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Who is George Orwell?. George Orwell. Eric Arthur Blair Wrote very political novels 1984 Animal Farm He believed that governments limited individual’s freedom of choice, love of family, and tolerance for others.
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George Orwell • Eric Arthur Blair • Wrote very political novels • 1984 • Animal Farm • He believed that governments limited individual’s freedom of choice, love of family, and tolerance for others. • He emphasized honesty, individuality, and the welfare of society throughout his writings.
Let’s connect it to the Russian Revolution • Critics often consider Animal Farmto be an allegory of the Russian Revolution.
Early 1900s, Russian peasants were struggling to survive under an oppressive government. • By 1917, the Russian Revolution began. • A series of battles resulted in a struggle for power. • Trotsky, a revolutionary was defeated by Stalin • The communists won. • Stalin took power. • Stalin seized land in order to create collective farms. • Many peasants refused to give up their land. • Stalin used vicious military tactics. • killed 20 million people. • The government controlled the flow and content of information to the people, and all but outlawed churches. Russian Revolution
What is an allegory? • An allegory is a narrative that can be read on more than one level. What do we mean by “level?”
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Allegory of Populist movement Dorothy—naïve, young and simple—represents the American people. Tin man=working man (represents the idea that workers went from being important to just part of a machine) The Scarecrow= Western farmer (no brain). A major theme of the populist movement was that famers couldn’t understand its complex theories. The Cowardly Lion=an unsuccessful politician Wicked Witch of the West=figure for the West Flying monkeys=Native Americans
Animal Farm characters and what they represent • Mr. Jones = Czar Nicholas II (Mrs. Jones=Alexandra, Nicholas II wife) • Napoleon= Stalin, 2nd leader of Soviet Union • Squealer=Russian media, Stalin’s way of spreading “truth to the masses” • Snowball=Trotsky, a Revolutionary (one of Stalin’s enemies) • Boxer=working class “I will work harder!” • Mollie=Russia’s upper class • Dogs=military/police • Moses=The Russian Orthodox Church • Hens=Peasant farmers • Ducks=peasantry • Rats & rabbits=beggars, thieves and gypsies • Mr. Whymper=capitalist who did business with the Soviet state
Fable • A fable is a story, featuring nonhuman characters, that illustrates a moral lesson. • The characters in a fable are usually animals whose words and actions reflect human behavior.
The Ox and the Frog • "Oh Father," said a little Frog to the big one sitting by the side of a pool, "I have seen such a terrible monster! It was big as a mountain, with horns on its head, and a long tail, and it had hoofs divided in two." "Tush, child, tush," said the old Frog, "that was only Farmer White's Ox. It isn't so big either; he may be a little bit taller than I, but I could easily make myself quite as broad; just you see." So he blew himself out, and blew himself out, and blew himself out. "Was he as big as that?" asked he. "Oh, much bigger than that," said the young Frog. Again the old one blew himself out, and asked the young one if the Ox was as big as that. "Bigger, Father, bigger," was the reply. So the Frog took a deep breath, and blew and blew and blew, and swelled and swelled. And then he said, "I'm sure the Ox is not as big as this." But at that moment he burst. • Self-conceit may lead to self-destruction.
