Animal Farm by George
Orwell
Introduction
George Orwell
 Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January
1950),[1] known by his pen name George Orwell, was
an English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic.
His Works
 Commonly ranked as one of the most influential
English writers of the 20th century, and as one of the
most important chroniclers of English culture of his
generation, Orwell wrote literary criticism, poetry,
fiction, and polemical journalism. He is best known for
the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) and
the allegorical novella Animal Farm (1945).
Orwell’s Beliefs
His work is marked by lucid prose, awareness of social
injustice, opposition to totalitarianism, and commitment to
democratic socialism.
"One could not have a better example of the moral and
emotional shallowness of our time, than the fact that we are
now all more or less pro Stalin. This disgusting murderer is
temporarily on our side, and so the purges, etc., are suddenly
forgotten.”
— George Orwell, in his war-time diary, 3 July 1941
Novella
 A written, fictional, prose narrative normally longer than
a short story but shorter than a novel.
Dystopia
 A community or society that is in some important way
undesirable or frightening. It is the opposite of a utopia.
 Dystopias are often characterized by dehumanization,
totalitarian governments, environmental disaster, or
other characteristics associated with a cataclysmic
decline in society.
Look up each the words: Totalitarian, dehumanize,
cataclysmic and write out their meanings in your notes.
Animal Farm
 By April 1944 Animal Farm was ready for publication. Gollancz
refused to publish it, considering it an attack on the Soviet regime
which was a crucial ally in the war. A similar fate was met from
other publishers (including T. S. Eliot at Faber and Faber) until
Jonathan Cape agreed to take it.
 Cape decided not to publish Animal Farm. The decision followed
his personal visit to Peter Smollett, an official at the Ministry of
Information. Smollett was later identified as a Soviet agent.
 Animal Farm: A Fairy Story was published in Britain on 17 August
1945, and a year later in the U.S., on 26 August 1946.
Characters
 Napoleon - The pig who emerges as the leader of Animal Farm after the
Rebellion. Based on Joseph Stalin.
 Snowball - The pig who challenges Napoleon for control of Animal Farm after
the Rebellion.
 Boxer - The cart-horse whose incredible strength, dedication, and loyalty play a
key role in the early prosperity of Animal Farm and the later completion of the
windmill.
 Squealer - The pig who spreads Napoleon’s propaganda among the other
animals.
 Old Major - The prize-winning boar whose vision of a socialist utopia serves as
the inspiration for the Rebellion.
 Mr. Jones - The often drunk farmer who runs the Manor Farm before the
animals stage their Rebellion and establish Animal Farm.
 Mr. Frederick - The tough, shrewd operator of Pinchfield, a neighboring farm.
Based on Adolf Hitler.
 Mr. Pilkington - The easygoing gentleman farmer who runs Foxwood, a
neighboring farm. Mr. Frederick’s bitter enemy, Mr. Pilkington represents the
capitalist governments of England and the United States.
Choose a Character
Choose a Character from the list and write a prediction
(3 sentences) of what you think will happen to that
character in the book. Later we can see how your
predictions went.