An Introduction to Animal Farm

1
AnIntroductiontoAnimal Farm
2
Satire

• Type of writing that ridicules somethinga
  person, a group of people, humanity at large, an
  attitude or failing, a social institutionin
  order to reveal a weakness.

3
Most satires

• Convince us of a point of view.
• Persuade us to follow a course of action.
• Involve exaggeration.

4
Allegory

• A story in which the characters, settings, and
  events stand for certain other people, events, or
  concepts.

5
How is Animal Farm an allegory?

• It parallels revolutionary and postrevolutionary
  Russia (late 1920s to 1953).
• Many characters are based on Russian historical
  figures and ideas.

6
Czar Nicholas II

• Poor leader at best
• Cruel, sometimes brutal with opponents
• Sometimes kind, hired students as spies to make
  money

7
Russian Revolutionaries

• Karl Marx
• Joseph Stalin
• Leon Trotsky

8
Karl Marx

• German social philosopher
• Chief theorist of modern socialism and communism
• Revolution is inevitable

9
Socialism

• Political and economic theory that advocates a
  system of government ownership and management of
  the means of production and distribution of goods.

10
Communism

• A totalitarian system of government in which a
  single authoritarian party controls state-owned
  means of production.

11
Totalitarianism

• Seeks to control not only all economic and
  political matters but also the attitudes, values,
  and beliefs of its population.
• Generally led by a dictator.

12
Joseph Stalin

• Studied Marxism, but did not follow it
• Man of steel killed all who opposed him
• Not a good speaker, not very well-educated

13
Leon Trotsky

• Followed Marxism
• Very well-educated
• Wanted to improve life for all in Russia
• Eventually chased away by the KGB

14
Other Similarities
15
KGB

• Secret police
• Not really police, but forced support for Stalin
• Often killed entire families for disobedience

16
Religion

• Was tolerated because it encouraged the people to
  work
• Would stop violent revolutions

17
Vain, Selfish People

• Didnt care about revolution
• Only thought about themselves
• Went to other countries that offered more for them

18
Skeptical People

• Werent sure revolution would change anything
• Knew communism wouldnt work with power-hungry
  leaders

19
Dedicated Communists

• Believed Stalin because he was a communist
• Stayed loyal after it was obvious he was a tyrant
• Were betrayed by Stalin