Animal Farm

by George Orwell

George Orwell

• Eric Arthur Blair

• Lived in India as a young boy and began writing at an early age

• Fought in Spanish Civil War

• Skeptical of governments and their willingness to forsake ideals in favor of power

• Always felt he was an outsider and questioned any group’s ideology

A few terms to know. . .• Satire = the writer attacks a serious issue by

presenting it in a ridiculous light or otherwise poking fun at it (Ex: The Simpsons)

• Fable = a narration intended to enforce a useful truth (Ex: The Tortoise and the Hare)– Teaches a lesson– Characters are frequently animals to point out

follies of mankind

• Allegory = a narrative that can be read on two levels: literal and symbolic (Ex: Lord of the Flies)

Karl Marx (d. 1883)• German political philosopher

• Communist Manifesto (1848)– Criticized capitalism; felt that the system denied equal

opportunity to the poor– Criticized two classes: working class & owner class

• Envisioned a new, classless social order based on the equal distribution of wealth

• Fundamental conflict = the few well-placed and powerful maintain their wealth by suppressing the natural desires of the many poor (however, number of poor = advantage in a revolution)

“Workers of the world, unite!”

In Russia. . .• At dawn of 20th century, industrialization had begun

throughout Europe.

• Russia, however, remained a poor farming country.

• Political system also a remnant of the past– Czar occupied throne and dictated state policy without

regard for the concerns of the people– Claimed to draw power directly from God– Passed the throne to a chosen successor without elections– Czar’s rule was absolute; those who protested were

subject to severe punishment, including execution

Russian Revolution

• By early 1900s, Russian peasant farmers struggled to survive under an oppressive gov’t.

• By 1917, amidst tremendous suffering of WWI, a revolution began.

• Feb. 28, 1917 – Czar Nicholas II overthrown and replaced by Bolshevik leadership of Vladimir Lenin

Lenin

• Adopted Marx’s ideas

• Understood the emotional impact of simple, powerful slogans

• Changed Russia’s name to the USSR

• Lenin died in 1924, leaving two of his comrades – Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin – struggling for power

Trotsky and Stalin

Trotsky– brilliant speaker and writer– pure follower of Marx– intellectual, visionary

thinker– hoped to transform Russia

into an industrial powerhouse

– wanted to improve life for all Russia

– delivered powerful speeches

Stalin– average speaker, not as

educated– didn’t exactly follow Marx’s

ideas– focused on administrative

duties and building loyalties between himself and powerful soviets

– used propaganda to support his image

Stalin Era• Exiled Trotsky permanently and blamed him for Russia’s problems

• Aggressive programs to propel Russia into the industrial age– seized land to create collective farms– used vicious military tactics when peasants refused to give up their land

• Controlled the flow of information in and out of the Soviet Union

• Stalin maintained his power through use of political and social terror:– Increased size of internal police force (KGB)– Tolerated religion, but used it to keep people working– In effect, silenced all opposition – Brutal jails designed to inspire fear in anyone thinking about

criticizing the Stalin regime– “Purges” = high-ranking officials arrested, forced to admit to

crimes they did not commit, and executed

After Stalin

• Stalin d. 1953• Until 1980’s Soviet Union remained highly

repressive gov’t. • Ideas not officially sanctioned by the gov’t. were

deemed dangerous – gov’t. maintained an iron grip on the nation

• 1985 – Mikhail Gorbachev took power and acknowledged need for change

• Period of uncertainty lingered and opportunities for abuse of power arose

What does all this have to do with Animal Farm?

• Animal Farm is George Orwell’s satire of what he saw as the myth Soviet socialism.

• Animal Farm exhibits characteristics of the fable.

• Animal Farm is an allegory of the Russian Revolution.