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Animal Farm George Orwell

Who’s holding down the farm?

Things are about to get a little strange on Manor Farm.

Animal Farm: Introduction

Animal Farm: Introduction

Farmer Jones has locked up the henhouse and stumbled off to bed . . .

thinking all is well in the barnyard.

Animal Farm: Introduction

He doesn’t know—nor would he believe—the events that are about to occur inside his barn.

Animal Farm: Introduction

Old Major, Manor Farm’s prize-winning boar, has called all the animals together.

dogs, ducks, goats—

Pigs, hens, horses,

all gather round to hear about Major’s dream.

Animal Farm: Introduction

Humans, old Major tells his comrades, are the enemy. They produce nothing, yet own everything.

Animals work all their lives for their masters, but receive only enough food to keep them working.

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Animal Farm: Introduction

They will create a farm of their own, in which they will live in harmony, plenty, and equality.

Old Major believes that someday animals will work together to throw off their oppressors.

Animal Farm: Introduction

The Rebellion will come.

And every animal must be ready.

Soon, Major says, the days of slavery will end.

Animal Farm: Background

George Orwell uses his novel to comment on events in Russian history, Communism, and revolutions.

•  Russian Revolution

•  rise of totalitarianism

•  the peasants’ revolt

•  the Moscow purge trials

Animal Farm: Background

The Russian Revolution occurred in March 1917.

•  It was brought on by economic hardship and the injustices of Russian czars, and

•  was encouraged by the Communist Manifesto of Karl Marx.

The czar of Russia was overthrown and revolutionaries assumed leadership of the country. They tried to transform the country through communist principles.

Animal Farm: Background

Under Joseph Stalin, the country fell under totalitarianism—a form of government with strong central rule that tries to control individual freedoms.

• Stalin instituted “Five-Year Plans” to increase economic growth, but ordered farms to give most of their products to the government.

•  Peasants who opposed Stalin were sent to labor camps, deported, or executed.

Animal Farm: Background

Not everyone wanted a Communist country. In 1920, peasants revolted against the government’s efforts to turn their individual farms into collective farms.

•  The government wanted farmers to share land, equipment, and the rewards of their labor, but

• most farmers preferred to keep their own land and farm the old way.

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Animal Farm: Background

By 1938, Stalin began to use what become known as the “Moscow purge trials” to control workers.

•  Millions of peasants who opposed Stalin were severely punished.

• Nearly eight million were arrested and tried for treason.

•  Some were sent off to labor camps or deported; others were executed.

Animal Farm: Background

•  Joseph Stalin

•  Leon Trotsky

Many of the characters in Animal Farm represent political leaders of the Russian Revolution.

•  Karl Marx

•  Czar Nicholas II

•  Vladimir Lenin

Animal Farm: Background

Czar Nicholas II

•  czar means emperor and comes from the word Caesar

• Russian czars lived in a magnificent palace called the Kremlin

•  part of the Romanov dynasty that ruled Russia for over 300 years

•  Czar Nicholas II, his wife, and his children were executed during the Russian Revolution

Animal Farm: Background

Karl Marx

•  a journalist whose unpopular views forced him to leave Prussia and settle in London

•  published the Communist Manifesto, a statement of his ideas about government and politics

•  believed that communism would become the main form of government

Animal Farm: Background

Vladimir Lenin

•  leader of the Bolsheviks

• overthrew the provisional government put in place by the Russian Revolution

•  led the Communist government until his death in 1924

Animal Farm: Background

Leon Trotsky

•  a talented organizer who played a major role in the Russian Revolution

• exiled in 1928 when rival Joseph Stalin became dictator

•  a strict Marxist (favored pure communism)

•  executed by Stalin’s forces while living in exile

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Animal Farm: Background

Joseph Stalin

•  secretary general of the Communist Party when Lenin died

• outmaneuvered Trotsky and became dictator

•  favored a modified form of Marxism

•  formed a pact with Germany in 1939, but allied with Britain by 1944

Most fables have two levels of meaning. On the surface, the fable is about animals. But on a second level, the animals stand for types of people or ideas. The way the animals interact and the way the plot unfolds says something about the nature of people or the value of ideas. Any type of fiction that has multiple levels of meaning in this way is called an allegory.

A composition making fun of something, usually political.

Animal Farm makes fun of political society after the Bolshevik Revolution.

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Chapters 1-4 Vocabulary

• Cannibalism n. practice of eating one’s own kind

• Cryptic adj. intended to be mysterious or obscure

• Ignominious adj. shameful; dishonorable

• Indefatigable adj. untiring • Parasitical adj. like a parasite; gaining benefits from a host it injures

Vocabulary Chapters 5-7

• Canvas v. to request support • Embolden v. to instill with courage

• Malignity n. an example of evil behavior

Vocabulary Chapters 8-10

• Demeanor n. outward manner • Devotees n. ardent followers • Inebriates n. those who are habitually drunk

• Interment n. the act of burial • Machinations n. scheming actions • Taciturn adj. not inclined to talking

“During times of universal deceit,

telling the truth becomes a

revolutionary act.” ~George Orwell

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George Orwell

Eric Arthur

Blair 1903-1950

Biographical Information June 25, 1903-January 21, 1950

~~ Place of Birth: Motihari, India

(now Bihar)

Place of Death: London, England

Nationality: British

Best known for his satirical novels •  Animal Farm •  Nineteen Eighty-four.

Biographical Information ….continued

•  He was the son of Ida Mabel née Limouzin (1875–1943) and Richard Walmesley Blair (1857–1938).

•  In 1936 Blair and once student of J.R.R. Tolkien student Eileen O'Shaughnessy (1905-1945) married.

•  In 1944 they would adopt a son Richard Horatio.

Early Life & Schooling

•  At the age of one Blair and his mother settled in England; his father joined them in 1912.

•  At the age of five, Blair entered the Anglican Parish School of Henley-on-Thames which he attended for two years before entering the prestigious St. Cyprian’s school in Sussex.

•  Corporal punishment was common in the day and possibly a source of his initial resentment towards authority.

Schooling Blair earned a

scholarship to “the most costly and snobbish of the English Public Schools” Eton College where he attended between 1917 and 1921.

Indian Civil Service 1922-1927

•  Blair went to Burma (now Myanmar) to join the Indian Imperial Police.

•  During the next five years, he grew to love the Burmese and resent the oppression of Imperialism and decided to become a writer instead.

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Paris and London 1928-1936 In the first 6 months

after his decision, Blair went on what he thought of as an expedition to the East End of London to become acquainted with the poor people of England. As a base, he rented a room in Notting Hill. In the spring, he rented a room in a working-class district of Paris

Spanish Civil War In July 1936 the Spanish

Civil War broke, and Orwell went to Spain.

After his arrival in Barcelona, he joined the militia of the POUM (Partido Obrero de Unificacion Marxista) and served with them in action in January 1937.

Spanish Civil War He transferred to the British Independent Labour Party Contingent serving with the POUM militia and was wounded. His experiences in Spain had made him into a revolutionary Socialist.

World War II After World War II began, Orwell wanted to join the military.

The Army, however, rejected him as physically unfit, but later he served for a period in the home guard and as a fire watcher. The Orwells moved to London in May 1940.

World War II In early 1941 he commenced writing "London Letters" for Partisan Review. In August he joined the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) as a producer in the Indian section. He remained in this position until 1943.

1943 •  The year 1943 was an important one in Orwell's life for several reasons. – His mother died in March. – He left the BBC to become

literary editor of the Tribune.

– The most important event occurred late that year, when he commenced the writing of Animal Farm.

– Orwell had completed this satire by February 1944.