Animal Farm

George Orwell

Chapter 1• All of Orwell’s writing focused on

destroying totalitarianism• Published in 1945• Animal Farm is a Fable:

– A story where the characters are less important for individual characteristics and more important for the characters/people which they represent

– Many of the characters in Animal Farm represent real figures from the Russian Revolution

Chapter 1: CharacterizationA. Orwell begins the novel with the third person

narrator, why does he do this?– Show Mr. Jones as a failed leader: corrupt,

flawed, complacent• Pg. 25, 34• Jones is symbolic of a leader ripe for take-over

B. Indirectly, Orwell also uses personification to foreshadow their downfalls: pgs 26-27• Major: “wise, benevolent” He will not last (27)• Clover: “Motherly” and “loyal” (26)• Boxer: Focus on strength, not intelligence. Represents

lower class attitude (26)• Benjamin: cynical, doesn’t talk. Represents those who

won’t help or oppose (26)• Mollie: Looks are everything (27)

Chapter 1: Orwell’s Style• Uses plain language and cumbersome

paragraphs to indirectly plant the seeds of the revolution

• Old Major’s mottos and rules are bought by most animals but they cannot all be followed

C. Satire: – writing that ridicules a person, a group or an idea

D. Allegory: – a narrative in which the characters and setting

stand for abstract ideas

E. Fable: – a story that teaches a moral; usually short

Chapter 1: ThemeF. The concept of a Revolution

– Old Major says it is necessary– Old Major’s one sided facts (28-29)– “Comrade” a direct link to R.R.– Major’s rules solidify the revolt and they are the reason that it

fails!

G. The Rules:– No animal shall live in a house– No animal shall sleep in a bed– No animal shall wear clothes– No animal shall drink alcohol– No animal shall smoke– No animal shall engage in trade– No animal shall tyrannize another animal

Chapter 2A. Old Major’s Death:

– Very important because it allows the younger figures to take control

– He is an idealist and one would always wonder how the revolution would have gone with him there

B. The Hesitant Animals:– These animals represent the peasants in Russia

(26)– Don’t want to give up the security of their current

government for the unknown

Chapter 2C. The Importance of Persuasion-Squealer:

– Squealer could “turn black into white”– Squealer is persuasive and cunning– Through Squealer, Orwell shows that charisma

and persuasive speakers are very important– He tells animals what they want to hear; Raven

tells tales; Snowball is very firm with Mollie– How would Squealer have handled Mollie?

Chapter 2

D. Shakespearean Influence:– Power of three (major dies three nights

later, three pigs in control)– Buried in the orchard– Rebellion begins on a midsummer’s eve

(ala Midsummer Night’s Dream)

Chapter 2E. The commandments:

1. 2 legs bad

2. Four legs-wings good

3. No clothes

4. No bed

5. No alcohol

6. No killing

7. All animals equal

– Mollie tries on ribbons on pg 31– If the leaders single items out and say “NO” then the

peasants will want them more!– The pigs turn into hypocrites later because of these

commandments– In #2, “friend” is spelled “friend” and looks like “Fiend”– Lies and corruption have already begun because the milk is

gone (34)

Chapter 2E. The commandments:

1. 2 legs bad2. Four legs-wings good3. No clothes4. No bed5. No alcohol6. No killing7. All animals equal

– These are written in parallel; begin and end with commandments aimed at uniting the animals and establishing basic beliefs

– 3-5 are big mistakes based on psychology, these items make the citizens what to do these things more

Chapter 3

A. Moving Away from Old Major’s Vision:A. Classless society?

B. Squealer destroys this society when he says that Jones would come back without the pigs (42)

C. The pigs do no work (35)

D. A class system is beginning to emerge…

Chapter 3

A. The New Vision…– Squealer always uses fear to solidify the

pig’s place and this fear is used to persuade others into submission (41-43)

– The new system of manipulation is based on fear and psychology

– Old Major would have opposed all of this

Chapter 3B. Snowball vs.. Napoleon

• A great divide is forming• Snowball’s committees is a different way of

leading (39)• Wants to establish ownership of Animalism among all

animals• Keep all animals busy and they won’t rebel• Whether any of the committees actually produce

good/useable ideas does not matter

• Napoleon wants to do everything himself and establish a tight control over the other animals• Takes the puppies and raises them himself (41)

Chapter 3C. Orwell’s Style:

• The book is narrated from the unquestioning point of view of the animals

• This perspective is used to create irony• Even though the narrator is not questioning, the

reader should be…Why?• Napoleon takes the puppies• The animals forget about them• The milk disappears• The apples preserved only for pigs• The pigs do no work• All of this should raise suspicion in the reader,

even if it doesn’t in the animals (35, 36, 43)

Chapter 3

• Evolution of Animalism:– Ironic that the narrator calls the animals

“parasites” on page 36.• What are the pigs, then?• Aren’t they doing the same things that the

humans did?

Chapter 4

A. Napoleon:• He is not mentioned in this chapter• This is the only post-revolution chapter

where he is not mentioned• This contrasts with Snowball’s bravery• Napoleon did not fight, is he dedicated to

the revolution?

Chapter 4

B. Snowball:• Leads the charge• Planned defense and military strategies• Snowball studied Julius Caesar (47)

• An allusion that shows his scholarship and intellect

• Snowball earns a medal (49)• Huge gap now between Napoleon and

Snowball

The TownspeopleC. This chapter shows the first reactions to the

revolution:

• Apathy -> Disbelief -> Fear -> Self-interest

• This attitude represents the attitude of other countries towards rebellion

• As the townspeople spread rumors of cannibalism, infidelity, and torture, it shows their feelings of being threatened

• This is a parody:• The propaganda the farmers use in their

discussions is the same as the propaganda other nations use as a weapon

Chapter 5: Napoleon vs.. SnowballA. Snowball is pure - his name is symbolic

– He is an intellectual and an idealist and his political ideas reflect this

• Napoleon is a tyrant and is named after Napoleon Bonaparte (allusion)

• Napoleon is economically minded, authoritarian, and a dictator

• The dogs are very allegorical:– He takes the dogs (the resources of the farm) and

uses them against the farm animals (like a totalitarian dictator would)

The WindmillA. Napoleon disagrees with Snowball over the windmill• Why does he disagree, then want to build it anyway?• Pages 56-57 show the difference in oratory skills:

– Napoleon is very direct - rules through fear– Snowball is very eloquent and wants everyone to agree

and work together and believe in the windmill

The New Rules• Snowball is eliminated

• Napoleon ironically stands where Old Major once stood to deliver his speech

• Very authoritarian: “I’ll decide and tell you”– No debates, only private meetings

– Napoleon seized control through power and will rule through fear, confusing ideas, etc…

The Characterization of Squealer

• Characterization:– Has some of Snowball’s traits– Persuasive and eloquent speaker– Unlike Snowball, however, Squealer is shallow and a

propaganda machine of the government– Squealer would never express his own opinions, even if he

had them– He is exactly what Napoleon needs, but he is very

detrimental to Animal Farm as a whole

Squealer in ActionB1: Page 59:

– Everything Squealer says contradicts the truth – No more meetings, but all animals are equal?– Extra Labor - Napoleon makes all the decisions but

does not work

B2: Page 60:– Completely discounts Snowball’s role in the battle– Even though the animals saw Snowball fight, they

believe Squealer

B3: Pages 60 - 61:– The pigs are guarded by the dogs– Them vs. Us mentality

Mollie Vs. Boxer

C1: Mollie (51, 52):– symbolic of the rich, pampered class during a

revolution – Just like Zaroff described in “Game” they leave

because they are interested only in luxury and their way of life

C2: Boxer (60):– symbolic of the blind and trusting followers who

follow the leader no matter what

Chapter 6A. A Tyrant’s Trade

– Reintroduced by Napoleon and dissolves the remaining parts of Old Major’s plan (66

– Mr. Whymper comes to Animal Farm and humans reemerge (66, 67)

– After trade begins, the pigs move into the farmhouse (69)

– Squealer reasons this out with the animals through repetition (67, 69, 70)

– Double standards concerning work continue to manifest but are dismissed right away (63, 65, 70)

The Rewording of the 4th Commandment

B. Napoleon’s Leadership:

• Napoleon loves to take very general ideas and narrow them

• His changes are so slight that there appears to be no change at all

• He changes:– The commandment (69)– Ideas on work (63)– The interpretation of Snowball’s work (72)

The WindmillC: Napoleon refuses to believe that the project is

difficult (63)• Napoleon uses his intelligence after the windmill is

destroyed:– Many psychologists say man needs something to love and

something to hate– Educational psychology says that people who are kept very

busy are easily controlled

• Napoleon uses both of these ideas to rebuild the windmill (71, 72)

• Snowball is blamed and this unites the comrades against a common enemy (someone to hate)

• Ironically, the animals unite against the true leader of the revolution

Chapter 7: Napoleon’s Decisions:A: Napoleon’s Leadership:

– When he lies to save face he is hurting his own people (82)

– Orwell uses this to satirize the authoritarian governments and how they never reach for outside help because it would show weakness in govt! (83)

– Put citizen’s welfare at risk to save face (75, 76)

• Where are some examples of Napoleon doing this in chapter 7?

Squealer’s PropagandaB: Napoleon desires to sever all remaining ties with the

original revolution- but not before he gets a medal (83)• Snowball is the subject of most of the propaganda-

Most of this is ironic and really refers to Napoleon:– He was a traitor from Day 1 (77, 78)– He was never concerned with the welfare of the animals (75)– Napoleon needs to discredit the early days of the revolution

(79)

• Napoleon wants to change their ideology so that they will accept future changes

The Beasts of England

C: Napoleon’s final act of chapter 7 is simple, yet difficult for the animals (86-87)

• The animals can accept laws, killings, food rations, and lies but have trouble with the song being abolished

• It is a low-level need, deeply rooted in their psyche: It is a cultural tradition

• Why would Napoleon do this?

Chapter 8: The Poem

A. Full of ironic statements– “Friend of fatherless,” “faithful”, etc…

• Napoleon lives in almost complete seclusion, lies to the animals and kills them

• He is neither a friend nor a help

Complete Success

B: Napoleon’s persona has been built up too much, a common mistake in authoritarian govt.

• He can never be wrong, which is why:– The gun is fired after the attack by Fredrick– A new war decoration is created to hide the forged

notes Napoleon accepted from Fredrick– Plinkington refuses to help and Napoleon chose the

wrong farmer to give the wood to– Every time the pigs break a commandment,

Squealer goes out at night and alters it– “Traitors” are murdered

The Effectiveness of Propaganda• Shows effectiveness of propaganda• A theme of “Reliability of Memory” is emerging • Later, Orwell would continue to explore this in 1984• Muriel, through Orwell’s description of his

mannerisms, seems to know something that the others do not

• “Remembering wrong” is what the animals call their incorrect interpretations

• Orwell uses propaganda, humor, and comedy to satirize how a nation’s collective memory can be called into question

Chapter 9A. The Republic?

– Social commentary– Many totalitarian governments implement dummy

democracies– Animal Farm does this and the citizens are so

brainwashed that they cannot see that one choice is no choice!

– This is meant to be a chilling parallel to Old Major and the days when everything was decided by majority vote

Chapter 9B. Squealer’s use of language:

– Very important because it plays a huge part in his ability to successfully brainwash the citizens

– Repetition in many of his speeches is significant• If one hears things over and over again, it will be

believed• “A better life now” is contrasted with the narrator

saying and Orwell showing the opposite• The sheep and Boxer are the best examples of

blind followers

Chapter 9

C. Boxer’s Final Days:–Very ironic

–Several things become apparent:• There has been foreshadowing of this:

–Dogs attack him, Clover warns him, injury

• Squealer and the narrator are in constant competition and this comes out in

chapter 9

• Muriel finally reads

Chapter 9

D. Ignorance:– Boxer’s death brings the ignorance of the animals to

the forefront– Boxer was the hardest worker and was killed when

his usefulness ran out– This should make it clear that no one will retire and

that Animalism is a farce– This deductive reasoning hits Muriel, but no one

else– Squealer’s lies about being at Boxer’s bedside and

Boxer’s last words accentuate this concept

Chapter 10

A. Theme: Reliability of memory– Few animals remain who remember Old

Major, Jones, or Snowball

– Orwell is commenting on the effect of time and brainwashing on memory

– If something is not remembered, does it matter if it really happened?• The elimination of the characters, flag, and

meetings makes it seem like none of this ever happened

Chapter 10

B. Bureaucracy:– Squealer invents important work for the

growing number of pigs to do– The “files…” convince the animals, but the

audience knows that these are lies!– Totalitarian governments often do this

because they favor one class of citizens over another

Chapter 10• The Ending:

– The pigs have slowly been assimilating into human culture:• Hind legs, houses, beer, visits with humans

– Now it is too late: • They realize that the revolution is a joke but it is

too late to do anything about it

– Basically, they have traded one totalitarian government for another