Question

Read the passage from Animal Farm. All the men were gone except one. Back in the yard Boxer was pawing with his hoof at the stable-lad who lay face down in the mud, trying to turn him over. The boy did not stir. "He is dead,” said Boxer sorrowfully. "I had no intention of doing that. I forgot that I was wearing iron shoes. Who will believe that I did not do this on purpose?” "No sentimentality, comrade!” cried Snowball from whose wounds the blood was still dripping. "War is war. The only good human being is a dead one.” "I have no wish to take life, not even human life,” repeated Boxer, and his eyes were full of tears.
Which key details does Orwell include to support the central idea that Snowball is ruthless? Select two options.
"Boxer was pawing with his hoof at the stable-lad who lay face down in the mud, trying to turn him over."
“‘He is dead,’ said Boxer sorrowfully. ‘I had no intention of doing that.’”
“‘No sentimentality, comrade!’ cried Snowball from whose wounds the blood was still dripping.”
"War is war. The only good human being is a dead one.”
“‘I have no wish to take life, not even human life,’ repeated Boxer, and his eyes were full of tears.”

Answer 1

The two details that Orwell includes to support the central idea that Snowball is ruthless are C) "'No sentimentality, comrade!' cried Snowball from whose wounds the blood was still dripping" and D) "'War is war. The only good human being is a dead one'”.

In these two excerpts from Animal Farm by George Orwell, the author shows that Snowball, a character based on Leon Trotsky, has no mercy. Although Snowball is less devious than Napoleon, he also believes in the revolution and supports a life without humans, their enemies. He becomes one of the leaders on the farm after the animals exclude Mr. Jones and, eventually, he builds himself up as an idealist.  

Answer 2

The key details that Orwell includes to support the central idea that Snowball is ruthless are:

-"‘No sentimentality, comrade!’ crieda Snowball from whose wounds the blood was still dripping."

-"War is war. The only good human being is a dead one."

These two quotes prove that Snowball shows no concern for the critical moment the characters are going through and for the feelings provoked in his peers. His ultimate concern is war, regardless of the subjects.