Question 9 • CMS 2026-2027 English II CREDIT RECOVERY
Read the passage from chapter 2 of Animal Farm . The harness-room at the end of the stables was broken open; the bits, the nose-rings, the dog-chains, the cruel knives with which Mr. Jones had been used to castrate the pigs and lambs, were all flung down the well. The reins, the halters, the blinkers, the degrading nosebags, were thrown on to the rubbish fire which was burning in the yard. So were the whips. All the animals capered with joy when they saw the whips going up in flames. What do the tools such as bits, reins, halters, knives, and whips symbolize in the story?
Answer
A
the excesses that the tsar’s ruling class enjoyed
B
the weapons Russians used to overthrow the tsar
C
the oppression of the working class under the tsar
D
the tools the tsar used to torture those who rebelled
Explanation
The bits, reins, halters, and whips are used to control and punish the animals, while the knives represent the cruel treatment they suffer. By throwing these tools away, the animals celebrate freedom from human control. In the Russian Revolution allegory, this oppression corresponds to the working class’s oppression under the tsar, so the best answer is “the oppression of the working class under the tsar.”
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