***Animal Farm Test: 100 marks on Tues. Apr. 17 (10 matching vocabulary; 10 matching character comparison; 10 T/F George Orwell; 64 multiple choice; 6 mark paragraph)***
Fri. Apr. 13 - Animal Farm online novel
- Review chapters 7 and 9 questions.
- Rotating themes exercise
- Review the Animal Farm test
paragraph question.
Animal Farm Synopsis
Orwell didn't include two phases of revolution in his story. This is one
example where there isn't a tidy parallel between the book and the
real history of the revolution. Animal Farm seems to lump together the
Russian Revolution (February 1917) and the rise of the Bolshevik party
(October Revolution 1917).
Who is Napoleon?
Napoleon, a Berkshire boar, is the main tyrant and villain of Animal
Farm and is based upon Joseph Stalin. He begins to gradually build up
his power, using puppies he took from mother dogs Jessie and Bluebell,
which he raises to be vicious dogs as his secret police. After driving
Snowball off the farm, Napoleon usurps full power, using false
propaganda from Squealer and threats and intimidation from the dogs to
keep the other animals in line. Among other things, he gradually
changes the Commandments to allow himself privileges such as eating at
a table and to justify his dictatorial rule. By the end of the book,
Napoleon and his fellow pigs have learned to walk upright and started
to behave similarly to the humans against whom they originally
revolted. Napoleon's name adds to the novella's themes of totalitarian
dictators rising from a vacuum of power and absolute power corrupting
absolutely. The character's namesake, Napoleon Bonaparte, forcibly
took control from a weak government in 1799, installed himself as
First Consul and eventually crowned himself Emperor (
Wikipedia).
To understand Stalin, the historical figure Napoleon the pig is based on, view Parts 1 to 5:
Joseph Stalin: The Real History (Part 1)
Joseph Stalin: The Real History (Part 2)
Joseph Stalin: The Real History (Part 3)
Joseph Stalin: The Real History (Part 4)
Joseph Stalin: The Real History (Part 5)
Thurs. Apr. 12 - Animal Farm online novel
- Review the vocabulary and answers to the Ch. 4 - 5
chapter questions.
- Review the Animal Farm
character comparison chart and watch the Russian - Revolution (Part 1) video.
Russian Revolution (Part 1)
What happened to Nicholas II and the Romanov family?
- National Geographic "
Tsar's Family's Death."
- 2008 Russia Today
news story.
- Read chapters 8 and 9.
Wed. Apr. 11 - Animal Farm online novel
- Read chapters 6 and 7 and work on the questions.
Tues. Apr. 10 - Animal Farm online novel
- Review ch. 1 - 3 Animal Farm questions. View George Orwell biography. Continue reading to the end of chapter 6.
Animal Farm by George Orwell is a novella that can be described as a
roman à clef (French for "novel with a key"), which is a work describing real-life behind a façade of fiction.
Although Animal Farm is short, it can be read and interpreted on several levels:
A "fairy tale" or "
fairy story"
can mean any far-fetched story that may feature folkloric characters
such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and talking animals,
and usually enchantments, often involving a far-fetched sequence of
events (Wikipedia).
A
fable is a succinct story, in
prose or verse, that features animals, plants, inanimate objects, or
forces of nature which are anthropomorphized (given human qualities),
and that illustrates a moral lesson (a "moral"). Fables can be
described as a didactic mode of literature. They frequently have as
their central characters animals with the ability to reason and speak
(Wikipedia).
In
satire, human or individual
vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to censure by means
of ridicule, derision, burlesque, irony, or other methods, ideally
with the intent to bring about improvement.Although satire is usually
meant to be funny, the purpose of satire is not primarily humour in
itself so much as an attack on something of which the author strongly
disapproves, using the weapon of wit (Wikipedia).
An
allegory is a form of
extended metaphor in which objects, persons, and actions in the
narrative are equated with meanings that lie outside the narrative
itself (Microsoft Encarta).
To appreciate the deeper satirical and allegorical elements within
Animal Farm, it is important to have an understanding of the author,
George Orwell, and the historical and political dynamics of his time.
View parts 1 -5 of George Orwell's biography and complete the
questions (see
Assignments and Handouts link):
George Orwell - Part 1
George Orwell - Part 2
George Orwell - Part 3
George Orwell - Part 4
George Orwell - Part 5
