ANIMAL FARM

ANIMAL FARM

1. "ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL - BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS"

2. CHARACTERISATION

   • NAPOLEON
     • REPRESENTS STALIN
     • MORE BRUTISH THAN SNOWBALL
     • SELFISH
       • VALUES POWER OVER IDEAS
   • SNOWBALL
     • SCAPEGOAT FOR NAPOLEON
     • SEEMS MORE REASONABLE TO US...
       • WOULD HE HAVE BEEN CORRUPTED?
   • OLD MAJOR
     • REPRESENTS LENIN AND/OR KARL MARX
       • IDEALISTIC?
     • "PLANTS THE SEED OF REVOLUTION IN THEIR MINDS"
   • SQEUALER
     • MAIN WAY THAT NAPOLEON MAINTAINS CONTROL & POWER
     • REPRESENTS RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA MACHINE
       • HIGHLY PERSUASIVE
       • CRAFTY
       • DEVIOUS
       • HIGH MACHIAVELLIAN INTELLIGENCE
   • BOXER
     • REPRESENTS THE RUSSIAN WORKERS (ALONG WITH THE OTHER ANIMALS)
     • CARRIES THE SOCIETY FORWARD
       • STILL TREATED POORLY
     • SOCIETY BEGINS TO FALL APART UPON DEATH
       • DISPOSED OF WHEN NO LONGER USEFUL

3. SYMBOLISM

   • RETURN OF MOSES = RETURN OF OPRESSION
   • FINAL SCENE (PIGS + HUMANS) SHOWS EXTENT OF CORRUPTION
     • EACH HUMAN ASPECT IS ANOTHER SIGN OF CORRUPTION
     • RENAMED TO "MANOR FARM" --> NOTHING EVER CHANGES
       • BENJAMIN'S INITAL THOUGHTS COME TRUE
         • IS BENJAMIN ORWELL HIMSELF?
   • THE WINDMILL = THE RAPID iNDUSTRIALISATION OF RUSSIAN INFRASTRUCTURE
   • THE FARMHOUSE = SOURCE OF EVIL AND INEQUALITY
   • INITIAL WINDMILL DEBATES = STALIN-TROSKY DEBATES OVER SPREADING COMMUNISM
     • TRADE = RUSSIAN ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
     • NAPOLEON'S INITIATIVE = FIVE YEAR PLAN
       • EXECUTIONS = GREAT PURGE
         • BATTLE OF THE WINDMILL = WW2
   • THE DREAM = THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO
   • SEVEN COMMANDMENTS = 10 COMMANDMENTS AND 7 DEADLY SINS

4. PLOT DEVELOPMENT

   • BEGINS WITH A COMMON ENEMY
     • ELIMINATION OF COMMON ENEMY LEADS TO POWER VACUUM
       • LACK OF ENEMY LEADS TO INTERNAL DISPUTE/STRATIFICATION
         • DIVISION OF PROLETERIAT/BOURGOISESIE + HATRED OF TROTSKY
         • SEPARATION OF PIGS + HATRED OF SNOWBALL
       • TROTSKY VS STALIN
       • SNOWBALL VS NAPOLEON
     • TSAR NICHOLAS
     • MR JONES

5. USE OF LANGUAGE

   • KEY POINT - THE USE OF LANGUAGE CAN BE A VERY DANGEROUS THING
     • "THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD"
   • PLENTY OF RHETORIC TO EXAMINE
     • MAINLY RHETORICAL QUESTIONS
       • SQUEALER
     • REPETITION OF "COMRADES" - ENFORCES THE ILLUSION OF EQUALITY
   • "I WILL WORK HARDER" - BOXER
     • THE DANGER OF A NAIVE WORKING CLASS

Images and files in the map