Animal Farm by George Orwell

1
Animal Farmby George Orwell

• A Comparison of Characters to the Russian
  Revolution

2
Animal Farm as Allegory

• As we know, George Orwells novel Animal Farm is
  an allegory.
• A work that can be read on two levels.
• On one level, we can simply enjoy the stories of
  animals on the farm.
• On a deeper level, we can examine the symbolism
  behind these characters.

3

• Mr. Jones
• Irresponsible to his animals
• Sometimes cruel beats them with a whip
• Sometimes kind mixes milk in animals mash

• Czar Nicholas II
• A poor leader a best, compared with Western kings
• Sometimes cruel brutal with opponents
• Sometimes kind hired students as spies to make
  money

4

• Old Major
• Taught Animalism
• Workers do the work, the rich keep the money,
  animals revolt
• Dies before the revolution

• Karl Marx
• Invented Communism
• Workers of the world unite!
• Dies before the Russian Revolution

5

• Animalism
• No owners
• No rich, but no poor
• Workers get a better life all animals equal
• Everyone owns the farm

• Communism
• Same
• All people equal
• Government owns everything
• People own the government

6

• Snowball
• Young, smart, good speaker, idealistic
• Really wants to make life better for all
• One of the leaders of the revolution
• Chased away into exile by Napoleons dogs

• Leon Trotsky
• Other leader of the October Revolution
• Pure Communist followed Marx
• Wanted to improve life for all in Russia
• Chased away by Lenins KGB (Lenins secret police)

7

• Napoleon
• Not a good speaker not clever like Snowball
• Cruel, brutal, selfish, devious, corrupt
• His ambition is for power willing to kill
  opponents
• Uses dogs, Moses, and Squealer to control animals

• Joseph Stalin
• Not a good speaker not educated like Trotsky
• Did not follow Marxs ideas purely
• Killed all those that opposed him
• Used KGB and propaganda to control his people

8

• Squealer
• Big mouth
• Talks a lot
• Convinces animals to believe and follow Napoleon
• Changes and manipulates the commandments

• Stalins Propagandists
• Worked for Stalin to support his image
• Used lies to convince people to follow Stalin
• Benefited from the fact that education was
  controlled.

9
Focus for Reading

• As you continue to read the novel, try to
  identify other places where Orwell uses
  allegorical symbolism.
• By doing some independent research on the Russian
  Revolution or by paying attention in history
  class you should be able to pick up on many
  more references to history in the novel.