Animal Farm Introduction

Animal Farm Introduction Day 3

Outline • Allegory and why we are studying it • Allegory in contemporary TV and Film • Allegory in Nursery Rhymes • Keystone Questions on Allegory.

Allegory a story that can be read on multiple levels. Often, characters in the story will represent real people or ideas.

Allegory: Keystone Definition • A form of extended metaphor in which objects, persons, and actions in a narrative are equated with meanings that lie outside the narrative itself. • The underlying meaning may have moral, social, religious, or political significance, and characters are often personifications of abstract ideas such as charity, greed, or envy.

Smurfs • All the Smurfs dress the same way. • They sing the same group song over and over. • Everyone shares everything.

The Smurfs are an Allegory for: • A. Christianity • B. Communism • C. The Dark Ages • D. Nazi Germany Communism

Hamlet and the Lion King • I would like everyone to read a summary of Hamlet, and after that, let’s see if we can come up with any connections to the Lion King.

What comparisons can we make? • The original kings is killed by the jealous brother, and the brother takes over. • A ghost of the father appears to the son. • The son fights to take back the throne and defeat his uncle. • Exile

Avatar • Avatar has often been compared to an allegory that relates directly to American history. See if you can figure it out. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PSNL1qE6VY

Godzilla • Finally, Godzilla has been compared to an allegory for an event in recent world history. What could it be? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h1YmMbQxow

Allegory in Nursery Rhymes Ring around the rosyA pocketful of posies"Ashes, Ashes"We all fall down! -- Black Plague in 1665 -- red rings on skin -- carried flowers in pockets -- cremation of bodies

Allegory in Nursery Rhymes Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.All the King's horses, And all the King's menCouldn't put Humpty together again! -- Actually a cannon -- Sat on top of a wall guarding a city. -- English Civil War, 1648 -- Cannonball knocked the wall down

Allegory in Nursery Rhymes Three blind mice, three blind mice,See how they run, see how they run,They all ran after the farmer's wife,Who cut off their tails with a carving knife,Did you ever see such a thing in your life,As three blind mice? -- Farmer’s wife is Queen Mary -- Catholic/Protestant conflict -- 3 opposition protestants burned at the stake

Allegory in Nursery Rhymes Mary, Mary quite contrary,How does your garden grow?With silver bells and cockle shellsAnd pretty maids all in a row. -- Same Queen Mary, nicknamed “Bloody Mary” -- garden is a graveyard -- “silver bells”, “cockle shells” nicknames for torture devices -- “maid”, nickname for a guillotine

Keystone Allegories • Let’s take a look at some Keystone allegories.

# 1. The author most likely wrote this passage as an allegory to: • A. help readers locate the City of Choices on a map. • B. show that characters in fiction are always foolish • C. use fictional places as symbols for life experience. • D. show that all cities need to use better street signs

#2 What does the lavender plant most likely represent in this allegory • A. Jen’s desire to succeed in life. • B. Jen’s anger toward her father. • C. Jen’s friendship with Allegra. • D. Jen’s plan to help the planet.

#2 This passage is considered an allegory because • A. The weed growing in the garden represents a larger conflict in the story. • B. The story takes place in a small garden, and the main character loves plants. • C. The main conflict between the characters takes place before the story begins. • D. The story contains the main character’s thought but contains no dialogue.

Animal Farm is widely considered an allegory for The Russian Revolution of 1917 and the years that followed. The characters and events portrayed in the novel stand for real people and real occurrences during this time period.

Animal Farm Introduction