ANIMAL FARM BY GEORGE ORWELL€¦ · HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON ANIMAL FARM...
Transcript of ANIMAL FARM BY GEORGE ORWELL€¦ · HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON ANIMAL FARM...
ANIMAL FARM
BY GEORGE ORWELL
GEORGE ORWELL
BACKGROUND ON ORWELL
George Orwell was born in Bengal, India. His
real name is Eric Blair.
In 1904, his mother moved back to England so
that her children could begin their education
there.
Orwell received a scholarship to study at Eton
in 1917. Aldous Huxley (author of Brave New
World) was one of his teachers.
BACKGROUND ON ORWELL
At Eton, Orwell was first exposed to popular liberal and socialist ideas.
After graduating in 1921, he joined the Civil Service and went to Burma as a sergeant in the Indian Imperial Police.
He quit this job in 1927 because he did not like being an instrument of power over the Burmese people.
BACKGROUND ON ORWELL
After quitting the Civil Service, Orwell chose to live among the working-class people of Paris and the homeless in England. This experience lasted for more than a year.
He wrote about these experiences in his first book, Down and Out in Paris and London (published in 1933).
At this time, he adopted his pseudonym George Orwell.
BACKGROUND ON ORWELL
He took Orwell from an English river near where he once lived, and he chose George as his first name because it was typically English.
At this time, he worked as a teacher, and after he married, he and his wife ran a village pub and the general store.
In 1936, he became a socialist, and his publisher encouraged him to write about oppressed people. He did.
BACKGROUND ON ORWELL
In 1945, he published Animal Farm, one of
the two novels for which Orwell is most famous.
1984 , Orwell’s most celebrated novel, was
published in 1949.
Orwell got the idea for Animal Farm from seeing
a small boy driving a horse and whipping it
whenever it tried to turn.
BACKGROUND ON ORWELL
“It struck me,” said Orwell, “that if only such
animals became aware of their strength, we
should have no power over them, and that men
exploit animals in much the same way as the
rich exploit the proletariat (working class).”
Orwell disapproved of Britain’s privileged class
and believed instead in the traditions and
virtues of the working class.
BACKGROUND ON ORWELL
These beliefs were fostered by a visit Orwell had made to Spain about ten years earlier.
He went to Spain to write about their Civil War, and even to fight in it.
He was wounded in his neck in battle by a sniper’s bullet which caused his voice to become permanently altered.
The war experience had given him a horrifying glimpse of political reality.
BACKGROUND ON ORWELL
He saw how revolutionary causes could become
corrupt and evolve into totalitarianism (a kind of
dictatorship where one political party has total control
and all opposition is ruthlessly suppressed), which he
saw as the future’s threat to human freedom.
Later in Russia, Orwell saw a powerful dictator-Joseph
Stalin-come up through the revolutionary ranks and
eventually oppress the people as badly as the Czar
had done before him.
BACKGROUND ON ORWELL
To show how a whole nation could be enslaved,
Orwell created his fable (a brief, often
humorous, tale that presents a moral or
message) about the animals on Manor Farm.
Orwell said that the book was the first “in which
I tried, with full consciousness of what I was
doing, to fuse political purpose and artistic
purpose in one whole.”
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
INFORMATION ON ANIMAL FARM
The novel is based upon the events that occurred during and after The Russian Revolution of 1917. Various historical figures are represented by different animals and events.
The ruling family at the time of the Revolution was the Romanovs.
The Czar was Nicholas II and his Czarina (wife) was Alexandra.
Nicholas and Alexandra had one of the most passionate love affairs of their day.
NICHOLAS AND ALEXANDRA
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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Nicholas and Alexandra had five children
together: 4 daughters-Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and
Anastasia. They also had one son- Alexei.
Unbeknownst to the majority of the Russian
public, Alexei was a hemophiliac.
Nicholas had no desire to be Czar of Russia, but
he was suddenly thrown into power at the young
age of 28 when his father died.
THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL FAMILY DAUGHTERS
ALEXANDRA AND ALEXEI
THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL FAMILY
THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL FAMILY
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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Nicholas was the absolute sovereign of Russia, which meant that he controlled every aspect of the government.
The downfall of the Romanov Dynasty began with an incident that later became known as “Bloody Sunday.” unarmed demonstrators were fired upon by soldiers of
the Imperial Guard as they to present a petition to Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.
By the early 1900’s, the writings of Karl Marx, increasing hardship, and the injustices of the czars inspired widespread revolt among the working class.
KARL MARX
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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Communism is an economic system where the
basic idea is that everybody does jobs in which
they excel, and everybody gets everything that
they need.
Karl Marx is considered the “Father of Modern
Communism.”
His beliefs were known as Marxism.
Marxism is a theory of class struggle.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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Marx divided people into two main classes:
Bourgeoisie: class of modern capitalists. They are the
minority of people who own the means of production.
Proletariat: the modern working class who always lived
at the lowest possible level to sustain health while
providing wealth for the upper class.
Karl Marx arranged his theories into a book entitled The
Communist Manifest.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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Marx believed that through revolution private property
would cease to exist and that workers would break free
from their metaphorical chains.
The problem with this theory is that once the upper
class dissolved then the lower class would rise and take
its place, and the cycle would start anew.
Without competition there would be no market; thus,
modern industry would cease to exist.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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1904 was a bad year for Russian workers. Prices of essential goods rose so quickly that real wages declined by twenty percent.
When four workers were dismissed at the Putilov Iron Works, a priest named George Gapon called for industrial action.
Over the next few days more than110,000 workers in St. Petersburg went on strike.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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In an attempt to settle the dispute, Gapon decided to
make a personal appeal to Czar Nicholas. He drew up a
petition outlining the worker’s sufferings and demands.
This list included calling for a reduction in the working
day to eight hours, increasing wages, and improving
working conditions.
Numerous aspects of the petition were based upon Karl
Marx’s ideas.
Over 150,000 people signed the petition.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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On January 22, 1905, Gapon led a large procession of
workers to the Winter Palace in order to present the
petition to Nicholas.
When the procession of workers reached the palace,
they discovered that Nicholas had received word about
their visit and decided to leave.
The guards that were surrounding the palace did not
know how to handle the angry mob; instead of trying to
reason with them, the guards decided to open fire.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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Over 100 workers were killed and over 300 were
wounded in the incident.
After this incident, the people began to view Nicholas
as a blood-thirsty tyrant.
There were numerous revolts that sprang up around
Russia seeking retribution for the fallen workers.
This incident laid the groundwork for the Russian
Revolution.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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WWI soon broke out and Russia found itself involved in the war.
Nicholas decided that he wanted to be a part of the action, so he made it a point to go out with the Russian troops and provide help.
During this time Nicholas makes some egregious decisions concerning the war effort. The Russian Army’s poor ____ reflected poorly on the Czar.
The Russian people begin to blame his wife, who was part German, and her so- called priest Rasputin for influencing the Czar’s decisions.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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Nicholas soon gets word of a planned revolt in St. Petersburg (yes another one), so he leaves the front in an attempt to quell the revolt.
On his way to the city, the Bolshevik Party set up a barricade so that the train could not get through.
The train is forced to take an alternate route, which unfortunately leads the train right into Bolshevik territory.
Nicholas is taken prisoner and is forced to abdicate his throne.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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On March 15, 1917, Czar Nicholas II was overthrown and later executed, along with his wife and five children.
A provisional government was set up to take over Russia.
Seven months later, the Bolsheviks (the majority), led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the provisional government.
This coup was known as the October Revolution.
VLADIMIR LENIN
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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Even though Lenin was a follower of Marxism, he did not agree with every aspect of Karl Marx’s philosophy.
Lenin eventually comes up with his own theory known as Leninism.
Unlike Marx, Lenin believed that once the proletariat became the only class, then the State’s role should not disappear entirely, but instead should be led by a Vanguard Party.
Vanguard –a group of people leading the way in new developments or ideas
As it pertains to the Russian Revolution: leaders and protectors of the working class.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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Lenin believed that this party needed to exist for
quite some time to ensure protection of the
‘socialist state’ from its internal and external
enemies.
Lenin’s policies were often more violent and
sneaky than those of Marxist beliefs.
Human nature in full effect
Lenin believed in the total liquidation of the
bourgeoisie class, as well as anyone who stood
in the way of his Marxist dreams.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the first official socialist state was created with Lenin at the helm.
The Bolsheviks changed their name to the Russian Communist Party after the Revolution. They later became known as “The Reds.”
Lenin became so well-loved and revered that upon his death his body was placed on display for all to see and admire.
After his death in 1924, a power struggle emerged for control of the Communist Party.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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The death of Lenin and the conclusion of Marxist-Leninist thought engendered two new Russian leaders: Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin.
A power struggle soon emerged between Trotsky and Stalin with different factions arising from their conflicts of ideology.
Trotsky was a strict Marxist and talented party organizer who had played an important role in the Russian Revolution.
LEON TROTSKY
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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Trotsky believed that the only way a
society could survive was through
permanent revolution. He reinforced
the need for a worldwide socialist
class. This idea was later known as
Trotskyism.
Stalin (secretary general of the
Communist party) favored a modified
form of Marxism.
JOSEPH STALIN
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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Later, however, Stalin’s ideas and practices
quickly turned totalitarian. The power-hungry
Stalin would not let anything stand in his way.
Totalitarianism is a form of government with a
strong central rule that attempts to control
individuals by means of coercion (SAT WORD)
and repression.
Stalin eventually won the power struggle and
had Trotsky exiled to Mexico where he is later
killed by USSR agents.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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Stalin began several 5-year plans to stimulate the Russian economy, which actually decreased under his collective farming.
Although he took the formal title of Premier in 1941, Stalin was an absolute dictator.
Any opposition to Stalin was subject to secret arrests, fake trials, forced labor camps, and mass executions.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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Estimates put the death rate in the neighborhood of 10-20,000,000.
Stalin guided Russia through WWII as an ally of the United States. This friendship perhaps explains why numerous details about Stalin’s regime were not made public.
He took Russia from an agricultural to an industrial society.
His death in 1953 brought about a series of other Premiers who continued with the same oppression of the people, although some changes slowly ensued.
WAS THE REVOLUTION A SUCCESS?
Do you think life changed for the better for the
people of Russia after Czar Nicholas II
abdicated his thrown?
What about this event do you think inspired
Orwell to write Animal Farm?
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
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Animal Farm, which was published the year
after World War II ended, is an anti-utopian
(dystopian) novel which shows man at the
mercy of a force he can not control.
Orwell wanted people to remember the
errors of the past and learn from history’s
mistakes.
Animal Farm is an allegory.
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An allegory is a story that can be read on two
distinct levels. Characters and events in an
allegory represent something else, and they are
used by the writer to convey a moral or
philosophical message.
Animal Farm is also a satire. A satire uses
ridicule to make certain people, events, or
institutions appear foolish.
One of the elements of satire is irony. Orwell
uses situational, verbal, and dramatic irony in
Animal Farm.