Animal FarmAnimal Farmby George Orwellby George Orwell

A story of power, A story of power, corruption, and greedcorruption, and greed

Theme - All power corrupts, Theme - All power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolute power corrupts

absolutely.absolutely.

BackgroundBackground

– published the same month the

bombs struck Hiroshima and Nagasaki– had a political agenda– not written to condemn communist and

fascist states– uses animals to show human qualities or

characteristics– is an allegory

Historical ConnectionHistorical Connection

• represents Russian Revolution of 1917

• represents events of World War II• represents the people and events

which helped to shape our world during these times - for better, or for worse

• uses an indefinite setting so we can apply it to many different situations - past and present

TAKE NOTES for allegorical TAKE NOTES for allegorical comparisons:comparisons:

• The PIGS:• The pigs lead the rebellion. They take

on the same power and characteristics as the human masters.

• They represent corrupted human leaders: The Bolsheviks

• The Bolsheviks led the overthrow of the capitalist Russian government –only to become the new masters.

The DogsThe Dogs

• used by a totalitarian state to terrorize its own people

• the secret police (KGB)

The SheepThe Sheep

• stupid

• the followers

• follow blindly

• masses of uneducated lower class

The PigeonsThe Pigeons

• spread the word of Rebellion beyond the farm

• Communists who spread the doctrine of the revolution beyond the boundaries of the Soviet Union

• external propaganda

Specific Character AllegoriesSpecific Character Allegories

• Old Major – a pig

• This is the wise old pig who gives a grand speech at the beginning of the book. He sets the stage for the Rebellion –but dies before it happens.

Old Major:

- represents KARL MARX

- developed the fundamental ideology of communism with Friedrich Engels

- holds that all people are entitled to enjoy the fruits of their labor but are prevented from doing so in a capitalist economic system

- capitalism divides society into two classes: nonowning workers and nonworking owners

NapoleonNapoleon

• steps up to take Old Major’s place after his death

• quiet-yet forceful in getting his own way

• STALIN (and other dictators)

STALINSTALIN

• noted for bringing the Soviet Union into world prominence, at terrible cost to his own people

• left a legacy of repression and fear as well as industrial and military power

• disciple of LENIN

• leader of the Bolsheviks

STALINSTALIN

• inaugurated the Five-Year plan that radically altered Soviet economic and social structures and resulted in the deaths of many millions

• contrived to eliminate threats to his power through widespread secret executions and persecution

LENINLENIN

• believed that a small, disciplined, professional group of revolutionaries was needed to violently overthrow the capitalist system and that a “dictatorship of the proletariat” must guide society until the day when the state would wither away

BOLSHEVIKSBOLSHEVIKS

• the wing of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers’ Party led by Lenin that seized control in the Russian Revolution of 1917

SnowballSnowball

• struggles to get the leadership of the farm after the death of Old Major

• an excellent strategist

• lots of energy

• LEON TROTSKY

TROTSKYTROTSKY

• played a major role in the overthrow of the provisional government and the establishment of Lenin's communist regime.

• favored by Lenin to succeed him

• lost support after Lenin's death (1924)

• was forced out of power by Stalin

SquealorSquealor

• an excellent talker

• manipulator

• used to persuade the animals to believe the ‘big lie’

• internal propaganda

Boxer and CloverBoxer and Clover

• represent the suffering uneducated working class

• patient and decent

• not bright

MollieMollie

• loves luxury and represents the materialists

• Russian nobles who left after the Revolution (many were executed)

Benjamin the DonkeyBenjamin the Donkey

• a pessimist

• has seen many things in his lifetime

• keeps to himself

• change bothers him

• unwilling and unable to do anything but believe that life is hard

MosesMoses

• Raven

• known as Jones’ special pet

• represents religion/organized religion.

• the Orthodox Church (or Rasputin)

NICHOLAS IINICHOLAS II

• Tsar of Russia (1894–1917)• devoted to his wife, Alexandra, who strongly

influenced his rule • ousted the popular grand duke Nicholas as

commander in chief of Russian forces • assumed command of Russian troops in World

War I himself, at the bidding of Alexandra and Rasputin

• absence from Moscow and Alexandra's mismanagement of the government caused increasing unrest

RASPUTINRASPUTIN

• influenced Alexandra’s appointment of church officials and incompetent cabinet ministers

• a group of noblemen assassinated him by successively poisoning him, shooting him, and finally throwing him into the ice-filled Neva River

• revolution followed weeks later

Farmer JonesFarmer Jones

• corrupt, evil human –who neglects his animals and farm because he drinks

• Tsar Nicholas II- stands for the decline of a government through mismanagement and corruption

The Other Farms/FarmersThe Other Farms/Farmers

• Pilkington of Foxwood – the English gentleman of England – perhaps Churchill?

• Frederick of Pinchfield -Definitely Hitler of Germany

• Churchill-British, his warnings of the threat posed by Hitler’s Germany repeatedly ignored

• Hitler- German, German-Soviet Nonagression Pact (1939) enabled him to invade Poland, precipitating World War II

Mr. WhymperMr. Whymper

• simply the go-between for the animals and humans

• Certain capitalists have always transacted business with Communist nations.

TheThe

END