Orwell was a British journalist and author, who wrote two of the most famous novels of the 20th century 'Animal Farm' and 'Nineteen Eighty-Four‘ By the 1930s, Orwell had begun to consider himself a socialist Late in 1936, Orwell travelled to Spain to fight for the Republicans against Franco's Nationalists. He was forced to flee in fear of his life from Soviet-backed communists who were suppressing revolutionary socialist dissenters. The experience turned him into a lifelong anti-Stalinist Orwell is known for his insights about the political implications of the use of language In 1945, Orwell's 'Animal Farm' was published. A political fable set in a farmyard, but based on Stalin's betrayal of the Russian Revolution Background

He was a democratic socialist He was disgusted by Stalin’s betrayal of the ideals of the Russian Revolution Orwell wanted to teach us: Power corrupts The power of propaganda and rhetoric to manipulate The importance of active citizenship

Influence Philosopher, economist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist Wrote the Communist Manifesto in 1848 The reasons for Marx's widespread influence revolve around his ethical message; a "morally empowering language of critique" against the dominant capitalist society Karl Marx The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles - Karl Marx

While Marxist thought may be used to empower marginalized and dispossessed people, it has also been used to prop up governments who have utilized violence to remove those seen as impeding the revolution This abuse of Marx's thought is perhaps most clearly exemplified in Stalinist Marxism, described by critics as the "most widespread and successful form of mass indoctrination... a masterly achievement in transforming Marxism into the official ideology of a consistently totalitarian state.’

Definition A fundamental change in political organization; especially : the overthrow of one government or ruler and the substitution of another by the governed; A sudden, radical, or complete change

The Russian Revolution took place in 1917, during the final phase of World War I It removed Russia from the war and brought about the transformation of the Russian Empire into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), replacing Russia’s traditional monarchy with the world’s first Communist state The revolution happened in stages through two separate coups, one in February and one in October. The new government, led by Vladimir Lenin, would solidify its power only after three years of civil war, which ended in 1920

History Although the events of the Russian Revolution happened abruptly, the causes may be traced back nearly a century Nicholas II—the Czar who led Russia in the years leading up to the revolution— had personally witnessed revolutionary terrorists assassinate his grandfather and, subsequently, his own father respond to the assassination through brutal oppression of the Russian people When Nicholas II himself became tsar in 1894, he used similarly severe measures to subdue resistance movements, which were becoming bolder and more widespread every year Czar Nicholas II

Vladimir Lenin Josef Stalin Leon Trotsky

A member of the extremist wing of the Russian Social Democratic party that seized power in Russia by the Revolution of November 1917 Founded by Vladimir Lenin Became the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Later the term was discontinued by Stalin

The political, economic, and social principles and policies associated with Stalin; especially : the theory and practice of communism developed by Stalin from Marxism-Leninism and marked especially by rigid authoritarianism, widespread use of terror, and often emphasis on Russian nationalism

Animal Farm is considered an allegory of the corruption of the socialist ideals of the Russian Revolution by Stalinism Allegory The strategy of extending a metaphor through an entire narrative so that objects, persons, and actions in the text are equated with meanings that lie outside the text

A moral warning against the abuse of power A story of disillusionment with the Russian Revolution An exposure of Stalin’s evils A fable of human strengths and weaknesses A commentary about the destruction of indigenous cultures for capitalistic gains An exploration of power, racism, evolution, animal rights, etc…

A literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn The use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc Vice - An immoral or evil habit or practice Folly - The state or quality of being foolish; lack of understanding or sense

Can you think of any other revolutions that have happened recently? If so, what do you think caused them and what, if any, impact did they have? Allegories are creative ways of exploring complex ideas and conveying a message to the reader/viewer. Can you think of any other allegorical stories that you are familiar with? If so, what is the context of the story, and what is the greater meaning?