Animal Farm Test

Fable

A brief story illustrating human tendencies through animal characters.

Farmer Jones

Czar of Russia; Tsar Nicholas II

Pilkington

England/Churchill

Doublespeak

Evasive, ambiguous, high-flown language intended to deceive or confuse.

Frederick

Hitler

Rebellions on nearby farms

Hungarian and German communist rebellion (1921)

Revolt of the hens

Kronstadt rebellion (1921)

Old Major

Marx and Lenin

Battle with Frederick

Nazi invasion (1941)

Deal with Frederick

Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939

Squealer

Pravda; Soviet Propagandists

The Rebellion

Russian Revolution (1917)

Napoleon

Stalin

Battle of the Cowshed

The Civil War (1918-19)

Wild Animals

The Peasants

Napoleon's Dogs

The Secret Police

Boxer

The Working Class

Rhetoric

The art of discourse. It aims to improve the capability of writers or speakers that attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations.

Testimonial

The celebrity endorsement of a philosophy, movement or candidate.

Communism

The government controls all items, lands, wealth, and jobs. There's no private business. There's no private property.

Socialism

The government operates the system to help all, but there is opportunity for private property and private wealth.

Repetition

The repetition of words, phrases, ideas, and images to force them to be engrained in your memory

Name-Calling

Ties a person or cause to a largely perceived negative image.

Fear

To present a dreaded circumstance and usually follow it up with the kind of behavior needed to avoid that horrible event.

Mollie

White Russians

Squealer was trying to convince the animals that beds are good and sheets were evil. The pigs were still good, according to Squealer. The theme is Deception, Language Manipulation, and Ignorance, and Abuse of Power

'You have heard then, comrades,' he said, 'that we pigs now sleep in the beds of the farmhouse? And why not? You did not suppose, surely, that there was ever a ruling against beds? A bed merely means a place to sleep in. A pile of straw in a stall is a bed, properly regarded. The rule was against sheets, which are a human invention. We have removed the sheets from the farmhouse beds, and sleep between blankets. And very comfortable beds they are too! But not more comfortable than we need, I can tell you, comrades, with all the brainwork we have to do nowadays. You would not rob us of our repose, would you, comrades? You would not have us too tired to carry out our duties? Surely none of you wishes to see Jones back

Glittering Generalities

A generally accepted virtue is usually employed to stir up favorable emotions. The problem is that these words mean different things to different people and are often manipulated for the propagandists' use.

Parody

A parody imitates the serious manner and characteristic features of a particular literary work in order to make fun of those same features. The humorist achieves parody by exaggerating certain traits common to the work.

Totalitarianism

A political system in which the state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life.

Satire

An attack on or criticism of any stupidity or vice in the form of scathing humor, or a critique of what the author sees as either dangerous 1) religious, 2) political, 3) moral, or 4) social standards. When people view satire, they are supposed to see their faults magnified in a distorted reflection and how ridiculous their behavior is.

Allegory

Any writing that has a double meaning usually in the forms of extended metaphor in which persons, abstract ideas, or events represent not only themselves on the literal level, but they also stand for something else on the symbolic level.

Capitalism

Business and private ownership decides how much products will cost, how many there are, where it will be made, how many jobs are available, and how much those jobs pay.

Powerful Images

Certain images that provoke strong emotional responses are carefully placed to evoke specific emotions at specific times, either in the foreground as a central piece or subliminally in the background.

This was Old Major stating all the principles of Animalism during his speech. The themes are Faith in the System

I have little more to say. I merely repeat, remember always your duty of enmity towards Man and all his ways. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend. And remember also that in fighting against Man, we must not come to resemble him. Even when you have conquered him, do not adopt his vices. No animal must ever live in a house, or sleep in a bed, or wear clothes, or drink alcohol, or smoke tobacco, or touch money, or engage in trade. All the habits of Man are evil. And, above all, no animal must ever tyrannise over his own kind. Weak or strong, clever or simple, we are all brothers. No animal must ever kill any other animal. All animals are equal.

Minimus

Mayakovsky

Napoleon was seen as a god in the eyes of the other animals as was regarded as such. The theme is Dividing and Grouping People, Corruption, and Ignorance.

Napoleon was now never spoken of simply as 'Napoleon.' He was always referred to in formal style as 'our Leader, Comrade Napoleon,' and this pigs liked to invent for him such titles as Father of All Animals, Terror of Mankind, Protector of the Sheep-fold, Ducklings' Friend, and the like. In his speeches, Squealer would talk with the tears rolling down his cheeks of Napoleon's wisdom the goodness of his heart, and the deep love he bore to all animals everywhere, even and especially the unhappy animals who still lived in ignorance and slavery on other farms. It had become usual to give Napoleon the credit for every successful achievement and every stroke of good fortune. You would often hear one hen remark to another, 'Under the guidance of our Leader, Comrade Napoleon, I have laid five eggs in six days'; or two cows, enjoying a drink at the pool, would exclaim, 'Thanks to the leadership of Comrade Napoleon, how excellent this water tastes!'

The windmill that the animals was destroyed because of a hurricane, but the pigs blamed Snowball. The theme is Deception, Corruption, and Ignorance.

November came, with raging south-west winds. Building had to stop because it was now too wet to mix the cement. Finally there came a night when the gale was so violent that the farm buildings rocked on their foundations and several tiles were blown off the roof of the barn... "Comrades," he said quietly, "do you know who is responsible for this? Do you know the enemy who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL!" he suddenly roared in a voice of thunder. "Snowball has done this thing! In sheer malignity, thinking to set back our plans and avenge himself for his ignominious expulsion, this traitor has crept here under cover of night and destroyed our work of nearly a year. Comrades, here and now I pronounce the death sentence upon Snowball. 'Animal Hero, Second Class,' and half a bushel of apples to any animal who brings him to justice. A full bushel to anyone who captures him alive!"

Squealer was changing the Seven Commandments. The theme is Abuse of Power.

One night at about twelve o'clock there was a loud crash in the yard, and the animals rushed out of their stalls. It was a moonlit night. At the foot of the end wall of the big barn, where the Seven Commandments were written, there lay a ladder broken in two pieces. Squealer, temporarily stunned, was sprawling beside it, and near at hand there lay a lantern, a paint-brush, and an overturned pot of white paint. The dogs immediately made a ring round Squealer, and escorted him back to the farmhouse as soon as he was able to walk.

Card-Stacking

Only information which is favorable to the person/cause/product is shown or emphasized. Negative or hurtful information conveniently left out or understated.

Confession of animals to aiding Snowball

Purge Trials (1936-38)

Slogans

Short phrases that used relate a phrase with an idea or product. A catchy slogan is more easily remembered than a complicated and perhaps more accurate explanation. Often when taken out of context, slogans mean nothing or are extremely vague.

Napoleon's opposition to sending the pigeons

Stalin's "Socialism in One Country"

Napoleon's opposition to the windmill

Stalin's emphasis on agriculture

Demolition of windmill Failure of First Five- Year Plan

Starvation Ukraine famine (1933)

Diction

Style based on choice of words.

End of the novel

Tehran Conference

The Pigs

The Bolsheviks

Moses

The Church

Boxer was put in a van to be killed. The theme is Deception and Ignorance.

The animals crowded round the van. "Good-bye, Boxer!" they chorused,"good-bye!" "Fools! Fools!" shouted Benjamin, prancing round them and stamping the earth with his small hoofs. "Fools! Do you not see what is written on the side of that van? ... Alfred Simmonds, Horse Slaughterer and Glue Boiler, Willingdon. Dealer in Hides and Bone-Meal. Kennels Supplied.' Do you not understand what that means? They are taking Boxer to the knacker's!" '

Napoleon's dealings with Whymper

Wellington markets Treaty of Rapallo

Snowball ruined the seeds by putting weeds in the seed corn and a gander confessed to helping Snowball. The gander committed suicide and the animals realized the badges Snowball received were rumors. The theme is deception because the animals were told Snowball was not special.

The animals now also learned that Snowball had never — as many of them had believed hitherto —received the order of 'Animal Hero, First Class.' This was merely a legend which had been spread some time after the Battle of the Cowshed by Snowball himself. So far from being decorated, he had been censured for showing cowardice in the battle.

Plain Folks

The candidate or cause is identified with common people from everyday walks of life. The idea is to make the candidate/cause come off as All-American.

Propaganda

The deliberate attempt to influence a mass audience to act or think a certain way; usually with an element of deception.

Bandwagon

The idea that everyone is doing this, or everyone supports this person/cause, so should you; it appeals to the conformist in all of us - no one wants to be left out of what is perceived to be a popular trend.

The pigs took the milk and apples. The theme is Dividing and Grouping People.

The mystery of where the milk went to was soon cleared up. It was mixed every day into the pigs' mash. The early apples were now ripening, and the grass of the orchard was littered with windfalls. The animals had assumed as a matter of course that these would be shared out equally; one day, however, the order went forth that all the windfalls were to be collected and brought to the harness-room for the use of the pigs.

This states the assumed roles and positions on the farm. The theme is Abuse of Power and Dividing and Grouping People.

The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others. With their superior knowledge it was natural that they should assume the leadership. Boxer and Clover would harness themselves to the cutter or the horserake (no bits or reins were needed in these days, of course) and tramp steadily round and round the field with a pig walking behind and calling out 'Gee up, comrade!' or 'Whoa back, comrade!' as the case might be.

Transfer

The use of symbols, quotes, or images to convey a message not necessarily associated with the propagandaer. The candidate/speaker attempts to persuade through the indirect use of something we respect, such as a patriotic or religious image, to promote his/her ideas. Transfer propaganda can also be used to induce negative feelings by presenting offensive or negative symbols.

Whymper

Western businessmen and journalists

The pigs taught the sheep a new mantra and the pigs are now walking on their hind legs. The theme is Dividing and Grouping People and Corruption.

There was a deadly silence. Amazed, terrified, huddling together, the animals watched the long line of pigs march slowly round the yard. It was as though the world had turned upside-down. Then there came a moment when the first shock had worn off and when, in spite of everything-in spite of their terror of the dogs, and of the habit, developed through long years, of never complaining, never criticising, no matter what happened—they might have uttered some word of protest. But just at that moment, as though at a signal, all the sheep burst out into a tremendous bleating of-- "Four legs good, two legs BETTER! Four legs good, two legs BETTER! Four legs good, two legs BETTER!"

Squealer says that there no need for Beasts of England anymore because the perfect society had already been reached. The theme is Patriotic Rituals and Songs and Abuse of Power.

They had just finished singing it for the third time when Squealer, attended by two dogs, approached them with the air of having something important to say. He announced that, by a special decree of Comrade Napoleon, 'Beasts of England' had been abolished. From now onwards it was forbidden to sing it. So 'Beasts of England' was heard no more. In its place Minimus, the poet, had composed another song which began: Animal Farm, Animal Farm, Never through me shalt thou come to harm!

Snowball

Trotsky

Snowball's leadership

Trotsky Leads Red Army

Snowball's desire to send pigeons to nearby farms

Trotsky's 'Permanent Revolution" .

Snowball and the windmill

Trotsky's emphasis on heavy industry

Snowball's Defeat

Trotsky's exile (1927)

The pigs and humans were having dinner with humans. The themes are Corruption and Deception.

Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which

Code-switching

When a speaker alternates between two or more languages or language varieties in a single conversation.

This was during Old Major's speech. The theme is Deception.

You cows that I see before me, how many thousands of gallons of milk have you given during this last year? And what has happened to that milk which should have been breeding up sturdy calves? Every drop of it has gone down the throats of our enemies. And you hens, how many eggs have you laid in this last year, and how many of those eggs ever hatched into chickens? The rest have all gone to market to bring in money for Jones and his men. And you, Clover, where are those four foals you bore, who should have been the support and pleasure of your old age? Each was sold at a year old — you will never see one of them again. In return for your four confinements and all your labour in the fields, what have you ever had except your bare rations and a stall?

Denotation

a literal meaning of the word. For example: Snake: a limbless reptile with a long, scaly body

Connotation

an association (emotional or otherwise) which the word evokes. can depend on the person who hears the word and brings his or her own associations to it

Utopia

an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect

Gobbledygook

especially convoluted language that is meaningless or is made unintelligible by excessive use of abstruse technical terms; nonsense.

Fallacy

is an incorrect argument in logic and rhetoric which undermines an argument's logical validity or more generally an argument's logical soundness.

Informal or Low Diction

is the language of everyday use. It is relaxed and conversational. It often includes common and simple words, idioms, slang, jargon and contractions.

Inflated language

puffed-up, important-sounding words used to give commonplace things and events an elevated, glowing appearance

Jargon

specialized language used by a particular professional, trade, or hobby group. Is often used to in discourse with an untrained audience to impress or confuse them

Pathos

the emotional or motivational appeals; vivid language, emotional language and numerous sensory details.

Logos

the logic used to support a claim (induction and deduction); can also be the facts and statistics used to help support the argument.

Ethos

the source's credibility, the speaker's/author's authority

Dystopia

through an exaggerated worst-case scenario, make a criticism about a current trend, societal norm, or political system. this fiction depicts a future in which humanity has fallen into decline and ruin, and where life and nature are recklessly exploited and destroyed. they criticize current trends through an exaggeration of their consequences.

Neutral Diction

uses standard language and vocabulary without elaborate words and may include contractions.

High or Formal Diction

usually contains language that creates and elevated tone. It is free of slang, idioms, colloquialisms, and contractions. It often contains polysyllabic words, sophisticated syntax, and elegant word choice.

Euphemism

words that attempt to soften, hide, or distort reality by putting the thing described into a better light, making the object it describes sound less frightening, less threatening, or less offensive