Animal Farm and Orwell

What did George Orwell writing for and against starting after 1936?

" Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism, as I understand it."

Who is Mr. Frederick of Pinchfield farm and who does he represent?

Adolf Hitler. Mr. Fredrick owns the neighboring farm he is untrustworthy.

How is Animal Farm an allegory?

Animal Farm symbolizes the Russian revolution and all the animals in the book symbolize someone influential in the Russian Revolution

Who do the pigs represent?

Bolsheviks

What does Animal Farm represent?

Communist Russia

Who is Mr. Jones and whom does he represent?

Czar Nicholas II. Mr. Jones is a drunk farmer who ran the farm in the beginning of the story. He's an unkind master whom over indulges and leaves his animals with nothing.

Who is Boxer and who does he represent?

Dedicated, but tricked communist supporters (proletariat) and the working class. Boxer shows all of the best qualities of the working class: loyalty, dedication, and a huge capacity of labor. But Boxer also symbolizes the working classes major weakness: naive trust in the leaders and their inability to see corruption. Boxer is the force that holds Animal Farm together. His famous quotes are, "I will work harder" and "Napoleon is always right"

What does Foxwood Farm represent?

England

What does Pinchfield Farm represent?

Germany

In general, why did George Orwell write?

Historical Impulse Political Purpose Sheer Egoism Aesthetic Enthusiasm

Who is Napoleon and who does he represent?

Joseph Stalin. Napoleon is the corrupt leader of the Russian Revolution. He did not make one single contribution to the revolution. He never cared about the strength of Animal Farm only his power over it. He makes sure to keep everyone uneducated so that he has no competition as leader.

Who is Old Major and whom does he represent?

Karl Marx. Old Major is a boar who's vision of a utopia serves as the inspiration for the rebellion. Three days after he teaches the animals "Beasts of England" he dies and leaves Napoleon and Snowball to struggle for control.

What does the farmhouse represent?

Kremlin (palace)

What does "Beasts of England" represent?

L'Internationale (national anthem of the Communist movement)

Who is Snowball and who does he represent?

Leon Trotsky (or Reds). Snowball is a passionate visionary who throws himself heart and soul into the attempt to spread Animalism worldwide. Relying only on the force of his own logic and rhetorical skill to gain his influence, he proves no match for Napoleon's show of brute force.

How does Animal Farm explore totalitarianism?

Napoleon manipulate the animals through fear, keeping the animals uneducated and keeping them working (they don't have time to think about their actions) therefore he is able to keep the lead positon

The corrupt nature of power

Napoleon's rise to power was inevitable. While he may have been the worst of his predecessors the novel hints that Snowball or even Old Major could have been just as corrupt. Snowball corruption shows when he goes along with the theft of the milk and apples. Old Major shows that he could be crooked while he was lecturing the animals that "all animals are equal", but was lecturing on a raised platform which suggests that he might have thought he was better than them.

What happens when Animal Farm becomes a republic?

Only one animal runs for the leader spot = not a republic (totalitarianism)

The power of words

Orwell's major concern in both 1984 and Animal Farm is how words can be manipulated into an instrument of control. Throughout the novel the pigs distort the meaning of Major's words in order to justify their actions and keep the animals in the dark. As a result, the other animals seem unable to oppose the pigs without also opposing the ideals of the Rebellion.

Why read Animal Farm? Why did Orwell write Animal Farm?

Read Animal Farm to recognize the qualities of a bully or dictator and also to recognize if you are following the majority blindly. Orwell wrote Animal Farm to expose the seriousness of the danger posed by totalitarian rule.

What is Moses and who does he represent?

Russian Orthodox Church. Moses is a raven that spreads stories about sugarcandy mountain, the place animals go when they die. Orwell uses him to explore that totalitarianism exploits religion as something used to appease the oppressed.

What does the Rebellion represent?

Russian Revolution

Who do the wild animals represent?

Russian peasants

What are the themes of Animal Farm?

The corruptive nature of power, the failure of intellect, and the power of words

What is Squealer and what does his character represent?

Stalin's propaganda machine. Squealer is the pig that spreads Napoleon's propaganda to the other animals and often gives them false statistics on how well the farm is doing. Orwell uses Squealer to explore the ways in which those in power often use rhetoric and language to twist the truth and gain and maintain social and political control.

Who does Benjamin represent?

The educated people during the Revolution who knew how the government was exploiting people, but they chose to sit back and watch society ruin itself rather than do anything to help. Benjamin is a donkey, the oldest animal on the farm. He can read fluently, never laughs and only ever makes cynical jokes except when he says his famous line, "donkeys live a long time."

What does the Animal Farm flag represent (hoof and horn flag)?

The flag of the Soviet Union (hammer and sickle flag)

How is Animal Farm a satire?

The novel satirizes the political ideology and the misuse of power in a totalitarian society through the events and actions that the animals engage in on the farm

The failure of intellect

The pigs are the smartest animals on the farm, but they only use their intellect to abuse the other animals instead of helping the farm prosper. Both Benjamin and the dogs are literate but show that intellect is useless. Benjamin refuses to read, therefore showing that intelligence is useless without being able to act upon it and the dogs will only read the seven commandments showing that intellect is useless and harmful when paired with a personality that would rather follow orders than think for themselves.

Who is Mollie and whom does she represent?

White Russians (privileged and rich). Mollie is a mare that loves attention and being pampered. She has a difficult time with her new life on Animal Farm and misses the perks of her old life.

Who is Mr. Pilkington of Foxwood Farm and who does he represent?

Winston Churchill. Mr. Pilkington is the owner of the neighboring farm. He is easy going and spends most of his time doing the things he loves and neglects his farm.

What is communism?

a political ideology where everyone is equal and everything is shared

What literary devices are used in Animal Farm?

allegory and satire (also totalitarianism)