Animal Farm, Communism, and the Russian Revolution

By Mrs. ArguelloEnglish I

Fable

Fable: A short tale that has animal characters with human qualities that teaches readers a moral or lesson. Characters in Animal Farm are animals

each with his/her own personality and human characteristics.

The animals think, meet, talk, act, fight, disobey, and obey.

Satire

Satire: the writer tries to make the reader have a negative opinion about someone or something by making them seem ridiculous or foolish

Animal Farm exposes and ridicules Communism in Russia after the Russian Revolution.

Allegory

A story with two meanings: Literal meaning:

characters, events, and concepts are presented as they are in the story

Figurative meaning: characters, events, and concepts symbolize something beyond the story itself

Literal Meaning

Figurative Meaning

Animal Farm Russia from 1917-1943

Animals Various figures from time period

Animalism Communism

Rock, Paper, Scissors Competition

You each have three colored pencils. A few of you have more. The colored pencils represent food or

money. The more you have, the better off you are.

Play rock, paper, scissors for three minutes. The winner of each round gets a marker or colored pencil.

The person with the most colored pencils or markers at the end of three minutes wins the competition.

Rock, Paper, Scissors Competition

Capitalism

Capitalism is the basic economic system of the United States.

Free market with competition People buy and sell goods as they

choose at the prices the market will bear.

Now, give back all of your colored pencils.

You have given up everything that you have to the government.

What are the government’s options?

What if…?

What if the government provided the colored pencils for you to use as you need?

“From each, according to his ability, to each according to his need.” Need more? Take more Need less? Take less Everyone owns everything together, and

you take what you need. No rich, middle class, or poor

Communism

An economic and government system in which all means of production and distribution are owned by the community in common. The ultimate goal is that there would be no government and all of humanity would live peacefully together.

Why Communism?

Nicholas II1868-1918 - Last Czar

of Russia. Opposed to progress,

poor working conditions, great wealth in the hands of a few, did not help poor

He was overthrown during the Russian Revolution of 1917 and was executed along with his family.

Karl Marx and the Communist ManifestoKarl Marx 1818-1883 - Often recognized as

the father of communism. Analysis of history led to his belief that communism would replace capitalism. Believed in a classless society.

Communist Manifesto A book written by Karl Marx. It

suggested that there would be a social revolution in which the working class would overthrow the middle class factory owners and then set up a classless, socialist community. This book was the blueprint for communist governments around the world.

All men were born free, but society had got to such a state that the majority were in chains.

“Religion is the opium of the masses.”

Communist Leaders

Vladimir Lenin 1870-1924 - Russian

founder of the Bolsheviks and leader of the Russian Revolution and first head of the Soviet Union.

“Vanguard Party” leader: was supposed to lead the revolution, set up democracy led by working class, then turn over power to the working class.

Communist Leaders

Leon Trotsky A Bolshevik leader

with Lenin Pure Communist,

followed Marx Wanted to improve

life for everyone in Russia

Chased away by Lenin’s KGB (secret police)

Communist Leaders

Josef Stalin Bolshevik revolutionary,

head of the Soviet Communists after 1924.

Dictator of the Soviet Union from 1928 to 1953.

He led the Soviet Union with an iron fist, using Five-Year Plans to increase industrial production and terror to crush opposition

Mass public executions of opposition

Propaganda

Propaganda: a form of communication that is designed or crafted purposely to influence the public’s attitudes toward some cause, position, or another group of people. Propaganda usually present only one side of an issue or argument.