Download Animal Farm Background Research (1)

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Animal Farm Background Research
Part 1:
○ George Orwell was born June 25.1903
○ In Motinar, India
○ as Eric Aranur Blair.
considered the most influential writer of the 20th century
His family was "lower-upper-middle class'
moved to England at age one with his mother
○ lived there until 1922
attended private school at 8.
continued education at Wellington and Elton
○ most renowned schools in England
because of poor grades, he did not receive a scholarship which led him to enlist in the
Indian Imperial Police in 1922
trained for years in Burma, inspiring his first novel
Down and Out in Paris and London (1933)
○ lived homeless, worked menial jobs to improve his writing
○ initially rejected by publishers
○ chose the name George Orwell to create a new persona
commisioned to write an account of poverty in 1936
○ resulted in Road Wigan Pier (1931)
travelled to Spain to fight republicans against Francos Nationalists
○ forced to flee
worked on propaganda for BBC 1941-1943
became an anti-Stalinist for rest at his life
animal farm
○ published in 1945
○ political fable set in a farmyard
○ based on Stalin’s betrayal of Russia
○ made Orwell famous and financially comfortable
1984
○ published in 1949
○ set in the future
died on January 21, 1950
○ tuberculosis
○ age 46.
Part 2:
Animal farm is an example of an allegory in literature (a story with two meanings: one
literal and one symbolic).
○ Literal meaning: animals on a farm
○ Symbolic meaning: a tyrannical regime of Communist leaders in the early 20th
century
Animal farm is an example of a fable (a story that teaches a lesson)
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The lesson is about the abuse of power, and danger of propaganda, and the
value of education and active involvement
Animal farm is also satire, which criticizes human behavior (especially social and political
systems) through ridicule, irony, sarcasm, and exaggeration.
​Part 3:
System of government types:
○ Capitalism: an economic system in which private citizens own land, property,
and business; characterized by a free competitive market motivated by profit
○ Communism: a type of government in which a single party holds power and the
government controls the economy; classes are abolished and property is
commonly controlled by the “whole”
○ Czarist government (also Tsarism or Tsarist Autocracy): a system of
government in which a Czar has absolute power and authority, including over
religious issues
○ Democracy: a type of government ruled by the people by means of elected
officials
○ Republic: a form of government in which the head of state is not a monarch, and
the citizens elect representatives; most often, a republic is a sovereign country
○ Socialism: an economic system against private party ownership, in which
production and distribution are controlled by a majority and citizens are paid by
the work done rather than by need
○ Totalitarianism: a government system in which a single party rules without
opposition over political, economic, social, and cultural life; this type of
government sees no limit to its rule, and strives to control all aspects of its
citizens, including personal and private means through restriction, mass
surveillance, and terrorism
Part 4:
Animal Farm is an allegory of the Russian revolution of 1917 in which the Russian czar,
Nicholas ll.
Orwell creates fictional characters that represent real people involved in events of the
Russian Revolution
In the mid-1800s, people worked laborious hours for small wages in unsafe conditions.
○ this sparked a communist league that strived to improve worker’s situations
○ this led to the creation of the Communist manifesto, which argued that capitalism
was unstable
○ it argues social classes and uneven distribution of wealth will not occur unless a
revolution happens
A political party was then formed called the “Bolshevik Party” led by Vladimir Lenin.
○ they led a revolution after having enough of Czar Nicholas— who led Russia at
the time.
- decided to overthrow the czarist regime and set up the union of soviet socialist
republics— led by Lenin.
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- when Lenin eventually died in 1924, this sparked conflict between Leon Trotsky
(Marxist) and Joseph Stalin (communist party). Stalin gained control and ran Trotsky out
of the country.
Stalin worked to establish industrial and economic growth.
○ Stalin used his new influence to purge those who opposed him
○ - established secret police that executed and punished those who went against
Stalin
○ - led the great purge
○ - 1930s great purge led to the execution of millions, many ethnic minorities
■ - if not execution, deportation
○ - entered pact with Nazi Germany in 1939
○ - Nazis violated the pact in 1941
○ - soviets joined allies to eject hitler
○ - this regime dispelled freedom, forced labor, and caused general moroseness.
○ - remained under control until death in 1953
○ - USSR official dissolved in 1991
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