HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
• Up until early 20th century = Capitalism
UPPER CLASS
PEASANTS /
LOWER CLASS
KARL MARX AND COMMUNISM
• Middle 1800’s KM stated in his book The Communist
Manifesto that by creating a socialist state through
revolution, people could be helped.
• Equal share of the pie
• Influential – overthrow of
Tsar Nicholas II in 1917 was
followed by a period of civil
war = Russian Revolution
• Ended in 1922, absolute
communist control
Communism???
• More revolutionary and politically active than socialism.
• Common ownership of the means of production –
government owns everything.
• Equality and no class divisions.
• Opposed to capitalism.
• Enforced in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
(USSR) from 1922 – 1991.
Leaders of the Revolution
• Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin
• Believed in Marx’s ideology and planned to overthrow the
Tsar.
• After the Russian Revolution in 1917 a new regime of
equality was introduced.
These historical events in Russia are
important as they have a direct link with
Animal Farm
About the Author
• Eric Arthur Blair, aka George Orwell, was born in 1903
and became one of the most acclaimed novelists in 20th
century Britain.
• Writing showed disapproval of imperialism.
• In 1938 he became a member of the Independent Labour
Party, taking a strong anti-Stalinist approach to the
nationalist uprising in Spain.
• Infantry man in Spanish civil war and had great admiration
for classless society he encountered in parts of Spain.
…..
• In 1944 he published Animal
Farm, an allegory met with
much critical acclaim.
• Five years later he published
1984.
• He died from tuberculosis in
1946 at the age of 43.
SUMMARY OF THE PLOT
THEMES
• Criticism of the Russian Revolution and communism
• Main theme of the novel is the way in which a socialist
state can become corrupted.
• Russia after the revolution is his main concern.
• All themes form part of this important theme and
everything that takes place in the novel must be seen in
the light of events that occurred immediately before and in
the years following 1917.
• Novel is a vehicle to satirise the way in which the
communists under Stalin exploited the Russian people,
eventually the Russian government became corrupt and
treated its people as badly as the Tsar.
…..
• The pigs established themselves as the ruling class in
much the same way as Stalin built up an elite class from
the 1930s onwards.
• Power and corruption
• Lust for power.
• Once the pigs gain power, their initial good intentions
become corrupted by the desire of power.
• If a system of checks and balances is not in place, the
desire for self-gain will take over – in the novel Snowball
opposes Napoleon in this desire for absolute power. In
Russia anyone who opposed Stalin was killed.
• When the other animals cannot stop the milk being taken
the pigs take their first corrupt step.
• Napoleon organises a campaign to gain complete power
by using propaganda. He rubs out history and presents
his own version. He lies, cheats, manipulates and
slaughters in order to keep total control.
…..
• In Animal Farm power is
concentrated in the hands of a
few.
• Ironically the novel comes full
circle – one set of oppressors
(Jones) is replaced by a worse
set (the pigs, especially
Napoleon).
• Gullibility
• The animals also contribute to their own downfall because
they are gullible.
• In the beginning they do not question what Old Major has
to say, they are caught up in the prospect of a wonderful
new life.
• The pigs take advantage of the deep desire to have a
better life. The animals choose to ignore the fact that their
lives are no better than in Jones’s day.
• Boxer’s unthinking devoted loyalty makes him a dupe, he
sticks blindly to his two slogans: “I will work harder” and
“Napoleon is always right”.
• Propaganda
• Persuasive power of propaganda.
• Distorts the truth.
• Squeler is Napoleon’s vehicle through which he directs
his propaganda, he is a very clever and persuasive
speaker.
• Techniques: rumour, disinformation, lies, half-truths,
identifying the enemy and smear campaigns.
• Examples of these techniques…
• Causes them to doubt the accuracy of their memories.
SYMBOLISM/IMAGERY
• MAJOR’S SKULL
• It is dug up and stands permanently beside the
flagpole.
• It reminds the animals who inspired to rebel.
• It keeps the animals’ minds focused on the
principles of animalism.
• THE SHEEP
• Majority of the Russian people.
• Follow blindly and do not think for themselves.
• The pigs use the sheep as a mass instrument to silence
any criticism.
• MINIMUS
• Is a terrible poet.
• Used by Napoleon to write in
praise of him.
• His song replaces ‘Beasts of
England’.
• His art serves the interests of the
pigs, just as art under Stalin
served the interests of
communism.
• THE FLAG
• Depicts a horn and a hoof.
• Symbolises the new regime of animalism and is
equivelant to the Soviet hammer-and-sickle flag.
• THE GUN
• Fired on special occasions, reminds the animals of their
sacrifice for the cause.
• THE SEVEN COMMANDMENTS
• Were written when the animals gained their
•
•
•
•
independence.
They symbolise Marx’s manifesto.
They have the same importance as the Ten
Commandments in the Bible.
The changing of the commandments by the pigs
symbolises the breakdown of the basic principles of
animalism.
In the same way as they prevented the basic principles
socialism, the communist regime in Russia became
corrupt.