Animal Farm: George Orwell
Animal Farm in
Context:
Understanding the
Allegory
FABLE
SATIRE
ALLEGORY
Karl Marx
Karl Marx
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mid 1800s writes a number of significant texts including das
Kapital and The Communist Manifesto.
Founder of the notion of ‘Marxism’, the foundation of
Communism, which outlines the need for the proletariat to
rebel in order to shift power from a central state and into the
hands of the working class.
“The workers have nothing to lose but their chains. Workers
of the world, unite.”
Vladimir
Lenin
Vladimir Lenin
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Leader of the Bolshevik Revolution in October 1917
and subsequently first leader of the USSR.
Negotiates a peace with Germany at the conclusion
of WWI and organises the transfer of power to the
soviets (workers’ councils)
Becomes the first leader to put Marx’s theories into
practice
Tsar Nicholas II
Tsar Nicholas II
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Last of the Romanov Tsars of Russia
Responsible for significant mismanagement of internal
affairs, leading to hardship for the masses.
Surpresses a revolution in 1905, but is forced to grant some
constitutional reforms.
Uses military force to quell uprisings
Leads Russia into WWI and is ultimately forced to abdicate in
1917
Executed, along with his wife and children, in 1918.
Josef Stalin
Josef Stalin
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Joined Lenin and the Bolsheviks in 1903
Effectively assumed control of the USSR after the
death of Lenin in 1924.
Won an ideological clash with Leon Trotsky by 1927.
Established five-year plans to collectivise industry
and agriculture.
Stalin
Eliminated all real and imagined opposition in the Great
Purge 1936-38. Assumed the role of dictator during the 1930s
and ruled with the support of a succession of secret police
forces.
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Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
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Bolshevik revolutionary in 1917 with Lenin and Stalin
Exiled in 1929 after losing an ideological power struggle with
Stalin over the need for ‘worldwide (permanent) revolution’.
Settled in Mexico and eventually assassinated with an ice
pick at Stalin’s instigation.
Stalin v Trotsky
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Stalin’s view was that
socialism should be built
and consolidated within
individual countries.
“The export of revolution is
nonsense. Every country
makes its own revolution if
it wants to, and if it does
not there will be no
revolution.”
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In Trotsky’s view, a
proletarian revolution
leading to a socialist society
could not be achieved in
isolation, so it would be
necessary to spark off
further revolutions
throughout Europe and
ultimately worldwide.
An uncompromising
idealist.
The Allegory
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1917 Russian Revolution
was brought about by the
hardship being experienced
by the proletariat due to
the inadequacies of
Nicholas II and the struggle
of WWI.
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The animals oust Mr Jones
after he and his farmers
forget to feed the animals.
The Allegory

The Russian Civil War
occurs 1918-20 when
western capitalist
governments send soldiers
to try and remove the
Bolsheviks from power.
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The Battle of the Cowshed Jones’ last ditch attempt to
retake the farm.
The Allegory
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Stalin v Trotsky
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Napoleon v Snowball
Note the significance of the
names used. Snowball
hopes the rebellion will
‘snowball’ beyond the
borders of Animal Farm.
The Allegory
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When Lenin dies, his
embalmed body was placed
on display in Red Square.
Karl Marx’s tomb in
London also has a bust of
his likeness adorning it.
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Old Major’s skull is placed
on display on a tree stump.
The Allegory
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Trotsky’s idea for
the Soviet five
year plans is
adopted by Stalin
as his own
following
Trotsky’s
expulsion.
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The windmill, and
Napoleon’s
assertion that it is
his idea following
the exile of
Snowball, is a
symbol of these
plans.
The Allegory
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The Russian Orthodox
Church is forced
underground, but is
ultimately readmitted by
Stalin to give false hope to
the masses.
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Moses the raven leaves the
farm for a while before
returning to talk of
‘Sugarcandy Mountain’.
The Allegory
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Stalin forces confessions
from his political enemies
and has them executed
following public trials. The
Great Purge.
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Napoleon’s executions as
an instrument of fear.
The Allegory
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The Molotov-Ribentropp
pact of 1939, where Stalin
and Hitler agreed to nonagression in the lead up to
WWII. This was later
betrayed by Hitler in 1941
when he invaded the USSR.
The USSR won eventually
but at great cost.
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Napoleon works with Mr
Frederick, who eventually
betrays Animal Farm and
destroys the windmill.
The Allegory
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The uneducated working
class labour under
strenuous and increasingly
difficult circumstances in
the hope that their work
would result in a more
prosperous life.
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Boxer is an unfailing
servant who is ultimately
sacrificed when he is of no
further use.
The Allegory
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NKVD (later KGB)
Squealer
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The dogs
Pravda - the Soviet
newspaper designed to give
the impression the country
was better off than it was
Animal Farm and Encountering Conflict
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Ideological conflict is central – causes and
consequences, and the inevitability of conflict due
to irreconcilable belief systems
Intellectual conflict – consider the use of words and
the power of manipulation
Racial and religious conflict
Moral and ethical conflict
Physical conflict
What else?