Animal Farm

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

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

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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.

Returned in Europe

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.

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.

TRANSITION OF POWER The Bolsheviks won the war in 1921, but Lenin had become fatally ill and it was soon apparent that he would die Lenin had seen how powerful Stalin had become and put it in his will that Stalin was not to have a “leadership role” after his death.

Comparing Stalin and Trotsky TROTSKY Charismatic-Great Communicator Idealist-Believed in “True Marxism” Conceited Bored by Politics, Interested in “Philosophical” STALIN Quiet, “Brooding” “Hands-On” Worker, Excellent at Organization “Gruff”, “Lower- Class” Great at Politics-Knew how to Manipulate System

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

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.

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

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

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.

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