of what he was saying.”

Explanation

Direct characterization tells readers about a character through an explicit description. In choice B, the narrator directly describes Boxer’s size, strength, and appearance, including that he has “a somewhat stupid appearance.” The other excerpts mainly show characters through their actions and behavior, which is indirect characterization.

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