Intro to animal_farm[1]

(1903-1950)

Real Name: Eric Arthur Blair

British Political Novelist

Born: 1903 Died: 1950

To English parents in India

England

After his father retired, Eric and his family moved back to England.

He was sent to boarding school at the age of eight to prepare for Eton, an exclusive prep school.

Because he had a scholarship, he was teased and humiliated frequently.

At eighteen, he passed the Empire’s Civil Service Exam and became a police officer in Burma.  Burma was

“added” as a province of India after the British conquest in 1885, but broke away in 1936.

Orwell was there in 1922.     

He returned in Europe in 1927

Orwell clearly states his displeasure with colonial Britain: "I had already made up my mind that imperialism was an evil thing... I was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British."

Orwell wrote a famous essay about his experiences in Burma named “Shooting an Elephant”

Socialist: someone who believes that the government should own businesses so that everyone will be equal

Orwell envisioned an ideal “class-less” society wherein the rich do not hold power over and oppress the poor. Much of his work is a protest against the bastardization of Socialism by fascists, who used the language of Socialism to manipulate and later, oppress people.

Shortly after writing “Animal Farm”, Orwell completed “1984” (in 1949)– probably his most famous novel.

He passed away, less than a year later, in January 1950.

Fables are stories intended to enforce a useful truth (they teach a moral or a lesson). Allegories have at least two levels of meaning. On the surface, the novel 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.

A composition making fun of something, usually political.

Animal Farm makes fun of political society after the Bolshevik Revolution.

Russian society in the early twentieth century had two social classes: a tiny minority (bourgeoisie) controlled the country’s wealth.

The working class was called the proletariat.

Communism arose in Russia when the nation’s workers & peasants rebelled against and overwhelmed the wealthy and powerful class of capitalists & aristocrats.

Similarly, in “Animal Farm”, Old Major calls for

“Rebellion!”

Animal Farm is written on many levels. It isalready a children’s story in its own right. . . .[It] is also a lament for the fate of revolutionsand the hopes contained in them. It is a movingcomment on man’s constant compromise withthe truth.

John Atkins, George Orwell

" If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. "

What is Truth?

" Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act. "

" Political language. . . is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. "

Orwell said…

Farmer JonesA drunk and a poor farmer,

his cruelty towards the farm animals inspires their rebellion.

Old Major An elderly show pig whose instruction to the animals

about "animalism" becomes the philosophical basis

for the creation of Animal Farm.

The father of 'Animalism'. He represents Karl Marx, but in some ways also symbolizes the original communist leader - Vladimir Lenin. (In the book, Old major's skull is displayed in a similar manner to the way Lenin's remains were displayed to the public).

SnowballA clever pig with a head for ideas,

he becomes one of the main leaders of Animal Farm and

the author of its central commandments.

                               Snowball represents Leo Trotsky. Trotsky was one of the original revolutionaries. But as Stalin rose to power he became one of Stalin's biggest enemies, and was eventually expelled from the Politburo in 1925 - one year after Stalin took control of the nation. In the novel, Snowball is exiled from the farm just as Trotsky had been in 1929. But Trotsky was not only exiled in body, he was also exiled from the minds of the Russian people - his historical role was altered; his face cut out of group photographs of the leaders of the revolution. In Russia he was denounced as a traitor and conspirator and in 1940 a Stalinist agent assassinated him in Mexico City.

NapoleonA pig with a gift for techniques of control,

he establishes most of the farm’s rules and eventually

becomes its sole leader.

                       Napoleon is Joseph Stalin, the second leader of the Soviet Union. Animal farm skips the short rule of Lenin (and seems to combine Lenin with the character Old Major), and has Napoleon leading the farm from the beginning of the revolution.

SquealerA pig with the ability to make any

idea sound reasonable, he is Napoleon's side-kick

and is in charge of communicating to the animals.

Squealer - This pig represents the Russian media, which spread Stalin's version of the truth to the masses.

BoxerA strong and hard-working carthorse,

he shows tremendous faith in the rebellion and its leaders.

                       Boxer represents the working class. Boxer is portrayed as being a dedicated worker, but as possessing a less-than-average intelligence. His personal motto becomes, "I will work harder!"

MollieA mare (female horse)

                       Mollie seems to be some sort of representation of Russia's upper classes. But, since Orwell portrays her as a horse - the same animal used to represent the 'working class' horses Boxer & Clover - Mollie may simply represent members of the working class that remained faithful to the Czar. In either case, Mollie was never really in favor of the revolution. She went along with it, but she didn't actually engage in the fighting. Mollie didn't mind being a 'servant' to the humans, since she was constantly being pampered by them. After the revolution, Mollie begins to miss the beautiful ribbons (fine clothes) and sugar cane (fine food) she used to receive from her human masters.

The Dogs

                       The dogs represent the military/police. In the beginning of the book, they voted against accepting the rats & rabbits as 'comrades'. Shortly after the revolution, several 'pups' are stolen from their mothers. Later in the book, these pups (now fully grown - and fully trained) protect Napoleon from a second potential revolution, and help to enforce his decrees.

                       In real life, there were several classes of citizens 'left out' of socialist rhetoric as well. Most of the communistic slogans dealt with the 'proletariat' - which was primarily a reference to urban factory workers. The rural farmers, the clergy, the 'intelligentsia', and other 'non-labour union' types probably felt left out, just as the birds did in the novel. And, just as in real life, most would be left out - or killed - after the revolution.

The Birds - The primary motto of Animalism is "Four legs good, two legs bad". The birds argued with this saying since it seems to exclude birds, which have two legs and two wings. Squealer set them at ease by explaining, "A bird's wing, comrades, is an organ of propulsion and not of manipulation. It should therefore be regarded as a leg. The distinguishing mark of man is the hand, the instrument with which he does all his mischief."

Mr. Frederick - Owner of Pinchfield (Leader of Germany). Frederick is a composite of the leaders of Germany. However, throughout most of the book, Frederick is a representation of Hitler. It is said that Frederick had ''flogged an old horse to death (A reference to Hitler's euthanasia program), he had starved his cows (A reference to the Jews?), he had killed a dog by throwing it into the furnace (Most likely a reference to Night of Knives), and that he amused himself in the evenings by making cocks (French? / Children?) fight with splinters of razor-blade tied to their spurs.''

Mr. Pilkington - Owner of Foxwood (Leader of England). He doesn't represent one person in particular, but rather is a composite of all of the leaders of England.