animal farm: author, characters, and history
DESCRIPTION
Animal Farm: Author, Characters, and History. George Orwell. Born Eric Arthur Blair in Motihari, India in 1903, Other works: Down and Out in London and Paris Burmese Days 1984 . The Life of Orwell (1903-1950). Eric Blair (pen name is George Orwell) He thought Eric sounded too snobbish - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Animal Farm:Author,
Characters, and History
George Orwell Born Eric Arthur Blair in Motihari, India
in 1903, Other works: Down and Out in London and Paris Burmese Days 1984
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Form of Animal Farm
1. Beast Fable (brief and humorous stories in which animals speak and act like humans)
2. Allegory- has two different levelsa. Each character stands for something or someone elseb. Writer uses these characters to convey a moral message.
The Form Cont.3. Satire- form of literature that
uses ridicule to make specific people look foolisha. dramatic ironyb. situational irony
Themes in Animal Farm1. Freedom and individual dignity
must be guarded carefully.2. Language is a very powerful tool;
if used incorrectly, it can enslave and confuse us.
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.
Historical ThemeRussian Revolution
was not about the proletariat (the working class) ruling themselves, but was simply tyranny under a dictator
Terms to Know
Allegory Fable Satire ANIMAL FARM is both an allegorical and a satiricalnovel.
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.
AllegoryA narrative that acts as an extended metaphor.
Events and people symbolize things not mentioned in the narrative.
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.
Beast FableA brief, humorous
story, animals speak and act like human beings.
Its purpose is to expose human weakness and teach a moral lesson.
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
SATIRECombines humor and criticism
(ridicule) to suggest change and reform.
Criticism is constructive rather than destructive - design to inspire correction
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.
Devices of Satire
Hyperbole - exaggeration or overstatement
Paradox - statement or idea which self-contradiction is true
Devices (Contd.)
Irony - author says the opposite of what he/she means
Understatement - an intentional lack of emphasis in expression
Propaganda: The use of persuasion to further one’s
own cause. 1. Slogans - “catchy phrases”
2. Loaded words - emotional words like peace and patriot.
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
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.
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.)
CharactersIn
Animal Farm
The Pigs:Communist
Party Loyalists
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
Old MajorThe 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
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
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
Minimus A pig who composes songs and
poems honoring Napoleon
The Horses:
Uneducated Labor Class
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
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
Mollie 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)
Other Animals
The DogsVicious killers who protect
the pigs and do their bidding
Represent Stalin’s secret police
The SheepBleat whatever slogan they
are taught by the pigsRepresent unthinking
masses
MurielThe goat that reads better
than CloverOften reads things (such as
the Commandments) aloud to her
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
The PigeonsSpread 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
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)
The Humans:
Capitalists who exploit the Weak
Farmer Jones The drunk Represents the Czar Nicholas II Stands for any government that
declines through its own corruption and mismanagement
Mr. Pilkington Owns the neighborhood Foxwood
Farm Spends too much time fishing and
hunting to run his farm Represents England and Allies
Mr. Frederick Owns the neighborhood Pinchfield
Farm Cheats Napoleon and leads the
disastrous attack on the farm Represents Germany
Mr. Whymper Is a lawyer who serves as an
intermediary between Napoleon and the outside world
Is sly and self serving
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.
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.
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)
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.
Great unrest among the people grew against the Czar.
One opposition group were the Bolsheviks led by Lenin and Trotsky
LENIN
Trotsky
The coming of the revolution
“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
In 1914, Russia joined England and France against Germany in
World War One.
They suffered tremendous losses
The Czar was fatally weakened at homeTsar Nicolas II
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
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
During this time another man was quietly gaining power behind the scenes. His name was Josef Stalin.
Stalin in 1917
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.
Power Struggle between Stalin and Trotsky
* Stalin won-he worked against Trotsky behind the scenes
* Stalin took control and became a dictator
Comparing Stalin and Trotsky
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
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
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.
Lenin Dies in 1923
Stalin and his allies have his will thrown out
Stalin uses his alliances to defeat Trotsky
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.
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
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
“IF YOU WANT A PICTURE OF THE
FUTURE, IMAGINE A BOOT STAMPING ON A HUMAN FACE-FOREVER”- George Orwell, 1984