Animal Farm
Historical Events Behind the Story:
Background Information: Why did George Orwell write Animal Farm?
George Orwell wrote Animal Farm in 1945. It is a story with a political meaning
(an allegory and satire). The story is based on the Russian Revolution of 1917 and
the rise of the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin.
Orwell believed in equality and democratic socialism, but he did not agree with
Stalin’s dictatorship. In the story, he uses animals on a farm to show this idea.
The book shows how a revolution that starts with promises of freedom and
equality can slowly turn into a system where there is oppression, corruption, and
abuse of power.
The message of the story is a warning: leaders can break the promises of a
revolution and control people by using power in the wrong way.
The Russian Revolution (1917)
The Russian people revolted against Nicholas II because of poverty, inequality,
and bad living conditions. They wanted a fairer society, with more equality and
better chances for ordinary people.
In the novel:
The animals rebel against Mr. Jones because he mistreats and ignores them. Like
the Russian people, the animals want to build a society where everyone is treated
fairly and shares the work and the results equally.
Communism
,The revolutionaries wanted a society where everyone was equal and shared
resources fairly.
In the novel:
This idea becomes Animalism, the system created by the animals after the
rebellion. Animalism is based on the belief that all animals are equal and should
work together for the good of everyone.
Old Major tells the animals to think about their lives and to stand up against Mr.
Jones. After a rebellion, the animals chase Mr. Jones away and take control of the
farm. They create a new system called Animalism, which is similar to
communism. The idea is that all animals are equal and share
everything.
They make seven rules, called the Seven Commandments:
1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
7. All animals are equal.
Later in the story, the pigs start changing the rules to get more power.
For example, “Four legs good, two legs bad” becomes “Four legs good, two legs
better.” Another rule changes from “No animal shall kill any other animal” to “No
animal shall kill any other animal without cause.”
At the end of the story, the pigs have changed Animalism completely. The final
rule becomes: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than
others.”
This shows that the pigs have become like the humans they once fought against.
Orwell wants to show that leaders can abuse their power and destroy the original
ideas of a revolution.
, The Struggle for Power
After Lenin died, Stalin and Trotsky fought for power in the Soviet Union.
In the novel:
After Old Major (=Lenin) dies, Napoleon and Snowball fight for leadership of
Animal Farm. They represent Stalin and Trotsky.
Snowball wants to build a windmill so the animals can work more easily and have
more free time. Napoleon wants the animals to work harder to get more
production and profit.
Napoleon chases Snowball away by using trained dogs to scare him. After that,
Napoleon becomes the leader. He blames Snowball for problems on the farm and
says he is an enemy. He also takes some of Snowball’s ideas and uses them as
his own.
Stalin's Dictatorship
Stalin used propaganda, fear, and violence to stay in power.
In the novel:
Napoleon uses Squealer and the dogs to control the animals. Squealer spreads
propaganda and tells lies to make the animals believe that Napoleon is always
right. The dogs are used to scare and attack any animal that disagrees with
Napoleon.
Corruption of the Soviet Union
The leaders became rich and powerful while ordinary citizens remained poor.
In the novel:
The pigs enjoy privileges while the other animals continue to suffer. The pigs start
to live better than the others and take more food and comfort for themselves,
while the other animals still work hard and get little in return. For example: Boxer
works day and night to be sure that the animals have food and can survive.
Historical Events Behind the Story:
Background Information: Why did George Orwell write Animal Farm?
George Orwell wrote Animal Farm in 1945. It is a story with a political meaning
(an allegory and satire). The story is based on the Russian Revolution of 1917 and
the rise of the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin.
Orwell believed in equality and democratic socialism, but he did not agree with
Stalin’s dictatorship. In the story, he uses animals on a farm to show this idea.
The book shows how a revolution that starts with promises of freedom and
equality can slowly turn into a system where there is oppression, corruption, and
abuse of power.
The message of the story is a warning: leaders can break the promises of a
revolution and control people by using power in the wrong way.
The Russian Revolution (1917)
The Russian people revolted against Nicholas II because of poverty, inequality,
and bad living conditions. They wanted a fairer society, with more equality and
better chances for ordinary people.
In the novel:
The animals rebel against Mr. Jones because he mistreats and ignores them. Like
the Russian people, the animals want to build a society where everyone is treated
fairly and shares the work and the results equally.
Communism
,The revolutionaries wanted a society where everyone was equal and shared
resources fairly.
In the novel:
This idea becomes Animalism, the system created by the animals after the
rebellion. Animalism is based on the belief that all animals are equal and should
work together for the good of everyone.
Old Major tells the animals to think about their lives and to stand up against Mr.
Jones. After a rebellion, the animals chase Mr. Jones away and take control of the
farm. They create a new system called Animalism, which is similar to
communism. The idea is that all animals are equal and share
everything.
They make seven rules, called the Seven Commandments:
1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
7. All animals are equal.
Later in the story, the pigs start changing the rules to get more power.
For example, “Four legs good, two legs bad” becomes “Four legs good, two legs
better.” Another rule changes from “No animal shall kill any other animal” to “No
animal shall kill any other animal without cause.”
At the end of the story, the pigs have changed Animalism completely. The final
rule becomes: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than
others.”
This shows that the pigs have become like the humans they once fought against.
Orwell wants to show that leaders can abuse their power and destroy the original
ideas of a revolution.
, The Struggle for Power
After Lenin died, Stalin and Trotsky fought for power in the Soviet Union.
In the novel:
After Old Major (=Lenin) dies, Napoleon and Snowball fight for leadership of
Animal Farm. They represent Stalin and Trotsky.
Snowball wants to build a windmill so the animals can work more easily and have
more free time. Napoleon wants the animals to work harder to get more
production and profit.
Napoleon chases Snowball away by using trained dogs to scare him. After that,
Napoleon becomes the leader. He blames Snowball for problems on the farm and
says he is an enemy. He also takes some of Snowball’s ideas and uses them as
his own.
Stalin's Dictatorship
Stalin used propaganda, fear, and violence to stay in power.
In the novel:
Napoleon uses Squealer and the dogs to control the animals. Squealer spreads
propaganda and tells lies to make the animals believe that Napoleon is always
right. The dogs are used to scare and attack any animal that disagrees with
Napoleon.
Corruption of the Soviet Union
The leaders became rich and powerful while ordinary citizens remained poor.
In the novel:
The pigs enjoy privileges while the other animals continue to suffer. The pigs start
to live better than the others and take more food and comfort for themselves,
while the other animals still work hard and get little in return. For example: Boxer
works day and night to be sure that the animals have food and can survive.
