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

2. 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

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

4. 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?

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

6. 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

7. 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 . . .

8. 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

9. 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   

10. 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 

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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