Animal Farm

Animal FarmBy George OrwellAll animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.Allegory - Satire - FableJanuary 3, 2014

Key WordsDystopiaFableIronySatireAllegoryCommunismPropaganda

UEQ: How can an authors use of allegory promote social change?LEQ: How does George Orwell structure chapter 1 to lay the foundation for allegorical meaning?Introduction of:SettingPlot: ExpositionCharactersconflict

Bellringer Activity: Finding Meaning in a FableRead the short fable from Aesops fables.With your learning team, decide what your fable means or what life insight it teaches.

The Bundle of Sticks : An old man on the point of death summoned his sons around him to give them some parting advice. He ordered his servants to bring in a bundle of sticks, and said to his eldest son: "Break it." The son strained and strained, but with all his efforts was unable to break the Bundle. The other sons also tried, but none of them was successful. "Untie the sticks," said the father, "and each of you take a stick." When they had done so, he called out to them: "Now, break," and each stick was easily broken. "You see my meaning," said their father.Meaning: There is strength in unity.

Who is George Orwell and what was the purpose of his fable, Animal Farm?Fable: a simple fictional story (often with animal characters) that teaches a life insightAllegory: a story with more than one level of meaning; symbolic meaning teaches insights

Activity 1: Meet George Orwell; informational focusDirections: Read the biographical information about George Orwell.Using the Biographical data in the information sheet, answer the questions on the student worksheet.

1984The novel, published in 1949, takes place in 1984 and presents an imaginary future where a totalitarian state controls every aspect of life, even people's thoughts. The state is called Oceania and is ruled by a group known as the Party; its leader and dictator is Big Brother.

Ticket out of the DoorWrite 3 facts that youve learned about George Orwell.

George Orwell and His BeliefsOrwell was a person who had a reputation for standing apart and even making a virtue of his detachment.This outsider position often led him to oppose the crowd.Orwells beliefs about politics were affected by his experiences fighting in the Spanish Civil War.He viewed socialists, communists, and fascists as repressive and self-serving.He was skeptical of governments and their willingness to forsake ideas in favor of power.Interesting Fact: George Orwells real name was Eric Blair.

George Orwell in IndiaHe was born in India and spent his early years there since his father held a post there. He was a lonely boy who liked to make up stories and talk with imaginary companions.As an adult, he worked for the Imperial Police in British occupied India.

Why Animals?In explaining how he came to write Animal Farm, Orwell says he once saw a little boy whipping a horse and later he wrote, It struck me that if only such animals became aware of their strength we should have no power over them, and that men exploit animals in much the same way as the rich exploit the [worker].

Animal FarmBy George OrwellAll animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.Allegory - Satire - FableJanuary 6, 2014 Monday

UEQ: How can an authors use of allegory promote social change?LEQ: How does George Orwell structure chapter 1 to lay the foundation for allegorical meaning?Introduction of:SettingPlot: ExpositionCharactersconflict

Bellringer: Aesops FablesRead along as we read the fable aloud in class.With your learning team, try to decode the meaning of the fable.

The Boy and the Filberts A BOY put his hand into a pitcher full of filberts. He grasped as many as he could possibly hold, but when he tried to pull out his hand, he was prevented from doing so by the neck of the pitcher. Unwilling to lose his filberts, and yet unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears and bitterly lamented his disappointment. A bystander said to him, "Be satisfied with half the quantity, and you will readily draw out your hand."Moral: Do not attempt too much at once or do not be too greedy.

Activity #1: Review George OrwellWhat influences in his life developed his social consciousness that lead to him writing a fable/allegory as a social commentary?His work as an Imperial policeman in India in 1922, and witnessed the subjugation of the native people and the accompanying injustice.

George OrwellBritish Author & Journalist1903-1950Born in IndiaAt that time India was a part of the British Empire, and Blair's father, Richard, held a post as an agent in the Opium Department of the Indian Civil Service. The Blair family was not very wealthy - Orwell later described them ironically as "lower-upper-middle class". They owned no property, had no extensive investments; they were like many middle-class English families of the time, totally dependent on the British Empire for their livelihood and prospects. Noted as a novelist and critic, as well as a political and cultural commentatorOne of the most widely admired English-language essayists of the 20th centuryBest known for two novels critical of totalitarianism in general, and Stalinism in particular: Animal Farm Nineteen Eighty-Four Liberty is telling people what they do not want to hear.

1984The novel, published in 1949, takes place in 1984 and presents an imaginary future where a totalitarian state controls every aspect of life, even people's thoughts. The state is called Oceania and is ruled by a group known as the Party; its leader and dictator is Big Brother.

George Orwell and His BeliefsOrwell was a person who had a reputation for standing apart and even making a virtue of his detachment.This outsider position often led him to oppose the crowd.Orwells beliefs about politics were affected by his experiences fighting in the Spanish Civil War.He viewed socialists, communists, and fascists as repressive and self-serving.He was skeptical of governments and their willingness to forsake ideas in favor of power.Interesting Fact: George Orwells real name was Eric Blair. Question: According to the non-fiction biographical essay we read, why did he change his name to George Orwell?

Why Animals?In explaining how he came to write Animal Farm, Orwell says he once saw a little boy whipping a horse and later he wrote, It struck me that if only such animals became aware of their strength we should have no power over them, and that men exploit animals in much the same way as the rich exploit the [worker].

The FableThe fable is one of the oldest literary forms - much, much older than the novel or the short story. A fable is usually short, written in either verse or prose, and conveys a clear moral or message. The earliest fables still preserved date back to 6th Century Greece B.C.E. The author of these fables, Aesop, used animal characters to stand for human "types." For example, a fox character might embody the human characteristics of cunning and cleverness. Though Aesop's animal fables were ostensibly about animals, they were really instructional tales about human emotions and human behavior.

Animal FablesThe most popular animal fables of the 20th Century are the Just So Stories (1902) written by Rudyard Kipling. Kipling's fables were adapted by Disney in the movie The Jungle Book. Orwell admired Kipling and the Just So Stories would seem to have influenced the form of Animal Farm. Orwell took the short animal fable and expanded it to the length of a short novel in the form of an allegory.

Childrens Book? No!After Animal Farm was published in 1945, George Orwell discovered with horror that booksellers were placing his novel on childrens shelves. According to his housekeeper, he began traveling from bookstore to bookstore requesting that the book be shelved with adult works. This dual identity as childrens story and adult satire has stayed with Orwells novel for more than fifty years.

What are 4 Key Literary Terms that help us to understand Orwells meaning in Animal Farm?FableallegorySatireIrony

AllegoryMost fables have two levels of meaning. On the surface, the fable is about animals. But on a second level, the animals stand for types of people or ideas. The way the animals interact and the way the plot unfolds says something about the nature of people or the value of ideas. Any type of fiction that has multiple levels of meaning in this way is called an allegory.

Allegory (contd)Yet there is no reason that allegory must be limited to two levels. It is possible to argue that Animal Farm also has a third and more general level of meaning. For instance, the pigs need not only represent specific tyrannical soviet leaders. They could also be symbols for tyranny more broadly: their qualities are therefore not simply the historical characteristics of a set of actual men but are the qualities of all leaders who rely on repression and manipulation. Squealer, Snowball, & Napoleon

Allegory (contd)Animal Farm is strongly allegorical, but it presents a very nice balance between levels of meaning. On the first level, the story about the animals is very moving. You can be upset when Boxer is taken away by the horse slaughterer without being too aware of what he stands for. But at the same time, each of the animals does serve as a symbol. The story's second level involves the careful critique Orwell constructed to comment on Soviet Russia. BoxerKeystone Alert

SatireIn a satire, the writer attacks a serious issue by presenting it in a ridiculous light or otherwise poking fun at it. Orwell uses satire to expose what he saw as the myth of Soviet socialism. Thus, the novel tells a story that people of all ages can understand, but it also tells us a second story that of the real-life revolution. Soviet Coat of ArmsKeystone Alert

Irony (contd)Orwell uses dramatic irony to create a particularly subtle satire. Satire stages a critique of an individual, group, or idea by exaggerating faults and revealing hypocrisies. The dramatic irony of Animal Farm achieves this aim indirectly. We see the hypocrisy that the animals don't and therefore understand in this backward fashion that the book is deeply critical of the pigs.Keystone Alert

Activity #2: Close reading of Chapter 1 with Study GuideVocabularyReading ComprehensionLiterary AnalysisTechniques and character developmentSignificant Quotes

As you read, look for literary techniques and significant quotes.Write down any questions or observations that you have.

TODList 5 characters from Animal Farm.List what government system Orwell came to hate during his work as a policeman in India.

Animal FarmBy George OrwellAll animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.Allegory - Satire - FableJanuary 7, 2014

UEQ: How can an authors use of allegory promote social change?LEQ: How does George Orwell structure chapter 1 to lay the foundation for allegorical meaning?Introduction of:SettingPlot: ExpositionCharactersconflict

Chapter One Group A

1. benevolent2. cynical3. enmity4. ensconced5. lurched6. regarded

Chapter One Group B

7.scullery8. TroddenMincingtyrannydissentients

Animal FarmVocabulary Chapter 1

Benevolent Cynical enmity

1..Definition: showing kindness or goodwillWhich of the three vocabulary words matches the definition?

2._________distrustful of human nature 3___________extreme ill-will or hatred between enemies4__________settled in comfortably or securely5__________moved with unsteadiness from side to side

Write the vocabulary word that matches each given definition.

Close reading of Chapter 1: Three GoalsBasic Reading comprehension of Plot and CharacterizationScavenger Hunt:Observations of Orwells Literary TechniquesLater goalanalyze the allegorical meaning and Orwells political application of the story.

How does Orwell employ the conventions of a fairy tale to establish a foundation for his allegory?What are the conventions of a fairy tale?

Activity #2: Elements of the Fairy tale as a Literary Devicefind evidence of each within the textConvention of the world of the humans in the house juxtaposed with the world of the animals in the barn or what happens when the humans sleepConvention of the I have a dreamDisclosure of dream, vision, or prophecy that serves as a catalyst to plot/conflict

Chapter 1: CharacterizationHow does Orwell introduce the reader to his characters? He describes them as they gather for a meeting to hear the words of Old Major.

Activity #2: Character Scavenger Hunt

Activity #3: Study Guide Chapter 1Check your answers with your learning team. Go over answers as a class.

Activity #4: Significant QuotesWork with your learning team to find at least 5 significant quotes from Chapter Write the quote, then:A. . Identify the character who says the quote, B. .the page #, and C.why it is significant/what it reveals to the reader.

TOD Jan 7, 2014

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