ANIMAL FARM

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ANIMAL FARM
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George Orwell

• Born Eric Arthur Blair in Motihari, India in
  1903, Died in London in 1950
• Other works 1984 , Burmese Days

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What is an ALLEGORY?

• The characters, setting, and events make sense on
  the literal level, but are designed to
  represent OTHER characters, settings and events.

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What is Satire?

• The intentional degrading of a subject or
  subjects for comic or dramatic effect
• Uses Laughter as a weapon
• ANIMAL FARM is both an allegory and a satire.
• It is a satirical retelling of the Russian
  Revolution and the rise of Josef Stalin

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• At the beginning of the Twentieth Century, Europe
  and America had evolved into modern, industrial
  states.
• Russia remained a very backward, agrarian economy
  ( farming/rural) under the absolute authority of
  the Tsar or King.

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• There was great unrest among the people
• and a large opposition grew against the Tsar.
• Among the opposition groups were the communist
  Bolsheviks led by Lenin and Trotsky

LENIN
Trotsky
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In 1914, Russia joined England and France against
Germany in World War One.

• They suffered tremendous losses
• The Tsar was fatally weakened at home

Tsar Nicolas II
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The Revolution of 1917

• The Revolutionaries overthrew the Tsar in March
  of 1917 and, after another revolution in October,
  the Bolsheviks-led by Lenin-took control of the
  Russian Government.
• The Bolsheviks spent the next few years fighting
  a civil war
• Lenin was the leader and Trotsky was his top
  military man

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• During this time another man was quietly gaining
  power behind the scenes. His name was Josef
  Stalin.

Stalin in 1917
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Comparing Stalin and Trotsky

• TROTSKY
• Charismatic-Great Communicator
• Idealist-Believed in True Marxism
• Conceited
• Bored by Politics, Interested in Philosophical

• STALIN
• Quiet, Brooding
• Hands-On Worker, Excellent at Organization
• Gruff, Lower-Class
• Great at Politics-Knew how to Manipulate System

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• While Lenin and Trotsky concentrated on the War,
  Stalin began to take over the complex machinery
  of the Communist Party
• Stalin knew that Trotsky had made many enemies
  and he used this knowledge to form alliances to
  serve him in the future.

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TRANSITION OF POWER

• The Bolsheviks won the war in 1921, but Lenin had
  become fatally ill and it was soon apparent that
  he would die
• Lenin had seen how powerful Stalin had become and
  put it in his will that Stalin was not to have a
  leadership role after his death.

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Lenin Dies in 1923

• Stalin and his allies have his will thrown out
• Stalin uses his alliances to defeat Trotsky

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• Stalin ridiculed Trotskys policies including his
  ideas of permanent revolution and
  collectivization of agriculture
• Stalin would later incorporate these ideas and
  claim credit for himself
• Eventually Trotsky was forced into exile and in
  1940 he was assassinated in Mexico at Stalins
  command.
• Stalin assumed complete, totalitarian control and
  immediately began to purge his former allies.

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• Stalin would have thousands of his political
  enemies murdered, and his policies would kill
  millions of Russians
• In 1938, Stalin entered into a Non-Aggression
  Pact with Adolf Hitler in order to stay out of
  World War Two.
• In 1940, both countries invaded Poland.

PACT SIGNING 1938
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The USSR in World War Two

• Hitler betrayed Stalin and invaded The USSR in
  1941
• The effects of Stalins purges on the military
  enabled the Nazis to almost conquer the USSR
• Stalin joined the allies at the Tehran Conference
  of 1943

Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin at Yalta in 1945
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Questions to ask While Reading the Novel

• Which characters and events from real life match
  the characters and events from Animal Farm?
• Even though Animal Farm is not exactly comic,
  how does the story fit into our definition of
  satire?
• What do you think some of the other characters in
  the book- Boxer, Squealer, Moses-represent? Why?

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• IF YOU WANT A PICTURE OF THE FUTURE, IMAGINE A
  BOOT STAMPING ON A HUMAN FACE-FOREVER- George
  Orwell, 1984