I. Animal Farm| Themes
A. Language and meaning
Animal Farm is an Allegory. This story examines the hidden meaning of words by showing how
the powerful can manipulate words for their own benefit. Power of words serves whichever side
the writer backs. For instance, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union,
Pravda, which was often used to rewrite the past (Ironically, its title means, “truth”).
B. God and Religion
Religion is represented by Moses, a tame raven. Clergy is presented as a privileged class tolerated
by those in power because of their ability to placate the masses with promises of rewards in the
after-life for suffering endured on Earth. Moses is given special treatment. Other animals hate the
raven because he does not do any work; in fact, the pigs give him a daily ration of beer. Lenin
proclaimed religion was the opiate of the people; explain this quote?
Orwell sees organized religion as another corruptible institution which serves to keep the masses
tranquil.
C. Human Rights
The novella comments on those who corrupt the idea of human rights by showing how the animals
deal with the issue of equality. Old Major appeals to the animals for a Rebellion against the
humans so all could be equal only to later have the pigs abuse this goal. A number of societies
have historically “voted” that portions of their population were not equal because of their faith,
their skin color, or their ancestry.
D. Class Conflict
Being a member of a lower class singled Orwell out for abuse. British ruling class in Burma
abused the native population (imperialism). Classless societies become divided as preferential
treatment is given to the pigs. The hierarchy/classes in the society are well-established. Mr.
Pilkington and other farmers meet with Napoleon in the novel’s last scene; Pilkington chokes with
amusement as he says to the pigs, “If you have your lower animals to contend with, we have our
lower classes.” With power came the abuse of power and only a vigilant citizenry could prevent
such abuses.
E. Politics
Orwell held political convictions against totalitarianism for Democratic socialism. He was bitterly
disappointment in the Russian Revolution, instead of establishing a people’s republic, they
established a totalitarian state. The only protection the average citizen has from similar tyranny is
his refusal to blindly follow the crowd (like the sheep), logically argue against spurious
explanations by propaganda, pay attention to all government activity, instead of following those in
power and being apathetic.
F. Truth and Falsehood
Examine the meaning of truth in their society, truth becomes simply being told what to believe or
told what is real. When questions about past events do not match the pigs’ version then the pigs
discount them or explain them away. Orwell is challenges the any totalitarian state’s methods of
controlling public opinion by manipulating the truth, and in particular, rewriting history.
II. Animal Farm| Style
A. Point of view
Third-person point of view tells the reader only what is needed to follow the story and the bare
minimum about each character so the audiences must infer their own
B. Setting
Unspecified time on a British farm near Willingdon. The word Manor- which can mean the land
overseen by a lord, the house of a lord, or mansion- associates the farm with the upper, or ruling,
class. Focuses activities taking place at the farm and making the exact location in England
unimportant.
C. Narrator
Narrator functions as a storyteller. There are ironic overtones by using a naïve narrator, who
refuses to comment on events in the novel that the reader understands to be false. Both the reader
and the narrator know the truth of the matter-that the words of the commandment have been
changed, for instance. The tension between what the narrator knows but does not say and what the
reader knows is dramatic irony.
D. Dramatic Irony
Dramatic irony shows the difference between the truth of a situation which the audience knows
and what the characters don’t know about it, characters remain ignorant of the discrepancy.
E. Satire
A work that uses humor to criticize a weakness or defect in man, or his institutions, or his society
is called a satire. Orwell is criticizing. Society looks ridiculous by a variety of methods, often
through irony or other type’s humor. Satirist hopes to change the behavior he is poking fun at.
Orwell ridicules the so-called achievements of the Russian Revolution in a number of ways:
comparing its proponents to animals, developing irony through the use of the naïve narrator,
allowing each animal or group to stand for one human trait or tendency that he criticizes.
F. Fable
A fable is a short, imaginative narrative with animal characters who illustrate a moral. Characters
often embody a specific human trait to make fun of humans who act similarly. Orwell uses
animals to also represent human traits or characteristics in a simple, straightforward style.
1. What lessons do they teach us from this beast fable? Possibilities include:
a. Those who love power soon gain control of a government.
b. Those who are literate have power.
c. It is natural for some to be selfish in any society.
d. Those who are passive and do not use their power lose it (see Benjamin or
Boxer).
e. The illiterate will be manipulated by those who can communicate well
(Clover v. Squealer).
f. Those who are the masses of followers have much power but simply do not
realize it (animals).
g. Those who are self-absorbed, materialistic often focus only on themselves and
really don’t care about society or ideals (Molly).
h. Those who are apathetic do nothing until it is too late (see Benjamin as Boxer
is hauled away). He was literate but refused to use his ability.
2. All we need for democracy to fail is enough good men to do nothing.”-Edmund Burke.
G. Allegory
1. In an Allegory, characters and events stand for something else.
2. In this novel animals stand for significant figures in twentieth-century Russian history.
3. Characters are easily identifiable for those who know the historic parallels.
4. Orwell gives each one a trait, performs a certain task(s), represent historical figures.
a. For instance, Old Major is identified with as Karl Marx.
b. Old Major’s teachings that fuel the Animal Rebellion, represent Marx’s ideas
that spawned the Russian Revolution.
c. Napoleon and Snowball, who are both pigs, stand for Russian leaders Joseph
Stalin and Leon Trotsky.
1) Stalin and Trotsky had a falling out much like Napoleon and
Snowball do.
2) Events from history, The Revolution itself, and Moscow purge trails
of the 1930’s are all allegorical forms in the novella, Animal Farm.