George Orwell Bio

Born Eric Blair (1903) in Motihari, Bengal, in the then British colony of India.

He was one of the poorer English boys at his upper-class school. He was treated like a “charity case”, and because of this he developed a hatred of the rich class.

Orwell cont.

Orwell supported Democratic Socialism for his entire life.

Orwell loved Socialism but despised the actions of the Russian Communists. He hated how Europe and America romanticized the Russian revolution.

Orwell cont.

Orwell fought against Stalin’s forces in Spain after Stalin tried to gain control in 1937’s Spanish Civil War.

Orwell almost died in a manhunt:

“It taught me how easily totalitarian propaganda can control the opinion of enlightened people

in democratic countries.”

The Anti-Soviet Book and the Hardships of Publication Animal Farm serves as a political tract, a

satire, a contempt of Utopian ideals and an allegorical lesson all under the façade of a fable.

Animal Farm was not meant to bring damage to Socialism, it was written to warn others of the danger of Socialism/Communism manipulated into Tyranny.

The Anti-Soviet Book and the Hardships of Publication

The United Kingdom was still enamored with the USSR and considered them “politically decent” in 1943 (when Animal Farm was completed)

Not until two years later would a publisher be willing to publish Orwell’s book because no one wanted to print an Anti-Soviet story.

“Since 1930 I had seen little evidence that the USSR was progressing toward anything that one could truly call socialism.” – George Orwell

According to Orwell, the USSR was a “hierarchal society, in which the rulers have no more reason to give up their power than any other ruling class.”

Animal Farm USSR Animal Farm Old Major Jones Moses Animal Rebellion Napoleon Snowball Squealer Animals other than pigs & dogs Mollie the Cart Horse Hoof and Horn (flag) Pigeons sent out to other farms Foxwood Farm (Pilkington) Pinchfield Farm (Frederick) Battle of the Cowshed

Russia / USSRKarl Marx / Lenin

Czar Nicholas II

Russian Orthodox ChurchRussian Revolution of 1917

Joseph StalinTrotsky

Pravda

proletariat

bourgeoisiehammer and sickle

Communist InternationaleEngland (Churchill)Germany (Hitler)

Anti-revolutionary invasion of Russia

Animal Farm sequence of eventsLife is miserable On Manor farm

Jones neglects theanimals

The pigs take over

Pigeons spread ideasTo other farms

Battle of CowshedSnowball gains

Support for windmill

Old Major tellsOf his dream of

Free animals

The animals overtake

the farm forthemselves

Plans are made for the improvement of life on the farm,

pigs become leaders

Pilkington and Frederick get

frustrated

The animals win,Human-likecelebration

Napoleon overpowersSnowball, exiles him,

And takes creditFor the idea