1. Allegory
A story in which the characters and events are symbols that stand for ideas about human life or for a political or historical situation.
While reading Animal Farm, you will be asked to explain how each character allegorizes something or someone.

2. Theme
The main subject that is being discussed or described in a piece of writing.
You will be reading Animal Farm for theme. I will assign your group a theme and while you read you will want to look for examples of that theme in the text.

3. Animal Farm Themes
“Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”
The importance of helping one another and not being self-serving
Power of propaganda
The importance of education and knowledge
The ways that satire communicates and comments upon the absurdity of humans
Mob mentality v. individual/integrity

4. Animal Farm-Characters
Napoleon=Joseph Stalin
Snowball=Leon Trotsky
Boxer=Exploited working class
Squealer=Propagandist
Old Major=Has a vision of a Socialist utopia
Moses=shows how Communism exploits religion
Mollie=represents the bourgeoisie
Benjamin=Believes it doesn’t matter who’s in charge/life sucks regardless
Mr. Jones=Tsar Nicholas II
Mr. Frederick=Adolf Hitler
Mr. Pilkington=Capitalist governments of England & U.S.

5. Chapters 1 and 2 HOMEWORK-Due Monday!
Come prepared with your examples of theme from Chapters 1 and 2. Be ready to discuss with your group, followed by a class discussion.
Explain your theme with examples from the text. You must provide textual evidence and citations.
Example—The theme, “power of propaganda” is shown by “ “(Orwell 5). This example explains the theme because .

6. Chapters 3 and 4 Homework
Read Chapters 3 and 4 for examples of your theme. Provide textual evidence with citations.
Create a bubble map for each of the following characters: Boxer, Benjamin, Napoleon, Mr. Frederick, Mr. Pilkington, and Snowball. Don’t forget the frame!

7. Chapters 3 and 4
Discuss your examples of theme with your table group. You must have textual evidence and citations.
Discuss your bubble maps.
Match each character you discussed with the person or idea they allegorize.
Discuss your examples with the class (Bring your examples up and place them under the document camera).
Fallon/Timberlake Video Clip (Satire)