The Quick and Easy Historical Context for:

Elements It’s a Genre: Type of Literature Theme: the main idea of the novel, usually expressed in one sentence Setting: the time and place of the action of the novel Plot: the events in the novel Point of View: Personal, Objective, Omniscient Conflict: the struggles in a novel

Elements Characters: the personalities in a novel Developing Character (Round): a character who changes in some way during the course of the story; usually a major character who has several sides or traits to his personality Static Character (Flat): a character (usually a minor character) who does not change during the story; this kind off character generally has only one or two personality traits. Protagonist: a character who is trying to achieve some goal (usually the main character) Antagonist: a character who is trying to stop the protagonist

(1903-1950)

Real Name: Eric Blair British Political Novelist Born: To English parents in India

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.          

1927 Returned in Europe

He chose to live in poverty because he felt guilty for the job he had done in Burma - for having been a part of an oppressive government.

oppressed and helpless He saw poverty as a way to understand the problems of the oppressed and helpless by becoming one of them.

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

Two Things That Influenced Orwell To Write Animal Farm: His hatred for: Injustice Political Lying

in which separate classes He desired a society in which separate classes would not exist.

Orwell's second famous book:

It's a Fable It's an Allegory Most 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.

It's a Satire A composition making fun of something, usually political. Animal Farm makes fun of political society after the Bolshevik Revolution.

Standard: ELA10RL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to it’s historical background.

Historical Context 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.

What up, I’m Vladimir Lenin. Real Talk. Vladimir Lenin: Led the Bolsheviks (a Russian political group) in the Russian Revolution in 1917. What up, I’m Vladimir Lenin. Real Talk.

Before Trotsky and Stalin By 1917, the bond between the Russian tsar (Nicholas II) and most of the Russian people had been broken. Government corruption was evident to everyone. Riots because of the scarcity of food broke out in the capital, Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) on March 12, 1917. Russian tsar Nicholas II was forced out of power. A new Provisional Government was formed. Nicholas II was killed the next year. A bigger, Soviet government proved it had greater authority than the Provisional Government and issued it’s famous “Order No. 1” which directed the soldiers to obey only the orders of the Soviets, not those of the Provisional Government. On November 7 1917 Vladimir Lenin led a group of Bolshevik soldiers into Petrograd (now St. Petersburg). Lenin and the Bolsheviks took the city with little resistance. The Bolshevik uprising led to the Russian Civil War (1918-1922). Eventually, Lenin came to power in Russia.

Petrograd (St. Petersburg) Riots 1917 We’re hungry! Let’s storm the capitol! Our Russian leaders are corrupt! Hey big man, lemme hold a dollar

Petrograd (St. Petersburg) Riots 1917 We want food! We're hungry and we have guns. Like a boss. Hrmph, food, hungry. Yes, agreed, food.

Nikki the II representing Russia to the fullest. Tsar Nicholas II, monarch of Russia, was forced to abdicate the throne.

thought to have escaped. Nicholas II's daughter, Anastasia, was thought to have escaped.

Lenin, a Russian revolutionary, took power in the name of the Communist Party. Like a boss

Lenin had two allies who would likely take power after his time: Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky. Before Lenin died in 1924, he called for the removal of Joseph Stalin. Lenin’s body is still on display in Moscow, Russia and recent debate has called for it’s burial in 2008.

Trotsky and Stalin After Lenin’s death in 1924, Trotsky and Stalin competed for power. In an effort to show loyalty to Lenin, Stalin organized his funeral and made a speech professing undying loyalty to Lenin. Trotsky lost political ground to Stalin because he was ill during the time of the funeral. Stalin made a big deal of Trotsky joining the Bolsheviks just before the October Revolution. Trotsky was expelled from Russia in 1928, he fled to Mexico in 1937 and was later killed by one of Stalin’s spies in 1940.

When Lenin died, Joseph Stalin & Leon Trotsky competed for Me want control! When Lenin died, Joseph Stalin & Leon Trotsky competed for control of the Soviet Union. Me want control too!

Yo dude, I'm sick, I won't make it to the funeral this weekend. Leon Trotsky Joseph Stalin He he he Don't worry Trotsky, it's just a funeral he he he muha muha hahaa Yo dude, I'm sick, I won't make it to the funeral this weekend.

That guy Trotsky be flexin’ Stalin banished Trotsky & took control. That guy Trotsky be flexin’ He began his brutal killings, overseeing the deaths of approximately twenty million Soviet citizens.

I wonder have those spies found and killed Trotsky yet? Boy, I'm dead.

Stalin’s Socialism Stalin came to power in 1929 and pursued his policy of “socialism in one country.” The term “socialism” is often used to refer to an economic system characterized by STATE ownership of the means of production and distribution. The United States is a capitalistic economic system. Individuals and business owners control the means of production and distribution, not the government (as in socialism/communism). Stalin began to “purge” all those who opposed him, including Bolsheviks. To “purge” meant to imprison, torture and even kill. Between 1933-1953 Stalin was responsible for over 10 million deaths.

Joseph Stalin He he he ...I'm very mean. Stalin’s first wife, Ekaterina Svanidze, died in 1907, only four years after their marriage. Stalin’s first son shot himself because of Stalin’s harshness toward him, but survived. Afterward Stalin said, “He can’t even shoot straight.” His son was captured by the Germans in WWI. They offered to exchange him for one of their Generals. Stalin replied, “A Captain is not worth a General.” Stalin’s second wife is said to have shot herself after a fight with him. Stalin did not attend his own mother’s funeral in 1937. While in power Stalin created a “cult of personality” around himself. Numerous towns, villages and cities were renamed after Stalin. Statues and monuments erected to glorify Stalin distorted his true build. The monuments suggested Stalin was tall and imposing although in reality, he stood no taller than 5”6. Stalin died of a brain hemorrhage (although some suspect he was poisoned) in 1953 at the age of 74.

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

This was based on Karl Marx and his

The call for action was . . .

Re-Cap Lenin led the Bolsheviks to overthrow the Russian Government and create one of their own. When Lenin died there were two men who could possible take over: Trotsky and Stalin. Stalin took over and created a socialist cult of personality around himself: anyone in Russia who opposed him would be tortured or killed.

Animal Farm is an allegory about the Russian Revolution.

Themes 1. Freedom & individual dignity must be guarded very carefully.

Themes 2. Language is a powerful tool; used improperly, it can enslave and confuse us.

Themes 3. Weakness can be dominated by strength, fear, and trickery.

Themes 4. Hope & vision must be kept alive, or we might live like the animals of Manor Farm.

Themes 5. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Characters Farmer Jones A drunk and a poor farmer, his cruelty towards the farm animals inspires their rebellion.

Characters Snowball A clever pig with a head for ideas,                                Snowball A clever pig with a head for ideas, he becomes one of the main leaders of Animal Farm and the author of its central commandments.

Characters Napoleon A pig with a gift for techniques of control,                        Napoleon A pig with a gift for techniques of control, he establishes most of the farm’s rules and eventually becomes its sole leader.

Characters Old Major An elderly show pig whose                        Old Major An elderly show pig whose instruction to the animals about "animalism" becomes the philosophical basis for the creation of Animal Farm.

Characters Squealer A pig with the ability to make any                        Squealer A 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.

Characters Boxer A strong and hard-working carthorse,                        Boxer A strong and hard-working carthorse, he shows tremendous faith in the rebellion and its leaders.