animal farm - mr. ruest's...
TRANSCRIPT
Animal FarmHistorical Background and
Author
George Orwell: June 25th 1903 - January 21st, 1950- Born in Eastern India; he was the son of a British
Colonial Servant
- His real name is Eric Arthur Blair; he took the pen
name George Orwell in 1933
- After some military service abroad, he resigned in
1927 to become a writer; he travelled in Europe
and eventually wrote about his experiences as a
struggling writer
George Orwell: June 25th 1903 - January 21st, 1950- He had what was considered radical political
views in the 1920’s and 1930’s; an anarchist
turned socialist. He also travelled to warzones
(Spanish Civil War) and fled for his life when the
Soviets intervened in the conflict.
- Between 1941 and 1943, he worked on
propaganda for the BBC.
- He published Animal Farm in 1945, in which he
wrote an allegorical version of Stalin’s rise to
power; this ensured he was financially
comfortable.
Orwell’s predictions & Orwellian Society
- In 1949, Orwell published 1984, a work which was a dystopian model set in a futuristic Totalitarian society
- Many expressions and phrases, such as: “Big Brother is watching you”, “Ministry of Truth”, and “Orwellian” originate from the popularity of this novel
- Orwell is often referenced today, as he predicted many issues with today’s technology
Orwell’s predictions & Orwellian Society
Orwellian ActivityThis upcoming weekend, count how many devices with a camera on it you see in 1 day. You will then start to feel some of what Orwell was concerned about.
He theorized that the idea of privacy would cease to exist at some point in the future, and that everything would be edited to serve a (usually evil) purpose.
Early Russian History:- Russia was led by the monarchy
- As a result of chaos in their country in 1881, the Tsar formed strict
censorship and opposition meant immediate death or exile.
- The industrial revolution and capitalism advanced in the late 1800’s
and two classes of people emerged: the proletariat and the
bourgeoisie
- The proletariat went on strike to improve their civil rights
- Russians continued to struggle through WW1
- During (and after) WW1, Russia was badly weakened and the
government lost its foothold
- The people revolted in 1917, eventually executing Tsar Nicholas II
Lenin enters the Scene- In 1918, the Bolshevik Party, led by Vladamir Lenin, took power by force. The party
was called the: “Dictatorship of the Common Man”- Lenin was a strict Marxist in theory, but he sometimes compromised, allowing
private enterprise.- Lenin modernized the archaic infrastructure of Russia and brought electricity to the
countryside.- Lenin died in 1924; a struggle for power began between Trotsky (an idealist) and
Stalin, both being Lenin’s former allies.
Stalin wins the fight:- Stalin won the battle and Trotsky was exiled & eventually killed
- Although Trotsky was the successor Lenin had in mind, Stalin was more skillful at
rallying support in the conflict to succeed Lenin
- Stalin used a propaganda system (he controlled all the information as well as the secret
police or “Cheka”)
- Stalin used a brutal reign of terror to stay in power; communism became more of a
totalitarian dictatorship rather than a collective ownership of the society
- He used Trotsky as his scapegoat to keep him unified with his people
- In 1934, Stalin’s ally was killed so he used the opportunity to hold unfair trials to get “rid
of” all of those that opposed him. He held “show trials” to declare the defendants as
“Enemies of the State” and “Trotsky sympathizers” and he executed them all.
Stalin wins the fight: