Animal Farm

1. Animal Farm By George Orwell

2. Focus Activity • Why do you think revolutions occur? • What circumstances would lead people to overthrow the daily political and economical structure of their lives? • Look at this example, and then discuss these questions in your group. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnPR90dJ3Gk (How FaceBook Changed The World The Arab Spring [1/4]) YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES

3. Background • Many of the ideals behind the Soviet revolution were based on the writings and teachings of Karl Marx. • A German intellectual who lived in the mid-1800s, Marx believed that societies are divided into two segments, a working class and an owner class. • The working class creates all the products, while the owner class enjoys all the benefits of these products. • This class division leads to inequality and oppression of the working class.

4. Background • Marx’s objective was to create a classless society in which the work is shared by all for the benefit of all, and he believed revolution was the way to achieve this goal. • This was called ‘Communism’. • The character of Old Major in Animal Farm is sometimes interpreted as a representation of Karl Marx. Major’s speech in the novel’s opening chapter reflects many Marxist ideas, from the opening “Comrades,” a typical form of address in the former Soviet Union, to the revolutionary song he teaches the other animals.

5. Animal Farm • We will now read Chapter 1. • Consider your discussion on revolutions and Marx’s idea for a classless society as we read.

6. Animal Farm as an Allegory • An allegory is a narrative that can be read on more than one level. Critics often consider Animal Farm to be an allegory of the Russian Revolution. • In the early 1900s, Russia’s Czar Nicholas II faced an increasingly discontented populace. Many Russian peasants were struggling to survive under an oppressive government.

7. Animal Farm as an Allegory • Many Russian peasants were struggling to survive under an oppressive government. • By 1917, amidst the tremendous suffering of World War I, a revolution began. • In two major battles, the Czar’s government was overthrown and replaced by the Bolshevik leadership of Vladmir Lenin.

8. Animal Farm as an Allegory • When Lenin died in 1924, his former colleagues Leon Trotsky, hero of the early Revolution, and Joseph Stalin, head of the Communist Party, struggled for power. • Stalin won the battle, and he deported Trotsky into permanent exile.

9. Animal Farm as an Allegory • Once in power, Stalin began move the Soviet Union into the modern industrial age. • His government seized land in order to create collective farms. • To counter resistance, as many peasants refused to give up their land, Stalin used vicious military tactics. • Rigged trials led to executions of an estimated 20 million government officials and ordinary citizens. • The government controlled the flow and content of information to the people, and all but outlawed churches.

10. Chapter 1Discuss in pairs and answer these questions in your jotters: • What is significant about how the animals arrange themselves as they gather to hear Major? What might this arrangement say about future meetings or events? • According to Major, what is the cause of all the animals' problems? • What motto does Major give the animals? • What are the commandments Major gives the animals? Can you think of ways each of them could be considered a vice? • Why do the animals like the song "Beasts of England" so much that they memorise it on the spot? To what emotions and needs does it appeal?

11. Animal Farm • We are now going to read Chapter 2. • Consider what you know about Trotsky and Stalin as we read.

12. Chapter 2Answer these questions in your jotters: • How have the pigs ‘elaborated Old Major’s teachings into a complete system of thought’? What differences are there between the Seven Commandments and what Major tells the animals not to do? • Do you think the questions asked by the animals in the education classes are ‘foolish’? • Why do you think Orwell chooses to call Boxer and Clover the pigs’ ‘most faithful disciples’? • Why does the Rebellion happen? Does this tell us anything about the influence of Animalism on the animals? • Why do you think Orwell has Snowball make mistakes in his writing?

13. Active Reading The major characters in Animal Farm are introduced in the first four chapters. As you read, think about the purpose of each of each of Orwell’s characters.

14. Animal Farm as a Fable • A fable is a narration intended to enforce a useful truth. • Fables have two important characteristics. • First, they teach a moral or lesson. In Animal Farm, the moral involves Orwell’s views about Soviet politics. • Second, the characters are most frequently animals. These animal characters often function as a satiric device to point out the follies of humankind.

15. Fables – The Tortoise and the Hare http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjokVI0LJzw (The Hare And The Tortoise - Aesop's fables)

16. Animal Farm as a Fable • Though Old Major, Snowball, and Napoleon may represent Karl Marx, Leon Trotsky, and Joseph Stalin, many of the story characters are much more general. • Some animals are grouped together as a single character—“the sheep,” “the hens,” and “the dogs.” • Orwell also capitalizes on the traits generally associated with particular animals, such as sheep as followers and dogs as loyal.

17. Animal Farm • We are now going to read Chapter 3. • Consider the characters of Napoleon and Snowball as we read, and how their relationship develops.

18. Chapter 3 Answer these questions in your jotters: • What difficulties did the animals have in gathering in the harvest and how did they overcome these difficulties? Is all going well? • What does the behaviour of Mollie, the cat and Benjamin tell us about their attitudes to the rebellion? • Why do you think Snowball’s various projects, except reading and writing classes, were ‘failures’? • What degrees of success do the different animals have in learning to read and write? What does this tell us about their characters? • What kind of people do you think the sheep represent?

19. Chapter 4 • We are now going to read Chapter 4. • Consider the main characters and their characteristics as we read – what role have they played in the novel so far.

20. Chapter 4 Answer these questions in your jotters: • What are the differences between the characters of Frederick and Pilkington and between the farms they run? • How does Orwell indicate that Frederick and Pilkington are ‘thoroughly frightened’ by the events on Animal Farm? • What was Napoleon doing during the Battle of the Cowshed? • What do you think Orwell was satirising (making fun of) when he described how the animals celebrated their victory?

21. Chapters 1-4 • Make a chart in your jotter, noting details that describe each character or by listing key actions. • E.g.

22. Animal Farm Chapters 1-4 Personal Response In your jotter, write down responses to the following questions: • What is your reaction to the animals’ revolution? • Do you sympathise with the animals’ complaints and goals? Why and why not? YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES

23. Chapters 1-4 Analysing Literature – Recall and Interpret • Describe how the Rebellion takes place. How does the animals’ behavior during the Rebellion suggest both human and animal characteristics? • How do the pigs gain the rights to the cow’s milk? Why do the other animals allow this to occur? What does this event suggest about the power hierarchy on the farm? • How does the original vision of Animalism become the slogan “Four legs bad, two legs good”? In your opinion, do the animals want rules with simple language? What kind of language do the pigs use?

24. Chapters 1-4 Analysing Literature – Evaluate and Connect • What technique does Orwell use to cast doubt on the likelihood of a successful revolution? • Characterize Snowball as a leader. Do you think his reaction to the stable-boy’s death is the appropriate reaction to have during a revolution?

25. Focus Activity How would you feel if the rules for correct behaviour kept changing? • In your groups, discuss some methods people have for persuading others to follow particular rules of behaviour. • Consider ways in which this persuasion relies on bias and manipulation of information.

26. Animal Farm by George Orwell Lesson Objectives: • Look at the theme of Propaganda and Communication • Study the character of Squealer and his role

27. Propaganda and Communication • What is PROPAGANDA? • Information, ideas, or rumours deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.

28. Animal Farm – Propaganda and Communication/ Appearance vs. Reality In your groups discuss the following questions: • What do you think of Squealer? • What does his name suggest? • Why is his propaganda so powerful?

29. Animal Farm – Propaganda and Communication/ Appearance vs. Reality

30. Animal Farm – Propaganda and Communication/ Appearance vs. Reality

31. Animal Farm – Propaganda and Communication/ Appearance vs. Reality

32. Animal Farm – Propaganda and Communication/ Appearance vs. Reality

33. Animal Farm – Propaganda and Communication/ Appearance vs. Reality http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJUkfExXqpU (North Korea propaganda) Propaganda still exists today, despite the public being more informed than ever.

34. Key Techniques Used in Propaganda Copy these down in your jotters. • Bandwagon – implying that by not acting in the desired way, you will be different from everyone else. • Stereotyping and Name-Calling – making general statements about enemies, undermining them. • Assertation – statements presented as fact (think about Napoleon’s smearing of Snowball).

35. Key Techniques Used in Propaganda • Emotive Language – often plays on ideas of bravery, duty, pride, etc. • Powerful imagery – idealised images, designed to attract and persuade people of a certain campaign or way of thinking (e.g. Stalin’s presentation of Russia as vast, powerful and full of happy people; himself as the ‘father’ of the country).

36. Chapter 5 • We will now read Chapter 5. • Consider the role of the pigs and their position in the farm as we read.

37. Chapter 5 Answer these questions in your jotter: • Why does Mollie leave? How does Orwell prepared us for this development? You need to remind yourself of what she does in earlier chapters. • Orwell says ‘It had come to be accepted that the pigs…should decide all questions.’ How does this happen? • How does Orwell make us aware of the importance of the sheep’s ‘Four legs good, two legs bad’ slogan? • Orwell says that Squealer’s argument was ‘unanswerable.’ Do you think it was?

38. Chapter 6 - Irony • What is ‘irony’? • Ironic statements are statements that imply a meaning in opposition to their literal meaning.

39. Chapter 6 - Irony

40. Chapter 6 - Irony http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYq2d7iKKhk (Irony – WhatYouOughtToKnow)

41. Chapter 6 • What word, in the second paragraph, is used by Orwell in a heavily ironic way, to show that Napoleon is becoming more dictatorial? • What advantages are there for the animals in running their own farm? • In what way is Snowball so useful to Napoleon, even though he has been expelled from the farm? • How does Orwell show that to be literate is not enough, if you cannot understand the significance of what you have read? • Why do you think that Benjamin refuses to ‘grow enthusiastic’ about the windmill?

42. Chapter 7 • We will now read Chapter 7. • As we do, think about the methods Squealer uses to confuse the animals, and if governments today give people the truth about what is happening.

43. Chapter 7 Answer the questions in your jotters: • Who does Orwell suggets is responsible for spreading the idea that Snowball visits the farm at night? • What makes some of the animals confess to ‘crimes’ when they know they will be executed? Why does Napoleon want them to confess? • Re-read the paragraph beginning “The animals huddled about Clover.” Why do you think Orwell chooses to include it and place it in this particular position in the chapter? • Why do the words of the new anthem “not come up to ‘Beasts of England’”?

44. Chapters 5-7 • Orwell’s characters and narrator use language to communicate hidden agendas. Sometimes Orwell hints that language should be carefully questioned, other times it’s up to the reader to notice. • Look back over chapters 5-7, and complete a chart in your jotter by filling in some examples of manipulative communication. • Write down the quotation from the text, and then what it really means – you should have at least five or six examples.

45. Chapter 8 • We will now read Chapter 8. • As we read, think about the incidents which indicate Naopleon’s increasing dominance – does Orwell want us to sympathise with him?

46. Chapter 8 Answer the questions in your jotters: • Look at the language used in the Minimus’ poem about Napoleon. What similarities can we see between this and the language of hymns? Why would Orwell do this? • How does Orwell show the effect the whisky has on the pigs? Are we meant to find this amusing? • Which words or phrases of the last two paragraphs do you think are ironic? Why?

47. How Great Thou Art Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works thy hand hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed;

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander
and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
and hear the brook, and feel he gentle breeze;And when I think that God his son not sparing,
Sent him to die - I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:


48. Chapter 9 • What items do the pigs trade for with the humans? What differences are there between these and the items they traded for in earlier chapters? • Why does Orwell use the word ‘spontaneous’ to describe the weekly demonstration? What is the purpose of all the ceremonies held on the farm? • Why do the other pigs not complain that Napoleon allows himself four times as much beer per day as they are allowed? • What is different about Benjamin’s behaviour in this chapter?

49. Chapter 10 • We will now read Chapter 10. • We see the animals compare the pigs and the men. Think about whether they understand the significance of what they have seen.

50. Chapter 10 • What do you think those animals who dimly remember the rebellion would pass on to the younger animals about it? • Orwell uses the phrase “unalterable way of life” to express Benjamin’s ideas. What does Benjamin (and Orwell) mean? Why do you think Orwell chooses the word “unalterable”? • Re-read the paragraph beginning “And yet the animals never gave up hope.” What does it tell us of the animals feelings? In what way is the ending ironic? • What point is Orwell making when he has Pilkington compare “your lower animals” with “our lower classes.”