AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
GIFFT HILL SCHOOL
Ms. Mary Willen (ghshistory831@gmail.com)
Phone: 340.776-1730 or 340.776-1733
Animal Farm: Honors Assignment
Animal Farm by George Orwell
ISBN10: 0451519000
ISBN13: 9780451519009
For Honors Government you need to read both Animal Farm by George Orwell and
Hardball by Chris Matthew and complete both the assignments for the first day of class.
Failure to complete both assignments will make you ineligible for the Honors section.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Animal Farm was written as a critique of the Soviet experience. It gives us an example of
of how Totalitarianism destroys human dignity. It was a warning to people everywhere that they
must be watchful of their freedoms and participate in government decision-making at every
opportunity.
A Short History of the Soviet Revolution:
In order to understand, fully, the meaning of Orwell’s fable, a little background of what actually
happened in the Soviet Union in 1917 and after is necessary.
Before the Soviet Revolution in 1917, Russia was a country ruled by a king or Tsar. He had
absolute power over the lives of everyone in the country. The Tsar ruled with the help of a
noble class who shared in the wealth that the Tsar had gathered. He also had a strong army that
was loyal only to him. Everyone else in the nation was poor, hungry and without any rights.
World War I caused the people even more hardship.
The common people began to get very angry over the way they were treated. Their growing
anger led them to start a revolution against the Tsar in 1917. The people that rebelled believed
in the ideas of Karl Marx, a German. His idea was that Socialism (Communism) was the
highest form of government. Under Communism, all property would be held in common and
all people would live as equals. It was for those ideals that the people fought.
The revolution was led by Vladimir Lenin, who promised peace, bread and land. It succeeded
in bringing down the Tsar. Lenin, however, died in 1924 before the ideals of Marx could
become reality. After his death, two factions, one led by Joseph Stalin, the other by Leon
Trotsky, struggled for power. Stalin was a very crafty politician who worked quietly behind
the scenes to gain power. Trotsky was popular, and had real beliefs in the way government
should be. He was famous for his speeches. Stalin eventually won the power struggle by
forming alliances with others. He banished Trotsky from Russia, and had him assassinated.
Stalin started several economic programs in the Soviet Union. However, the country was so
impoverished and economically weak that the programs failed. There was widespread
suffering. When there was any complaint about conditions, Stalin would blame Trotsky. Stalin
then became stronger by killing or imprisoning his enemies and taking total control of the
power in the entire nation with the help of his military.
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
GIFFT HILL SCHOOL
Ms. Mary Willen (ghshistory831@gmail.com)
Phone: 340.776-1730 or 340.776-1733
George Orwell uses the Russian Revolution events and characters in his novella Animal Farm to
highlight the evils of this type of government.
Part One: Animal Farm
Directions: Complete the following questions which must include the following:

Specific, clear references to novel/history

A fully-developed, understandable central idea

Accuracy to novel/history

Creativity in form and final product
Assignments:
a) A poster designed by Squealer to encourage farm animals on surrounding farms to join the Animal Farm
revolution.
b) A journal reflection by the Old Major on how his message went wrong.
c) Email from George Orwell to 11th grade students as to why they need to read Animal Farm and why it’s
relevant to their lives.
d) A How To Book written by Marx to the pigs on “How you Should Have Run Your Revolution”.
Part Two: Seven Commandments
Ours is a society of rules. Whether at school, at work, at home, or
driving on the road, we are constantly monitoring our behavior to comply with
the rules. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, he carried two stone
tablets on which what we know as the Ten Commandments are engraved, rules
by which the Israelites were to live. In a nod to the Bible, Orwell penned seven
commandments, which became the guiding tenants of Animalism. These seven
commandments function as an allusion to the Exodus commandments (Exodus
20: 1-17).
Assignment:
Step One - Create your own set of commandments for the students of GHS. You need at least
seven commandments.
Step Two - Laws and rules are a part of everyone's life. Some are obeyed, some are not, and
some are just outright ignored. Some rules are "bent" to help certain individuals when they are
caught disobeying them. Rewrite all of your commandments (just as Squealer did) to make
exceptions for certain people or groups.
Step Three - Now choose one of the commandments and compose a well-developed
paragraph explaining why this commandment is vital to the successful functioning of GHS. Be
sure to note how your commandment will serve students, administrators, teachers, and support
staff.