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Animal Farm seems to be the hot topic of homework at the moment, so I thought I'd start a thread for people to have a look at and to add to, so that we can maybe hook up all the points in one place. Then, with a bit of luck, students can pick and choose which bits to expand on.
Let's start off with this:
Animal Farm, along with Orwell's 1984, are classic dystopian novels. They portray a harsh and totalitarian lifestyle where only a few are privileged and the many are simply machines of use to the few.
Animal Farm was written primarily to expose the horrors of Soviet totalitarian rule, typified by Josef Stalin
Animal Farm makes heavy use of symbolism - making an animal or object signify something else. Classic examples are the dogs standing in for the KGB, the Soviet secret police, Napoleon for Stalin himself, and Frederick & Pilkington for Hitler and Churchill.
(Apologies for making such heavy use of Wiki, but they're pretty accurate and simple for easy historical points like these.)
The following is a list of the main characters from Animal Farm and who they equate to in the USSR:
Napoleon - Stalin
Snowball - Leon Trotsky
Pilkington - Winston Churchill
Frederick - Adolf Hitler
Dogs - KGB
Boxer - Russian peasantry/manual workers
Old Major - a combination of Karl Marx and V I Lenin
Nearly all of the characters are symbolic of some part of USSR or its partners, allies or enemies and many of the events have historic relationships as well. For instance, the takeover of the farm symbolises the Russian Revolution, while the flag, with hoof and horn is a direct copy of the USSR flag, in negative with green/red juxtaposition.
Many of the minor characters have important parts to play in the allegory, so try to be creative when dealing with symbolism, which seems to be a favourite question at the moment!
Another interesting tack has been brought up recently, so I'll repeat that here as well as it also gives clues to other options for essays - assume you're working for the United Nations or similar body and asked to provide a report on Animal Farm:
Report on the Investigation into Living Conditions at Animal Farm.
What was George Orwell trying to tell us?Quote:
1 - state object of report. Maybe you could start with reports received from passing birds, or neighbouring animals, giving a reason for the investigation.
2 - list problems, e.g.
Animal feeds - note examples of rations
Retirement - note details and lack of retirees
Working conditions - note details of increases in workload, use of whips
Repression - note killings of hens and sheep and the attack on Boxer
Money over welfare - note Boxer's removal to knacker's instead of being retired
3 - State possible counters - trade embargoes, etc.
He was mainly keen to expose the terrible truth of the USSR to English apologists and admirers of the perverted "communism" it practised. Many people outside USSR saw the original intent of the Revolution - "to each, according to his needs, from each according to his means" as an ideal and believed that the Russian version was working. The truth was vastly different and Orwell realised that a simple, plain-language expose of USSR wouldn't reach a wide target, but an allegorical novel , playing on the English people's love of animals might.
In Animal Farm, just as in USSR, the men behind the revolution managed to sieze power with the help of the wider population, who were promised Utopia - a free and fair society where all share equally. In both cases, the Utopia never materialised, the dream turning to a nightmare. A classic case of "boiled frog" syndrome - the people never knew what was happening until it was far too late, exactly as shown at Manor Farm.
That's enough from me, no doubt Bazarov and a couple of others will come and add to it.
If this works well, I'll see if we can get it stickied!
This is great:) and helpful.
You ..... LitNet's Wikipedia......you:)
What you are doing is great.
:lol: :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by The Atheist
Nice job! Here are some facts that weren't mentioned:
Squealer - Vyacheslav Molotov, minister of propaganda, like Goebels in Third Reich
Minimus - poet Maxim Gorky
Mr. Jones - last Russian emperor, tsar Nicholas II Romanov
Be careful about Old Major. He obviously represents Marx, but he represent only Lenin's teaching, because Old Major died before revolution and Lenin made the revolution.
correct me if im wrong about this but from what I gathered was
moses-the church
the donkey(cant remember his name)- the elderly who have sense enough to know where the situation will go
the sheep- the blindly loyal followers of stalin
Thanks, Baz, knew you wouldn't let me down!
Ulv - dead right.
You're welcome! Tired of answering same things for several times? I know that feeling...
Yes, well these teachers are nothing if not repetitive, so it seems easier for all if we stick as much as possible in one thread. It's a short and concise book, so we should be able to get it all laid out easily.
We're better than Wiki, any day!
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Thank you very much for posting this thread, guys! :)
I have made it Sticky so it will be the first one to see for anyone who come to this section of the Forum.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scheherazade
Cheers, thanks.
I hadn't realised quite how popular the topic still was in English nowadays! We'll put 'em all straight here.
All contributions welcome!
i cant remember quite what the representation was but it was when napolean changed his hate from one neighboring farm to another (similar to the switch of hate in contries during the two minuites hate in 1984)
Orwell was probably pointing on relation between USSR and Third Reich.Quote:
Originally Posted by ulvmane
On August 23th 1939 they made non-aggression treaty, which was later very helpful for Hitler; 8 days later he attacked Poland. Peace between USSR and Germany ended in dawn of June 22th 1941 when Germans attacked USSR in operation known as Operation Barbarossa.
After that, Stalin become friend with western states.
Someone also asked about cards at the end of story; probably pointing on Teheran's conference, where Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt acted like friends and were only trying to get what's best for them.
It's the hens that represent the peasantry. Boxer is a symbol of the loyal (and dim) proletariat
Moses represents the unreformed Orthodox Church which was a major landowner and very much in the pocket of the Czarist state. Orwell was particularly scathing in that representation. The donkey represents the alienated cynical intellectual who sees the truth but is not able to do much about it. He's not exactly effete but is helpless as well as cynical. He isn't terribly old at the start but his pride doesn't allow him to be honest about his age.
Baz has it exactly right, but I'll briefly cover the difference between the two uses of identical situations:Quote:
Originally Posted by ulvmane
In Animal Farm, it's done to reprise Hitler's treacherous deeds. Accordingly, the object of the enmity is important.
In 1984, it's to show that even though people believe there is a war, they are able to doublethink so successfully that they don't even choose to notice the change of enemy. The object of the enmity is irrelevant to the story. Another way to note the difference is that in 1984, the former USSR becomes an ally of Oceania.
Thanks, ennison.
I always liked Benjamin, the donkey as a representation of the Russian intelligentsia. Classic fatalism - what will happen, will happen. I think Orwell may have let his distaste for the church creep into Moses, because the RO church was no more able to deny the Czar than it did in England when Henry VIII wanted to change the rules.
Here's another question type which has just come up, and while that poster has missed out, hopefully this will help the next one:
The questions asked in ways that Animal Farm could be used as a children's story and compare that to the adult messages. I think we're covering the adult messages quite well, but I'll add this in as a kids' perspective:
While kids will miss all the vital points, the story contains enough fun and animals to keep smaller children interested, although I would personally edit the story when reading it to kids, leaving out the massacre in the barnyard for starters! The story itself will appeal to kids simply because of the talking animals and the thought of a group of animals running their own farm.
Certainly, the first part of the book reads very like a fairytale and should be easily understood. Kids can be inspired by the revolution itself - if you want something badly enough and work at it hard enough, it can happen. It shows that risks are sometimes worth taking and it shows the comradeship possible when all are working to a common goal. As a child, I remember being utterly inspired by Boxer, and devastated when he dies - another lesson for kids: no matter how big and strong we are, we are all finite in capacity.
Kids can delight in the achievements of the farm, be dismayed by the betrayal of Frederick and wonder at the silliness of Mollie and Moses.
Children will see the story vastly differently from an adult audience as they will concentrate on the by-play of interaction between the animals without understanding or knowing where it's going. Even without knowledge of the Russian revolution and the USSR, the book can be an excellent read for anyone.
Orwell's prose is not easy for little kids to read, so I've always read it to children so I can edit as we go.
thanks baz, my memory fades me and history isn't my strong subject. alot of what i'll add from now on might be more of the literature aspects. Such as the ace played in the end the end of the book. Either man cheated or animal cheated implying one of two things. 1. The animals have become so corupt that they are cheating now, or 2 man has to resort to cheating because animals have become supierior to them (just my personal thought)
In my country we usually say: The revolution ate her self.Quote:
Originally Posted by ulvmane
Definitely #1. Given the difficulty telling the difference between men and pigs, it's just further reiteration of that point - the differences were only superficial, underneath they were all cheats. The pigs had become men, right down to their worst faults.Quote:
Originally Posted by ulvmane
Actually The Atheist, I think this topic should be called
The Official LitNet AF homework help thread - get your answers here!
:D
A great idea with lots of great contributions, thank you all so much!
Cheers, go ahead and change it!Quote:
Originally Posted by Logos
Done! :)
hey guys first time posting here so be nice lol. Anyway i have an assignment on animal farm and a movie and one question asks what interpretations does animal farm make about our world? just asking here for some pointers. im thinking along the lines of how power corrupts people. anything else i should be looking at?
thanks in advance
There should be everything you need. If it's not, please specify your question little more.
http://www.online-literature.com/for...ad.php?t=25291
People sometimes don't realize that they became something they fought against before, also known as honores mutant mores , ends just the means...
HELLO dear Atheist,Quote:
Originally Posted by The Atheist
i'm from argentina and this is my first year teaching literature. this year we are reading animal farm. i really love it but my students not so much. when we started reading animal farm pretty much all of them thought the book was silly, now little by little they are starting to change their minds...but still...they are not completely captured by it...
since you seem to know so much about Animal Farm...and you're so willing to help with the analysis of it...i was wondering if you could think of some nice and interesting essay topics to use in my class...
i have used all the typical ones referring to theme and characterization as well as historical events...but my students seem to be completely demotivated...how can i make them write passionately about the book and its meanings?
any ideas?
another question i have for you and for anyone who would like to help out is:
why did the pigs accept moses back into the farm? the first time moses was kicked out has to do with the abolishing of religion in russia, right? so if moses returns...can that be related to the re-establishment of religion?
please, i would really appreciate your help
thanks a lot
anyone there? no answers? :(
:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:( NOBODY!! come on!!!!
Crikey!
We don't actually live in here, give us at least an hour! :lol:
??????Quote:
Originally Posted by aldana
Quote:
Originally Posted by aldana
jajajaja :lol: YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! my bad, sorry...Quote:
Originally Posted by The Atheist
It's a difficult book to teach to kids at times. I think the key is engaging their enthusiasm for the story before the book gets opened. Various ploys for this would include the obvious look at the Russian Revolution, but try to avoid just the historical data and make it personal - getting them to imagine something like it happening to their own country. (Whether Argentina's attempts at totalitarianism is appropriate, I will leave to your discretion!) Another way is to introduce them to the idea of imagery beforehand, so they expect the unexpected.Quote:
Originally Posted by aldana
I have to say that one of the better ones I've seen in recent times is asking kids to prepare a report for the UN, but modified to report for an animal protection agency instead, as it might be be more attractive than the UN which inevitably involves politics. I truly think that the politics is what puts kids off this book, so lots of the old themes mightn't be so appropriate nowadays.Quote:
Originally Posted by aldana
Kids mightn't understand politics, but most of them fully understand cruelty to animals and unfairness and by writing about the conditions and threats to the animals, they will be learning about the conditions of the people anyway.
Another option might be to ask how the animals which witness the ending in the farmhouse might raise a secret rebellion. This is the sort of thing which appeals to kids and while it might miss some of the more obvious political acts of the book, again if it gets them thinking about it, they'll pick it up anyway.
I think the key is to be creative. I've recently watched my own 15 year old be taught the standard curriculum form of the book and I thought the questions were boring.
No doubt Bazarov will put a few ideas up for you and I'll try to come up with more as well.
By the time Moses returns, he is seen as no threat whatsoever, so letting him return panders to the animals who want to hear his tales. The Russian equivalent is that the church was tolerated under Stalin, but it was so watered down by infiltration by KGB and forced to report on its own parishioners that it was never able to gain any foothold. In the end, it became one more form of ensuring that no resistance is possible - keep it open, but corrupted, rather than in secret, because people will always find a way to worship and it can be a powerful motivating tool.Quote:
Originally Posted by aldana
And good luck! Hope this helps. If not, keep asking, that's what we're here for.
Actually, just a quick note for anyone esle wanting urgent help, because I don't come in here every day, the best way is to send me a PM, becausae that notifies me by e mail, and I check them about every 20 minutes.
I also sleep sometimes!
Thank you so much for such a thorough answer, I really liked the idea of the UN report...i will have a go with that
As regards the question of moses, I agree with you that the pigs didn't see him as a threat...but what about the part when they give him a measure of beer in spite of the fact that he didn't actually do any work around the farm!? It was as a kind of reward? Or maybe they thought that they could actually USE him for something. Could it be that his preachings of a great afterlife actually served a purpose as a sort of hopeful message for the animals to work even harder? If they work hard enough in this life...they would be rewarded on the afterlife...kind of the same message that the catholic church provides: blessed be the poor for they would be rewarded on heaven (something of the sort:sick: )
what do you think?
Quote:
Originally Posted by aldana
Yep, I think you've hit it right on the head - because the church is powerless to do any harm, there was no reason not to let the proletariat have their beliefs in god and afterlife. You're also quite right in that the thought of an afterlife can be motivating for people, especially the ones who have little in their life of value.
I think the beer was just affirmation that the church was so under control that even a small reward now and then was appropriate, plus many priests would break their vows to pass on information to the KGB and no doubt they earned rewards for doing so, so again, Orwell is mirroring history.
Church is actually very strong and have a great influence on proles minds. That was helpful in WWII, people were ready to go to war for their country and they were blessed. Church was always in some misunderstanding with communism because they couldn't be silent with all those murders and disasters around them. Church was always like moral vertical of society so they had to say something and of course, feel consequences. Moses was kicked out of the farm like church was in the start of Stalin's ruling of Party. Later they were accepted back, maybe to give people some false hope, so they can handle with reality easier.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Atheist
Beer was not a sign of bribe, it was probably showing that church wasn't producing food and they were using it, like Party did. They tried to control the church but it was impossible. Maybe some of them did provide some informations to KGB, but those were exceptions. Thousands and thousands were tortured and killed for not cooperating with KGB.
My brother was reading Animal Farm in time of learning about 18th century history on his History classes. So when I asked him some Orwell's questions who looked me strangely...I really don't see purpose of reading Animal Farm before learning 20th century history.
hmm i was thinking while doing my assignment about the name napolean. im sure it was no coincidence that he had the same name as napolean bonapart. any link there perhaps what do we all think?
Exactly. My understanding was that the KGB took the initiative in seeing that those ones who were removed were replaced by ones friendlier to the party aims?Quote:
Originally Posted by bazarov
I think it can be a great introduction to that part of history in itself. The problem with 20th century history is that it's so vast compared to other eras that different countries have different agendas and the Russian Revolution may be dealt with cursorily anyway. I know our own history (a few millennia ago!) lessons were so British Commonwealth-biased that I didn't really know much at all about the rest of the world from my lessons.Quote:
Originally Posted by bazarov
Maybe schools need to look at where Orwell fits into high school English nowadays - the Revolution itself is nearly a century old and of course has been replaced by a more recent, more peaceful revolution. (so far)
Good spot. Orwell contains few coincidences, if any, and naming Napoleon is quite deliberate.Quote:
Originally Posted by osamabanana
The accepted theory is that Napoleon Bonaparte did a very similar manoevre in hijacking a revolution for his own ends and Orwell saw the opportunity to pour some hot sauce on the legend of Napoleon. Makes perfect sense to me.
I think Orwell had a bit of an agenda about Napoleon Bonaparte and wove it beautifully into the story. The legendary picture of Napoleon the man is that of a great, brave general, but Napoleon the pig is a cowardly, manipulative character - note the Battle of the Cowshed and how Napoleon's cowardice in hanging back was quickly replaced by the legend of his heroism.
Two for the price of one, I guess.
Bishop is replacing them, not KGB, so KGB was helpless in those situations. Priests were very very rarely friendly to Party, church was always a symbol of fight and hope against Party.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Atheist
Today, in worlds majority, number of priests is falling, many believe that it's because they ''don't have to fight or show their disagreement against someone or something''. That situations is most serious in ex communist states, mostly in Europe.
I DO believe that teaching something of the 20th century history is somewhat essential in approaching the reading of Aninal farm...I did precisely that with my students. Before even starting with the reading itself...we had a somewhat thorough introduction on historical background both for the author and for the russian revolution and following events in history. :thumbs_upQuote:
Originally Posted by bazarov
I must say that they were really into it...because they had already seen general 20th century history in other subjects, so they knew quite a lot about the topic and were able to contribute in the discussions.
But there still were a few points that proved to be really specific of the russian history -hence my question regarding moses as a symbol of church- and sometimes it's nice to hear different interpretations on the sybject.
:D I must say this forum is extraordinary...everybody is so willing to help and contribute with their ideas!!!! it's fantastic!!! :thumbs_up
I have to confess that i'm a big fan of Bazarov and The Atheist's views...THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE WITH ALL OF US!!!:banana:
This is great stuff!
i`m writing an analysis on this novel. could you guys help me cite the social and political issues found in the novel and in what chapter it appears. thank you.;)
If you start with the first post of this thread and just keep reading, I'm pretty sure you'll find all the answers - nearly everything in Animal Farm relates to social and political issues and we have them laid out above.Quote:
Originally Posted by igsozted
Enjoy!
Edit: Obviously, if there are more questions after that, give us a couple of specific ones.
Cheers
Indeed...
Nice location! :thumbs_up
:DQuote:
Originally Posted by bazarov
I figured it was appropriate!
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Well hello, I have an IGCSE Coursework to do on Animal Farm, "What strategies do the pigs use to suppress the other animals on the farm?"
And help or ideas anyone please??? :)