1. Author Information Historical Background Literary Term Characters The – isms Character Map ANIMAL FARM

2. GEORGE ORWELL BACKGROUND INFORMATION  Was born under the Name Eric Arthur Blair in Motihari, Bengal, India in 1903  He wrote his first poem at the age of four  His first published work was in a local newspaper at the age of 11  His first major work was Down and Out in Paris and London in 1933  He did not want to embarrass his family so he began to work under the pseudonym George Orwell  He married Eileen O’Shaughnessy in 1936  His most famous novels are Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty – Four  He wrote these novels while he was battling tuberculosis  He died on January 21, 1950 in London

3. CZAR NICHOLAS II

4. HISTORICAL REFERENCES TO ANIMAL FARM The Second Russian Revolution of 1917 was prompted by Lenin wanting to create an equal society that Karl Marx spoke of. Lenin inspired the working class (proletariat) to rise up and rebel against the wealthy (bourgeoisie). The rebellion was a success. Lenin changes “Russia” to “Union of Soviet Socialist Republics” (U.S.S.R), and changes the country from a totalitarian society to an economic communist society. Lenin ruled until his death seven years later. During his tenure, Lenin created a collectivist society; government collect all land, food, and money and redistributes it equally to all.

5. HISTORICAL REFERENCES TO ANIMAL FARM Lenin’s death began the end of an equal society and the beginning of corruption in the U.S.S.R. Lenin’s closest advisors, Trotsky and Stalin vied for Lenin’s power after his death. Stalin pays off the KGB (secret police) to have Trotsky imprisoned in a Russian detention camp in Siberia and Stalin assumes power. Trotsky eventually escapes prison and gains asylum in Mexico, where one of Stalin’s KGB tracks Trotsky down and kills him with a blow to head with an ice axe. During Stalin’s 20 plus year reign, he starves and executes 20 million of his own people. Stalin collects all of the food, land, and money – but does not redistribute it! Stalin turns the U.S.S.R. back into a totalitarian society. Anyone who speaks out against Stalin is branded a traitor and killed, which is known as the “The Great Purge.”

7. ANIMAL FARM LITERARY TERMS Allegory Fable Satire Propaganda Euphemism Dystopia

8. ALLEGORY A story that can be read on two levels. Each character or event stands for something else and conveys a moral lesson. The animals’ overtaking of the farm from the humans is representative of Lenin and the working class overtaking Russia from Czar Nicholas and the wealthy.

9. FABLE A beast tale; usually brief and humorous story in which animals speak and act like humans. The purpose of a fable is to expose a human flaw or failing. Human flaw portrayed in Animal Farm is that power brings corruption. Aristotle said, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

10. SATIRE Uses ridicule, irony, and sarcasm to make certain characters or events look foolish or stupid. Animal Farm is very critical of government leaders.

11. PROPAGANDA The systematic widespread promotion of a particular doctrine or idea through slogans, repetition of certain words, appeals to fears and desires, powerful images/symbols, and using loaded words.

12. EUPHEMISM A less direct term used in place of one considered offensive. For example: Downsizing instead of firing Taking a break instead of breaking up Vertically challenged instead of short

13. DYSTOPIA The polar opposite of utopia. A society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding.

14. THEMES IN ANIMAL FARM  When Power Corrupts  "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.“ Sir John Dalberg - Acton  Freedom and Responsibility  Discontent  Idealism  Rebellion  Violence  Self - Knowledge

15. Humans Mr. Jones Mr. Pilkington Mr. Frederick Mr. Whymper Groups Pigs Sheep Dogs Pigeons Animals Old MajorOld Benjamin NapoleonMollie SnowballMoses BoxerClover Places Manor Farm Foxwood Farm Pinchfield Farm Windmill CHARACTERS IN ANIMAL FARM

16. HUMANS

17. MR. JONES The owner of Manor Farm in England, and an alcoholic who treated his animals poorly. He symbolizes all farmers. He represents the Russian Czars, especially Czar Nicholas II (czar – a male monarch or emperor, especially one of the emperors who ruled Russia until the revolution of 1917.)

18. MR. PILKINGTON The owner of Foxwood Farm, who tries to help Jones recover his farm after the Rebellion. He represents Great Britain and Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of England

19. MR. FREDERICK The owner of Pinchfield Farm. He symbolizes Hitler and Germany

20. MR. WHYMPER The agent who sees an opportunity to make money by helping Napoleon carry on the trade with the outside world. He symbolizes capitalists and the western businessman and journalists from the west who support capitalism.

21. ANIMALS

22. OLD MAJOR The prize Middle White Boar who identifies mans as the cause of all the animals’ problems, formulates the ideas of Animalism, and calls for revolution against man. He is a metaphor for Karl Marx and V.I. Lenin. His speech is like a grandfatherly philosophy of revolution and change that will benefit all animals. His philosophy is the ideal, pure vision of socialism.

23. NAPOLEON Fierce looking Berkshire boar who becomes the tyrannical leader of Animal Farm, he is the chief villain of the farm. He represents or acts as a metaphor for Stalin. Stalin abandoned the purist philosophy of socialism taught by Marx by giving himself absolute power and luxury while the proletariat (working people) were left to suffer.

24. SNOWBALL Vivacious pig leader of Animal Farm and military tactician who is run off by the farm by Napoleon. He is similar to Napoleon at least at the beginning of the story, but as time goes by, it becomes apparent that one of them must go. Snowball represents Leon Trotsky, the archrival of Stalin.

25. SQUEALER A fat porker and a convincing speaker who becomes Napoleon’s “mouthpiece.” He calms the fears and doubts of the other animals and it is said that he can turn “black into white.” He is first described as a manipulator and persuader. Critics compare him with Soviet propaganda or information meant to manipulate the public. Squealer, like the newspaper, is the link between Napoleon and the other animals.

26. BOXER Loyal, hardworking horse that believes in the Revolution and everything Napoleon says. He represents the loyal proletariat or unskilled labor or working class. This class was impressed with Stalin (Napoleon) as it appears that they will benefit most from his new system.

27. CLOVER A stout mare and friend of Boxer. She is used to represent the proletariat or unskilled working class

28. OLD BENJAMIN Cynical donkey and friend of Boxer who thinks life will continue to go badly, even after the revolution. He stands for the “silent majority” who didn’t protest, but did what was necessary to survive under the Czar or under Stalin. He symbolizes the older generation who are critics of the new rebellion. He is not sucked in by Napoleon’s agenda like the others. He remains unchanged after the rebellion.

29. MOLLIE Mr. Jones’ cart horse who is vain and fond of ribbons, special treatment, and lump sugar. She is a metaphor for the aristocracy and the fact that socialism does not work for everybody. She can’t be bothered by politics. She characterizes the typical upper class or upper middle class skilled worker who suffers under the new communism concept.

30. MOSES The raven and spy for Mr. Jones who tells the animals about Sugar Candy Mountain, a place where they won’t have to work and where they will have all the food they want. He represents Orwell’s view of the church or the two major organized religions in Russia at the time (Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches). In Orwell’s opinion, the Church is used as a tool by dictatorship to keep the working class people hopeful and productive, hence he lies about the mysterious Sugar Candy Mountain. The animals of the farm hated Moses as he only told stories and never worked.

31. GROUPS

32. PIGS Napoleon’s support They symbolize the communist party loyalist and friends of Stalin. Unlike the other animals, the pigs live in luxury and the benefits of society that they help to control

33. DOGS They represent Napoleon’s bodyguards. They are the KGB or secret police used by Stalin.

34. SHEEP The followers of Napoleon who are taught by Squealer to call out slogans at critical moments.

35. PIGEONS Symbolizes Soviet propaganda, not to Russia, but to other countries, like Germany, England, France, and the United States.

36. PLACES

37. MANOR FARM Was ruled by Mr. Jones until the rebellion. The name was changed to Animal Farm after the Rebellion.

38. FOXWOOD FARM Represents England

39. PINCHFIELD FARM Represents Germany

40. WINDMILL Stands for Russian industry that has been built up by the working class.

41. THE –ISMS

42. SOCIALISM Is a state ownership of common property, or state ownership of the means of production.

43. COMMUNISM A system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single, often authoritarian party holds power, claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people.

44. CAPITALISM An economic system in which all or most of the means of production are privately owned and operated, and the investment of capital and the production, distribution and prices of commodities (goods and services) are determined mainly in a free market, rather than by the state.

45. ANIMALISM A state where workers get a better life, all animals are equal and everyone owns the farm.