1. Animal Farm: Author, Characters, and History

2. George Orwell
Born Eric Arthur Blair in Motihari, India in 1903, Other works:
Down and Out in London and Paris
Burmese Days
1984

3. The Life of Orwell (1903-1950) Eric Blair (pen name is George Orwell)
He thought Eric sounded too snobbish
Totally opposed to the way the government operated and how the poor was always inferior to the rich.

4. Wrote Animal Farm in 1943
Was convinced that Stalin betrayed the revolution
Saw Stalin as power-hungry assassin with a lack of respect for the truth
Wrote AF to remind people of history and to show how false the notion was that Russia was a socialists state but proved it was actually a communist state

5. Where did Animal Farm come from?
George Orwell got the idea for his story when he saw small boy driving a horse and whipping it whenever it tried to turn in another direction.

6. Orwell then began to create his fable about the animals of Manor Farm—
He tried to fuse political purpose with artistic purpose in one novel.

7. What is a Novel?
A long fictional story, whose length is normally somewhere between 100 and 500 book pages which use all of the elements of storytelling: plot, character, setting, theme and point of view.

8. Novels… Embrace many conflicts and multiple themes.
Entertain us and tell us something about the world we live in.
Take an enormous amount of time to write.
Are written out of a writer’s belief in a private vision, is a gift of knowledge about what is going on between people here on earth.

9. The Form of Animal Farm
Beast Fable (brief and humorous stories in which animals speak and act like humans)
Allegory- has two different levels
a. Each character stands for something or someone else
b. Writer uses these characters to convey a moral message.

10. The Form Cont.
3. Satire- form of literature that uses ridicule to make specific people look foolish
a. dramatic irony
b. situational irony

11. Themes in Animal Farm
Freedom and individual dignity must be guarded carefully.
Language is a very powerful tool; if used incorrectly, it can enslave and confuse us.

12. Themes in Animal Farm Cont.
3. Weakness can be dominated by strength, trickery and fear.
4. Hope and vision must be kept alive, or we might live like the animals of Manor Farm.

13. Historical Theme
Russian Revolution was not about the proletariat (the working class) ruling themselves, but was simply tyranny under a dictator

14. Terms to Know Allegory Fable Satire ANIMAL FARM is both
an allegorical and a satirical
novel.

15. What is an Allegory?
The characters, setting, and events make sense on the literal level, but are designed to represent OTHER characters, settings and events.
There is a story within another meaning underneath the surface story. Example: Hans Christian Anderson’s Ugly Duckling tells the story of his life.

16. Allegory A narrative that acts as an extended metaphor.
Events and people symbolize things not mentioned in the narrative.

17. Fable
A story usually about animals that have human powers and faults. They usually have the power to talk. The tale is told to teach a moral. The characters teach lessons that can be used in everyday life.

18. Beast Fable
A brief, humorous story, animals speak and act like human beings.
Its purpose is to expose human weakness and teach a moral lesson.

19. What is Satire?
The intentional degrading of a subject or subjects for comic or dramatic effect
Uses laughter as a weapon
It is a allegorical retelling of the Russian Revolution and the rise of Josef Stalin
It is a satire on communism and human nature

20. SATIRE
Combines humor and criticism (ridicule) to suggest change and reform.
Criticism is constructive rather than destructive - design to inspire correction

21. More on Satire
Animal Farm ridicules communism. Orwell’s aim is to destroy the justification for totalitarianism (control under one political group) government. He wants people to see the fate of those who allow themselves to be led into the totalitarian state. He believed that it was the destruction of free will and reasoning.

22. Devices of Satire Hyperbole - exaggeration or overstatement
Paradox - statement or idea which self-contradiction is true

23. Devices (Contd.) Irony - author says the opposite of what he/she means
Understatement - an intentional lack of emphasis in expression

24. Propaganda: The use of persuasion to further one’s own cause.
1. Slogans - “catchy phrases”
2. Loaded words - emotional words like peace and patriot.

25. Propaganda (Contd.)
3. Powerful images - images created through references to beauty, happiness, fear and terror
4. Appeal to fears - suggestions that something terrible will happen if one doesn’t follow certain instructions

26. Propaganda (Contd.)
5. Appeal to basic desires and needs - fulfills the desire for survival (food, clothing, shelter) but also the need for love, belonging and human dignity.
6. Band Wagon - everyone else is doing it, so you should too.

27. Other Symbols
“Beasts of England” – represents the “Communist Internationale,” a real song penned by supporters of communism in the early 1900’s.
Windmill – stands for Russian industry. (Soviet leaders focused on making Russia industrially modern after the Revolution of 1917.)

28. Characters In Animal Farm

29. The Pigs: Communist Party Loyalists

30. Squealer Short, fat, twinkle-eyed and nimble pig “brilliant talker”
Very persuasive
He is the propaganda apparatus that spreads the “big lie” and makes people believe it

31. Old Major
The wise old pig whose stirring speech to the animals helps set the Rebellion in motion
Role in novel compares to Karl Marx, whose ideas set the Communist Revolution in motion

32. Napoleon
A “large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar”, not much of a talker
reputation for getting his own way
Has more power than ideas
His name…think of the other Napoleon (Bonaparte) who took over the French Revolution and turned it into a personal empire.
Compare to Stalin and other dictators

33. Snowball Energetic, brilliant leader
Successfully organizes the defense of the Farm (like Trotsky with the Red Army)
Eloquent speaker with original ideas
Struggles for leadership with Napoleon after Major’s death

34. Minimus
A pig who composes songs and poems honoring Napoleon

35. The Horses: Uneducated Labor Class

36. Boxer Believes in the Rebellion and in its leader
Two favorite sayings “Napoleon is always right” and “I will work harder.”
Huge size and strength and untiring labor saves the Farm again and again
Finally collapses from age and being overworked

37. Clover Is a hard working mare Is not very intelligent
Is loving and maternal towards other animals
Is the only animal whose thoughts are revealed

38. Mollie Enjoys pretty ribbons, sugar, and human attention
Is a vain white mare
Enjoys pretty ribbons, sugar, and human attention
Is the only animal who leaves the farm willingly
May symbolize the White Russians (opposed the Red Army during the Civil War)

39. Other
Animals

40. The Dogs
Vicious killers who protect the pigs and do their bidding
Represent Stalin’s secret police

41. The Sheep
Bleat whatever slogan they are taught by the pigs
Represent unthinking masses

42. Muriel
The goat that reads better than Clover
Often reads things (such as the Commandments) aloud to her

43. Benjamin Donkey Worst-tempered and oldest animal on the farm
A loner who keeps his opinions to himself
Skeptical of change
Never laughs
A hard worker who never shirks his duties but never volunteers
Is devoted to Boxer

44. The Pigeons Spread the word of the Rebellion beyond the farm,
much like the Communists spread the doctrine of the revolution beyond the boundaries of the Soviet Union

45. Moses A raven Was Mr. Jones’ pet
Flees with Jones but is later welcomed back by the pigs
Is given beer by the pigs event though he does not work
Soothes the animals with his story of Sugarcandy Mountain
Represents the Russian Orthodox Church and religious institutions in general)

46. The Humans: Capitalists who exploit the Weak

47. Farmer Jones The drunk Represents the Czar Nicholas II
Stands for any government that declines through its own corruption and mismanagement

48. Mr. Pilkington Owns the neighborhood Foxwood Farm
Spends too much time fishing and hunting to run his farm
Represents England and Allies

49. Mr. Frederick Owns the neighborhood Pinchfield Farm
Cheats Napoleon and leads the disastrous attack on the farm
Represents Germany

50. Mr. Whymper
Is a lawyer who serves as an intermediary between Napoleon and the outside world
Is sly and self serving

51. Background to Animal Farm
Published in 1945
In the previous 4 months: Pres. Roosevelt, Mussolini and Hitler had died; Churchill had been voted out of office.
Germany had surrendered, and the U.S. dropped atomic bombs over Japan.
Of the big three Allied leaders, only Stalin survived.

52. More Background
During WWII, Russia had been an ally of the U.S. and England.
After the Battle of Normandy (1944) Western nations had a feeling of solidarity with the Russian people. The Russian Army helped protect England from a German invasion.
As a result of the pro-Russian atmosphere, Orwell had a hard time finding a publisher for his novel.

53. Events Battle of the Cowshed – anti-revolutionary invasion by the West
Battle of the Windmill – German invasion of Russia during WWII
Rebuilding attempts – Stalin’s 5 yr. Plan
Drunken party – Teheran Conference (Stalin sat down for the first time with the west)

54. Utopia The perfect place.
The animals believe that they have created heaven on Earth
Soon that hope is destroyed and replace by something worse than the original
Animal Farm is an anti-utopian novel.
Look at the character Benjamin to understand Orwell’s views on utopias.

55. The coming of the revolution
Great unrest among the people grew against the Czar.
One opposition group were the Bolsheviks led by Lenin and Trotsky
LENIN
Trotsky

56. “Bloody Sunday” *January 22, 1905
*Thousands of unarmed striking workers marched to the Czar’s palace to ask for reforms
*Soldiers fired into the crowd and killed/wounded hundreds of marchers
A series of strikes and unrest followed

57. In 1914, Russia joined England and France against Germany in World War One.
They suffered tremendous losses
The Czar was fatally weakened at home
Tsar Nicolas II

58. The Revolution of 1917
The Revolutionaries overthrew the Czar in March of 1917 and, after another revolution in October, the Bolsheviks-led by Lenin-took control of the Russian Government.
The Bolsheviks spent the next few years fighting a civil war
Lenin was the leader and Trotsky was his top military man

59. Revolutionary Results
* Peasants forced to give everything to government
* Government took control of Russian industry
* Secret police force set up (KGB)
* Russia withdrew from World War I

60. During this time another man was quietly gaining power behind the scenes. His name was Josef Stalin.
Stalin in 1917

61. While Lenin and Trotsky concentrated on the War, Stalin began to take over the complex machinery of the Communist Party
Stalin knew that Trotsky had made many enemies and he used this knowledge to form alliances to serve him in the future.

62. Power Struggle between Stalin and Trotsky
* Stalin won-he worked against Trotsky behind the scenes
* Stalin took control and became a dictator

63. Comparing Stalin and Trotsky
Charismatic-Great Communicator
Idealist-Believed in “True Marxism”
Conceited
Bored by Politics, Interested in “Philosophical”
STALIN
Quiet, “Brooding”
“Hands-On” Worker, Excellent at Organization
“Gruff”, “Lower-Class”
Great at Politics-Knew how to Manipulate System

64. Stalin’s Five Year Plan
* Small peasant farms combined into collective farms controlled by government
Rapid expansion of heavy industry
Peasants who opposed communal farming were punished - sent to prison labor camps in Siberia

65. TRANSITION OF POWER
The Bolsheviks won the war in 1921, but Lenin had become fatally ill and it was soon apparent that he would die
Lenin had seen how powerful Stalin had become and put it in his will that Stalin was not to have a “leadership role” after his death.

66. Lenin Dies in 1923 Stalin and his allies have his will thrown out
Stalin uses his alliances to defeat Trotsky

67. Stalin ridiculed Trotsky’s policies including his ideas of “permanent revolution” and “collectivization” of agriculture
Stalin would later incorporate these ideas and claim credit for himself
Eventually Trotsky was forced into exile and in 1940 he was assassinated in Mexico at Stalin’s command.
Stalin assumed complete, totalitarian control and immediately began to “purge” his former allies.

68. In 1940, both countries invaded Poland.
Stalin would have thousands of his political “enemies” murdered, and his policies would kill millions of Russians
In 1938, Stalin entered into a Non-Aggression Pact with Adolf Hitler in order to stay out of World War Two.
In 1940, both countries invaded Poland.
PACT SIGNING 1938

69. The USSR in World War Two
Hitler betrayed Stalin and invaded The USSR in 1941
Stalin’s purges on the military enabled the Nazis to almost conquer the USSR
Stalin joined the allies at the Tehran Conference of 1943
Churchill, Roosevelt and
Stalin at Yalta in 1945

70. “IF YOU WANT A PICTURE OF THE FUTURE, IMAGINE A BOOT STAMPING ON A HUMAN FACE-FOREVER”- George Orwell, 1984