Animal Farm

ANIMAL FARM

By George Orwell

Karl Marx

Born in Prussia in 1818 Journalist whose “popular”

political views forced him to leave his country

Published Communist Manifesto “From each according to his

abilities, to each according to his needs.”

Marx’s writings and injustices – inspired revolt – Russian Revolution

The Russian Revolution

Took place during the year of 1917 – the last phase of World War I.

Prior to the revolution, the Russian monarchy had become progressively weaker and increasingly aware of its own vulnerability.

Nicholas II – the czar prior to the revolution – personally witnessed his grandfather’s assassination by revolutionary terrorists and his father’s own response to the assassination through brutal oppression of the Russian people.

Czar Nicholas II

Became czar in 1894 – was the last of the Russian czars

Used severe methods like his father to subdue resistance movements

While his actions created more unrest, he was forced to make concessions after each incident

As Nicholas became weaker, Vladimir Lenin was rising to become a prominent power in Russia

Would soon lead a revolution against the current oppressive government

Vladimir Lenin

He was a devout follower of Marxism and believed that once a Communist revolution took place in Russia, Communism would spread rapidly around the world.

Though not involved in the February Revolution (one of two major events), he returned to Russia in April 1917 and orchestrated the October Revolution that turned Russia into a Communist state.

Lenin’s Mug shot, December 1895

The February Revolution

Removed (overthrew) czar Nicholas II from power

Developed spontaneously out of a series of violent demonstrations and riots on the streets of present day St. Petersburg, while the czar was away from the capital visiting troops

Was a popular uprising but did not actually express the wishes of the majority of the Russian people (did not extent much beyond the city)

Did (overall) favor a partially democratic rule

The October Revolution

Also called the Bolshevik Revolution Overturned the interim provisional government Established the Soviet Union Much more deliberate event Planned by the Bolsheviks (extremist group) in 6

months Bolsheviks founded and led by Lenin; became the

Russian Communist Party Realized that they could not maintain power in an

election-based system without sharing power with other parties and compromising their principles

The Bolsheviks

As a result, they formally abandoned the democratic process in January 1918

Declared themselves the representatives of the dictatorship

In response, the Russian Civil War broke out that summer and lasted well into 1920

In July 1918, the Bolsheviks executed Nicholas II along with his wife, Alexandra, and their children.

Government Goals

Wanted to rebuild Russian Economy: Five-Year Plan Industrialization Government collective farmsCarried out at the great cost to human life

and liberty

Power Hungry

Under Lenin’s control, many of his chief allies jockeyed for power and positions.

Two emerged as the most likely heirs to Lenin’s vast power – Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky

Leon Trotsky

A Bolshevik leader and one of the most prominent figures of the October Revolution.

Closely aligned himself with Lenin.

Popular and charismatic leader

Famous for his impassioned speeches

Very unlike Joseph Stalin – who preferred to consolidate his power behind the scenes

Joseph Stalin

Member of the Bolsheviks Although Stalin was very much a

secondary figure during the October Revolution, he did gain Lenin’s attention as a useful ally, and following the October coup, Lenin gave him a position in the government as commissar of nationalities.

After the revolution, Stalin became increasingly powerful and eventually succeeded Lenin as leader of the Soviet Union upon Lenin’s death in 1924.

Stalin’s journey to Power

After Lenin's death in 1924, Stalin orchestrated an alliance AGAINST Trotsky that included himself, Zinoviev, and Kaminev. (other political leaders)

In the following years, Stalin succeeded in becoming the unquestioned dictator of the Soviet Union

Had Trotsky expelled first from Moscow, then from the Communist Party, and finally from Russia altogether in 1936.

Trotsky fled to Mexico, where he was assassinated on Stalin's orders in 1940.

Stalin’s Rule

In 1934, an ally of Stalin’s was assassinated, prompting Stalin to commence his infamous purges of the Communist Party. Holding “show trials”—trials whose outcomes he and his allies had already decided—Stalin had his opponents officially denounced as participants in Trotskyist or anti-Stalinist conspiracies and therefore as “enemies of the people,” an appellation that guaranteed their immediate execution.

TOTALITARIANISM

Form of government with a strong central rule; tries to control the individual through the use of coercion and repression

Theoretically, no individual freedoms are allowed State pursues a specific goal (industrialization) to

the exclusion of all other goals. Social interaction is discouraged Large-scale violence is employed to

protect and achieve specific goal Use force to make everyone conform Example: Nazi Germany

George Orwell

Real name: Eric Blair, born on June 25, 1903

Father was a British civil servant – mother was daughter of an unsuccessful teak trader from Burma

Raised in atmosphere of snobbery – not consistent with his modest life style

Won scholarships to attend Eton – one of England’s finest schools

Took job as a colonial police officer – grew guilty and resigned

Life as a writer…

Was a teacher at Hawthorne High School for Boys Part-time job at a local bookstore Early works as a writer revolve around these early

experiences (protagonists generally sensitive, socially conscious individuals at odds with an oppressive or dishonest social environment)

At age 33 left for Spain; joined forces fighting against totalitarian regime

In the midst of WWII, Orwell Began writing Animal Farm, in which his position was against Communist government and in favor of democracy

Orwell’s death

Became gravely ill with tuberculosis in 1947 but continued to write

His best-known work, 1984, was published in 1949

Began affair with a new lady (first wife died during a hysterectomy) and married in the hospital in October 1949

January1950 – Orwell died in a London hospital

Animal Farm

Fable: is a succinct story, in prose or verse, that features animals, plants, inanimate objects or forces of nature that are given human qualities and that illustrates a moral lesson, which may at the end be expressed explicitly in a maxim.

Allegory: is a form of extended metaphor, in which objects, persons, and actions stand for or symbolize something other than their literal meaning in the narrative.

Satire: a literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn

Animal Farm, cont.

Dramatic Irony: occurs when the reader knows something that the character or characters do not know.

Situational Irony: an outcome that turns out very different than expected