1. ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell
Major Themes & Terms Review

2. MAJOR OBJECTIVES TO DISCUSS AND ANALYZE: Allegorical Significance
Elements of Socialism & Communism
Elements of Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism
Elements & Effects of Propaganda, Logical Fallacies, & Rhetorical Appeals
Elements/ Use of Irony
Elements/ Use of Satire
Development of Napoleon
Boxer as Proletariat Symbol
AF as a critical commentary on flaws in Human Nature
AF as a critical commentary on dangers of distorted Socialism & Soviet Communism
Fable Format for conveying social & political communism
Social Theories of Locke & Hobbes

3. RUSSIAN REVOLUTION REVIEW
TWO MAIN REVOLUTIONS
Czar Nicholas  Protest of Workers Feb Revolution of 1917 Provisional Government take-over March 2, 1917
Which battle is represented by this in AF?
October Revolution of 1917 Bolshevik Party (Lenin based on socialist ideas of Marx) promised redistribution of the land to the peasants & guarantee of democratic liberties
Lenin dies 1924 Leon Trotsky & Stalin Bolshevik party = Communist Party

4. Socialism vs. Communism
Focused on general welfare rather than individualism, on cooperation rather than competition
Wealth distributed among ALL members of society
Community control over citizens’ possessions & means of production
Maintained/ Administered by small councils or government on behalf of the people
GOAL:
A classless society… ending the war between classes

5. Socialism vs. Communism
The idea that all property is owned by the community as a whole, and all people enjoy equal social and economic status
United all means of production… focus on commerce
So is Communism a TERRIBLE Idea?
How do you think ORWELL felt about Communism?
Stalin’s communism = a perversion & misinterpretation of the communist and socialist ideas of Marx

6. Totalitarianism vs. Authoritarianism
The government has firm control of the public & private lives of its citizens and usually follows a particular ideology (i.e. Communism, Socialism, etc).
Led by dictators who retain STRICT control over their subjects.

7. Totalitarianism vs. Authoritarianism
Almost identical to Totalitarianism
Strictly controls population, often through overt oppression, elimination of democratic rights, & propaganda
Government alone writes and enacts laws
Typified by:
Oversimplification of ideas
False & exaggerated patriotism
Promotion of group mentality
Censorship
A leadership cult
Hitler and Stalin are great examples
Can we find allusions to all of these in Animal Farm?

8. The MANIPULATION OF LANGUAGE is at the core to this novel!!!
PROPAGANDA REVIEW
Affect behavior rather than simply communicating
Rely on emotion rather than logic
OFTEN:
-Intentionally misleads - Relies on ½ truths
- Generalizes - Uses logical fallacies
- INCORRECT & DANGEROUS - Outright Lies
USED:
To promote political agendas
During war times or times of crisis to stir hate against a country or group
To create a false sense of FEAR or EUPHORIA
The MANIPULATION OF LANGUAGE is at the core to this novel!!!

9. Why did Orwell write this book?
COORELATIONS
ANIMALISM = Totalitarian Government
The oversimplification and falsification of the 7 Commandments
Spreading Slogans even the stupidest of animals can remember
Creating a sense of collective belonging & group mentality
Promoting blind acceptance
Eliminating dissent & rebellion
Exploiting stupid
Denying education to the majority
Elaborate Ceremonies
Ritualistic flag-raising
NAPOLEON… Leader Cult
Revered as all-knowing
Unapproachable
God-like
Why did Orwell write this book?

10. ALLEGORY
Thinly veiled SYMBOLS are used to represent ideas or concepts that can’t be discussed directly
Use characters for the SYMBOLIC meaning they carry… not for their own sake
Major Jones Napoleon
Snowball Squealer Boxer
Moses Pilkington Frederick
The Windmill

11. FABLE
Incorporates animals or objects from nature (plants, rivers, mountains) as major characters
Conveys a definite moral lesson
Animals can speak, think, reason, etc
Animal characters are designed to represent particular aspects of human nature
End lesson sheds light on the character or behavior of humans
Often critical of a group of humans or the human race
Fancy term… ANTHROPOMORPHISM

12. Why use the Fable Format?
Easier for readers to take a critique or consider the moral
Don’t feel personally critiqued
Blame is not put directly on reader and/or humans
Retain a sense of humor & light-heartedness
Easy to read on a literal level… so easier to use for a moral

13. IRONY
Discrepancy between what a writer, speaker, or narrator says and what is understood by reader or other characters
Situational
Event= completely unexpected
Vengeance= Friendship
Good Deed= Disaster
Verbal
Use of words to mean one thing when the author really means
Sarcasm
Dramatic
Words or actions that reveal a character’s ignorance to information the reader or audience has & the character does not
Most frequent in Animal Farm
i.e. Napoleon DYING!

14. In what way is AF ridiculous?
SATIRE
Relies heavily on irony
Uses humor or wit to voice criticism
Disguised critiques
In what way is AF ridiculous?
Animals?
People?

15. Any Questions? Allegorical Significance
Elements of Socialism & Communism
Elements of Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism
Elements & Effects of Propaganda, Logical Fallacies, & Rhetorical Appeals
Elements/ Use of Irony
Elements/ Use of Satire
Development of Napoleon
Boxer as Proletariat Symbol
AF as a critical commentary on flaws in Human Nature
AF as a critical commentary on dangers of distorted Socialism & Soviet Communism
Fable Format for conveying social & political communism
Social Theories of Locke & Hobbes