Animal Farm is a satire – type of writing that ridicules or criticizes the faults of individuals or groups.

Animal Farm is also an allegory a story with more than one level of meaning Levels of meaning Animal Story/ Fable History of Communism under Lenin and Stalin History of Russia Account of the way revolutions are made and corrupted

Communism Background Marx and his ideas Man, not God is the highest being

Religion is the opium of the masses Problem!! – This takes away human dignity Leads to having no morality, people only look out for #1 How does this sound like Hope for the Flowers?

So Marx believed that . . . History is a series of conflicts between the classes and that . . . Communism, a classless society is the answer

The -isms Capitalism – individuals and businesses carry on production and exchange of goods through a network of prices and markets Can be used of exploiting the week, corruption , looking out for #1

Communism – a classless society, everyone is equal, man is made by labor, makes what he needs to survive Common People = Government Ownership No private profit, no rewards for doing well, working hard Collective, not individual process ** Stalin was a communist . . . supposedly . . .

Socialism – Public/state ownership, nationalized means of production ** Lenin was a socialist, believed that in society workers should be free to receive the full product of their labor

Russian Revolution Lenin (Old Major) – dreamed of a better life Russian aristocracy was not taking care of the people Bolshevik Revolution – draw out Czar Nicholas as a figure head – this did not work   

Lenin – Wanted to implement Marx Communist Manifesto convinced the Bolshevik party to form Communist party no classes, everyone equal, share in profit proletariat – unskilled worker 

Problems * Communism won’t work with uneducated people – they had to be educated to rule Plan for education, the party would make decisions for common man, until they were educated Marx’s plan would only work in an industrialized nation, they had to industrialize

Leaders of the Revolution Trotsky – had the same beliefs, supported Lenin, away at time of death  Stalin – also shared beliefs, convinced Trotsky he didn’t need to come back for funeral stabs him in the back (figuratively), pushes his own agenda to become leader Trotsky was sent into exile, slandered Stalin on the radio Stalin ordered Trotsky’s assassination

Stalin’s Control Stalin pushed the common man to get industrialized invited (dissatisfied) Americans to Russia to help with the process He forced them to stay when the country closed

Stalin is responsible for killing more people than Hitler Made students go to state schools turned into a totalitarian government KGB – secret service purged those who did not agree with him officers, whole villages Stalin is responsible for killing more people than Hitler