George Orwell and Animal Farm

1. George Orwell and Animal Farm

2. George Orwell Bio • Born Eric Blair (1903) in Motihari, Bengal, in the then British colony of India. • He was one of the poorer English boys at his upper-class school. He was treated like a “charity case”, and because of this he developed a hatred of the rich class.

3. Orwell cont. • Orwell supported Democratic Socialism for his entire life. • Orwell loved Socialism but despised the actions of the Russian Communists. He hated how Europe and America romanticized the Russian revolution.

4. Orwell cont. • Orwell fought against Stalin’s forces in Spain after Stalin tried to gain control in 1937’s Spanish Civil War. • Orwell almost died in a manhunt: “It taught me how easily totalitarian propaganda can control the opinion of enlightened people in democratic countries.”

5. The Anti-Soviet Book and the Hardships of Publication • Animal Farm serves as a political tract, a satire, a contempt of Utopian ideals and an allegorical lesson all under the façade of a fable. • Animal Farm was not meant to bring damage to Socialism, it was written to warn others of the danger of Socialism/Communism manipulated into Tyranny.

6. The Anti-Soviet Book and the Hardships of Publication • The United Kingdom was still enamored with the USSR and considered them “politically decent” in 1943 (when Animal Farm was completed) • Not until two years later would a publisher be willing to publish Orwell’s book because no one wanted to print an Anti-Soviet story.

7. “Since 1930 I had seen little evidence that the USSR was progressing toward anything that one could truly call socialism.” – George Orwell • According to Orwell, the USSR was a “hierarchal society, in which the rulers have no more reason to give up their power than any other ruling class.”

8. Animal Farm USSR Russia / USSR Karl Marx / Lenin • Animal Farm • Old Major • Jones • Moses • Animal Rebellion • Napoleon • Snowball • Squealer • Animals other than pigs & dogs • Mollie the Cart Horse • Hoof and Horn (flag) • Pigeons sent out to other farms • Foxwood Farm (Pilkington) • Pinchfield Farm (Frederick) • Battle of the Cowshed Czar Nicholas II Russian Orthodox Church Russian Revolution of 1917 Joseph Stalin Trotsky Pravda proletariat bourgeoisie hammer and sickle Communist Internationale England (Churchill) Germany (Hitler) Anti-revolutionary invasion of Russia

9. Animal Farm sequence of events Life is miserable On Manor farm Jones neglects the animals The pigs take over Old Major tells Of his dream of Free animals The animals overtake the farm for themselves Plans are made for the improvement of life on the farm, pigs become leaders Pigeons spread ideas To other farms Battle of Cowshed Snowball gains Support for windmill Pilkington and Frederick get frustrated The animals win, Human-like celebration Napoleon overpowers Snowball, exiles him, And takes credit For the idea