By George Orwell

“Four legs good! Two legs bad!”

George Orwell1903-1950, real name is Eric BlairBorn and raised in India, which at the time

was a part of the British EmpireBecame famous for his novels, essays, and as

a political and cultural commentator.His two most famous novels, Animal Farm

and 1984, both criticize totalitarianism and Stalinism and warn against its dangers.

Was proud of his “outsider” status and was extremely wary of government and its willingness to forsake everything for power.

The Russian RevolutionPre-World War I

Although the peasants and workers were the most oppressed groups in Russia, they held the common belief that the tsar cared for them and wanted to help them.

During the 1800’s it was the smaller, educated class that organized and implemented the revolutionary movement.

Most of these educated revolutionaries mistrusted the capitalist, Western system because it caused, in their beliefs, greater inequality and poverty.

Instead, Russian revolutionaries wanted a socialist system where the people ran the economy and each person received an equal share of the wealth.

Marxism Based on the ideas of the German philosopher

Karl Marx.Marxism said no revolution could occur unless

industry was built up and a new class of factory workers (called the proletariat) were the majority.

Out of this philosophy came the Bolsheviks, who wanted a dictatorship that would control the proletariat.

The Bolsheviks were lead by Vladimir Ulyanov, who became famous under his political alias, Vladimir Lenin.

Tsar Nicholas II

Weak ruler who used his police force and often brutal tactics to keep the people under control

The February Revolution Increasing unrest and

protest by the people against Tsar Nicholas.

Tsar Nicholas was eventually forced to abdicate his throne.

Tsar Nicholas and his entire family were assassinated by the Bolsheviks in 1918 (think of the story of Anastasia)

Joseph StalinTook over control of Russia after Lenin’s

death and quickly established a dictatorship.Wanted to establish the Soviet Union as a

modern industrial powerCombined smaller peasant farms into larger,

government-controlled farms, giving Stalin total control over what was produced. Under this system most peasants suffered terribly.

The Great PurgeOccurred between 1934 and 1938.Stalin’s secret police arrested, coerced confessions

from, tortured, and executed anyone who was seen as a threat to his total power, whether or not they supported him.

About one million people were executed, with about another 7 million more sent to forced labor camps. Most people did not make it out of these camps alive.

This “Great Purge” gave Stalin total control over the Soviet Union, and set up a society of glaring inequality between rich and poor, rather than a society based on cooperation and sharing of resources.

Animal Farm, Communist Russia, and the 21st Century

Animal Farm is a satire that depicts the struggle of oppressed animals and the corruption of those who take power over others.

Uses animals that exhibit human characteristics to explore the aftermath of revolt, revolution, and power.

Animal Farm is Orwell’s critique of communist Russia and Stalin’s reign of terror.

Although Animal Farm was written as a response to the Soviet Union, how can it still be applicable to our world today? What connections can you make between this story and our world today?

Important Literary Terms Fable

One of the oldest literary forms

Usually has a clear moral message

Aesop is one of the most famous authors of fables.

Uses animals to characterize human qualities

Important Literary TermsAllegory

An allegory is a story that personifies abstract qualities; in the case of Animal Farm, the nature of people or the value of ideas.

In an allegory there is a double layer of meaning-the literal meaning (Animal Farm is a fable about animals) and the symbolic meaning (the pigs symbolically representing Soviet leaders and the corruptive nature of power).

Important Literary TermsSatire

A satire is a work where the author attacks or exposes a serious issue in a ridiculous or humorous light.

While the author’s tone may seem humorous or even light-hearted, a satire is actually a serious social critique. It uses humor to exposes the wrongs of society in an attempt to get people to change, or at least take notice of the problem.

Animal Farm is a satire poking fun of communism in Soviet Russia, and also of the nature of power in general.

What are some modern-day examples of satire?

Rhetorical Techniques Throughout the novel, the pig Squealer will

use language to manipulate the other animals. Some terms to know: Propaganda: Ideas, facts, or rumors spread

deliberately to further ones cause or damage an opponent’s. Uses several rhetorical techniques:

Repetition of words, phrases, ideas Use of metaphor to draw comparisons Use of allusions Use of rhetorical questions, or questions where a

direct answer is not expected

Major ThemesThe Danger of Ignorance

It is the animal’s gullibility and willingness to swallow all of Napoleon’s lies that leads to many of their problems.

The Power of LanguageSquealer uses propaganda and rhetorical techniques to

twist the truth to fit Napoleon’s dictatorship and keep the animals in ignorance.

The Corrupting Influence of PowerOnce the pigs gain total control, the become at best not

better than the humans, and at worst even more corrupt.

“Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”

Guiding Questions What makes an individual powerful?

Should intelligence be the primary qualification for leadership?

How does a society maintain order? Are laws necessary?

What qualities should a leader possess? Why?