Animal Farm
Background notes
(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.
Returned in Europe
Pause & Reflect #1
• Looking back over your first section
of notes, what information about
George Orwell do you find the most
interesting? Why?
Socialist: someone
who believes that the
government should
own businesses so that
everyone will be equal
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.
Pause & Reflect #2
• 2. List some examples of fables,
allegories or satires you are already
familiar with in contemporary
literature.
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.( in 1917)
Pause & Reflect #3
• 3. Why might George Orwell put
down his criticism of the Russian
Revolution and rise of Soviet
Communism in literary form?
Specifically, why would he choose to
write it as a fable? Why might it be
more effective?
Pause & Reflect #4
• 4. Which of these themes do you
think is the most relevant to
contemporary society today? Why?
Farmer Jones
A drunk and a poor farmer,
his cruelty towards the farm animals
inspires their rebellion.
(Czar Nicholas II)
Old Major
An elderly show pig whose
instruction to the animals
about "animalism" becomes
the philosophical basis
for the creation of Animal Farm.
(Karl Marx/Lenin)
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.
(Leon Trotsky)
Napoleon
A pig with a gift for techniques of control,
he establishes most of the
farm’s rules and eventually
becomes its sole leader.
(Joseph Stalin)
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.
(Propaganda Dept)
Boxer
A strong and hard-working carthorse,
he shows tremendous
faith in the rebellion and its leaders.
(Dedicated, but tricked communist supporters)
Benjamin
old, wise donkey who is suspicious of
revolution;
thinks “nothing ever changes”
(skeptical people in and out of Russia)
Mollie
vain-loved her beauty and self;
went with anyone who gave her what
she wanted
(vain, selfish people in Russia)
Dogs
private army that used fear
to force animals to work;
killed or intimidated any opponent
of Napoleon
(KGB – secret police)
Sheep
blind loyalty to Animal Farm
(proletariat)
Moses
a Raven that tells the animals about
Sugar Candy Mountain – Heavenanimals can go there if
they work hard
(religion)
Pause & Reflect #5
• 5. What are some common
associations you have with certain
animals? For example, dogs are
known to be “man’s best friend” and
quite loyal. List one
character/animal and discuss its
association. What might Orwell be
saying with his character choice?