Chapters 1-4

1. Allegory-a story that can be read on two distinct levels. Characters and events in an allegory represent something else, and they are used to convey a moral or philosophical message. • Satire-uses ridicule, irony, sarcasm, or the like to make certain people, events, or institutions appear foolish. • Fable-brief, often humorous, tale that presents a moral or message

2. Chapters 1-4 • Allegory-characters represent Russian historical figures; refer to notes sheet • Satire • Vanity of humans (Mollie) • Blind followers like sheep • The way people (pigs) in power separate themselves, withdrawing from work and making “secret” decisions • The formation of committees to create an illusion of progress or change • The ease with which humans accept simplistic slogans such as “Four legs good, two legs bad!” and empty awards such as “Animal Hero, First Class.”

3. Conflict-external • Mr. Jones vs. animals • Napoleon vs. Snowball • Animals vs. men of adjoining farms • Foreshadowing-in Chapter 2 buckets of milk disappear; Chapter 3 we learn the pigs are taking the milk as a special privilege • Themes • Corruption through power-Pigs set themselves up as privileged class. They supervise instead of working, meet separately to plan, and award themselves special food • Noose of oppression-The other animals tighten the noose of oppression around their necks by accepting the pigs’ arrangements with little or no disagreement. Squealer’s “explanations” are enough for the other animals to let the pigs have special food. His propaganda illustrates the subversive nature of tyranny, which can undermine people’s faith in their own judgment so that they become willing to accept tyrants’ explanations uncritically.

4. Source: Wahlgren, Bill, ed., et. al. Animal Farm Study Guide. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston: Austin.