Unintelligent laying hens on Animal Farm. They’re initially fully behind the rebellion and the ideals of Animal Farm but become somewhat disillusioned—and terrified—when Napoleon insists that they must surrender their eggs. The hens’ rebellion is unsuccessful, and nine die over the course of their five-day resistance. The hens correspond to the Ukrainian peasants who attempted to resist Stalin’s five-year plan and died.
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The Hens Character Timeline in Animal Farm
The timeline below shows where the character The Hens appears in Animal Farm. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...all the pigs come in first and settle right in front of the platform. The hens and pigeons perch in windows and the rafters; the sheep and cows settle behind the...
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Chapter 3
Every animal, down to the ducks and the hens, works hard to bring the hay in. The pigs are clever enough to figure out...
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...farmhouse in the evenings. Snowball organizes committees such as the Egg Production Committee for the hens and the Whiter Wool Movement for the sheep, but these projects fail. His only success...
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Chapter 6
...they need. He’s going to sell hay, wheat, and later, possibly eggs. Napoleon tells the hens that they should welcome this sacrifice.
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Chapter 7
...and dogs surround him. Squealer conducts the Sunday meetings. One morning, he announces that the hens will need to surrender their eggs: Napoleon entered into a contract to trade 400 eggs...
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Napoleon asks who else has something to confess. Three hens confess that in a dream, Snowball told them to disobey Napoleon. A goose confesses to...
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Chapter 8
...and destroy the windmill. Pinchfield supposedly still houses Snowball too, and in the summer, three hens confess that Snowball inspired them to try to murder Napoleon. After their execution, Napoleon begins...
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Chapter 9
...on money. The animals need building materials and sugar for Napoleon, so Napoleon increases the hens’ egg quota to 600 per week. He reduces rations twice over the winter, though the...
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