NOTE: We only have one week to read this book, but it is short - 100 pages, so I don’t think it will be a problem.
It is a wonderful book! My husband picked it up a few weeks ago, and started reading it. He could not put it down. Orwell does an amazing job in this satire of showing the lunacy of Communism. He was cutting edge. He wrote this book during a time that Europe, as well as America, admired not only Communism, but Stalin, therefore this book was not popular when it first came out.
It is VERY important that you read the introduction, before you dive into the book. The introduction discusses Orwell’s beliefs, the climate in which he was writing, and some hints on which characters represent Communist leaders. Your level of enjoyment of the book will be in direct correlation between how much or how little you know about Communism. Since we spent quite a bit of time learning about Communism early in the school year, I know Kevin and Daniel will find this book very entertaining. Tyler, I of course don’t know about your level of understanding when it comes to Communism, but this book will be a good introduction.
There are six major themes in the book to watch out for. Since we only have one week to read this book and write an essay, we are going to do things a little differently. As you read, you will look out for the different themes, than you will write an essay comparing Animal Farm to Communist Russia. You will consider Orwell’s accuracy, how the people/animals respond to Communism, and the final result. No matter what theme you choose, the above three need to be considered. I’m sure now you are wondering what the themes are, well here you go!
1. Napoleon’s Cult of Personality as compared to Stalin’s.
2. The rivalry between Snowball and Napoleon compared to that of Stalin and Trotsky. You would also want to discuss the changing of historical facts.
3. Management of the means of production and the distribution of the wealth. Things to consider - the windmill, apples, milk, barley, use of the house, etc.)
4. Equality. Is true equality achieved or maintained?
5. Use of ceremony and symbols. Consider the songs, poems, chants, medals, meetings, flag, whip, two legs vs. four legs.
6. An ever evolving set of rules/commandments and the government’s manipulation of them.
Every Communist country in the world has had elements the above six themes. Orwell makes great use of the above to demonstrate the ridiculousness of the system. So as you read, jot down page numbers when the themes appear. This will assist you in writing your essay. Also, you may want to spend a little time brushing up on Communist Russia! Enjoy the book, I know you will like it!
I will post a place for you to post your essay, but since there are no discussion questions, there will be no post for that. You will still get an opportunity to ask me a question. Your essay is due on Friday the 21st by midnight. Please let me know if you have any questions along the way!
HINTS:
Snowball = Trotsky
Napoleon = Stalin
Major = Lenin
A stone is a unit of measure in England 1 stone = 14 pounds
Websites you might find helpful
Click here for information about Stalin and Trotsky and their rivalry.
Click here for information about Stalin rewriting history. There is a little here about his cult of personality.
I thought this site about Soviet posters was interesting.
Please let me know if you would like more websites or information!
4 comments:
When Orwell wrote Animal Farm there were many parallels to Russia in his mind at that time. A few of the many of the similarities are, one, the management of the little things, like the apples and the barley, milk and beer; two, the matter of equality, was it even introduced?; and three how Napoleon kept on changing the commandments and the givens on the animal Revolution. Like banning the song that first instilled the sight of rebellion in them.
First of all, the matter of the food and distribution of it. Though it started off as pretty fair community all around, Napoleon changed the amounts of the food, because one, obviously if you are in power of something, you most likely are going to take advantage of it unless you are virtues’ or a person/pig of good character which Napoleon was definitely neither; and two he was greedy and even though Old Major had told all of them that no animal should ever do any human thing, stay in a human home, drink human beer, sleep on human beds or anything in that matter, which I will expand on later. And finally the reason Napoleon was able to retain his power, control, dictatorship, or whatever you want to call it, was because he and Squealer told the animals lies they wanted to hear. Just one of the many examples was that when Boxer got carted away and was killed by basically a horse killer, Napoleon conjured up a lie that Squealer told which was that it wasn’t a horse killer; it was a doctor who had bought the car from the horse slaughterer and didn’t ever paint over the van which said the profession of the real owner on it. Of course the animals wanted to believe that he had died under extensive care of good doctors, so life went on at the farm.
As of the matter of Equality, which Old Major had severely stressed, may have been achieved when Snowball was around, it was utterly lost when Napoleon chased him off. Whereas food portions were almost exactly even when Snowball was there, Napoleon reduced the food of the majority by saying that ‘pigs need more food for our brains to think to come up with fair and equal solutions for the farm’ which all the while they were just stealing more and more from the general population. To be summarized, equality may have been achieved, but it most certainly wasn’t maintained.
And finally Napoleon’s largest blunder was that of the changing of all of the laws that Old Major had put in place, especially that all animals were created equal and that humans, or, as they said, four legs good, two legs bad, (for the while before Napoleon again changed it to, ‘four legs good, two legs better’). With almost every one of the Commandments, rituals, honors, Napoleon broke or changed, from having no human contacts, to doing their business completely with them and transforming into them. From no walking on two legs to doing that only, no clothes to all clothes, and almost everything possible to break, they did. How that paralleled to the real world with Russia, when Stalin gained popular appeal from his presentation as a 'man of the people' from the poorer classes. The Russian people were tired from the world war and the civil war, and Stalin's policy of concentrating in building "Socialism in One Country" was seen as an optimistic antidote to war. Likewise Napoleon professed himself as the perfect leader and that he was incredibly kind and generous when in fact he was a very selfish pig. When Stalin suggested "Socialism in One Country" it was like Napoleon saying that they should build the windmill. Though it was actually Snowball’s idea to build it, Napoleon told everyone that it was his idea and Snowball had stolen it. So when supposedly Napoleon was introducing a new age of peace, prosperity and freedom, he was actually their slave-master, dictator or king. In a place that was supposed to demonstrate fully the qualities of equality, it was actually the farthest thing from it.
So in summary, was the distribution of small things, big things, and freedoms distributed equally? NO. Was equality achieved and maintained? NO. Were the leader/s just and law-abiding people? Absolutely NOT. So even though the animal’s intentions of equality for all were good, for God did create us all equal, the way they went about it was not. And yet another parallel to Russia, for they two didn’t go about their so called ‘equality’ the right way.
Daniel Malouf
Mrs. Severson
English
March 22, 2008
Injustice
Often a deceitful rise to power is the foreshadowing of negative events to occur in the future. Such devious methods to gain power were utilized by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and small time crook Napoleon the pig. Both came to power by undermining the integrity of their political opponents, and therefore destroying the credibility of anyone except themselves. Control was maintained by instilling fear into their subjects. Rebellion was put down by prompt and quick destruction to anyone who dare disagree. The Russian Communists made it their primary objective to control the lives of the Russian people. Likewise, Napoleon slowly took away the liberties of the farm animals. He manipulated them by breaking the original seven commandments and changing their meanings. By changing their definitions, he made it lawful for himself to do things the animals had voted on abolishing. Soon the situation was so bad, they would have been better off with Mr. Jones managing the farm. Both Napoleon and Stalin came to power because the need for leadership was desperately necessary. The economy/farm had their door wide open for new ways of life. The Russian people and animals of the farm both helped to put two monsters in control. Both monsters cared little for the people, but for the increase in material goods and self pleasure. While the average person suffered from starvation and famine, the government was shipping out the goods they produced and desperately needed. A leader who places the well being of the populace under his own selfish ambitions, is a tyrant.
Much like Napoleon’s ascension to power, Stalin’s was obtained through patient cunning. Napoleon waited several years before running Snowball off the farm. In the meantime, he had been raising fierce dogs which he knew would be the enforcers of his will. Stalin gained footing in his attempt to control Russia by undermining Trotsky and publicly praising Lenin. Naturally it appeared to the people that Joseph Stalin was Lenin’s rightful successor. Stalin and Napoleon both privately and publicly undermined the credibility of their political opponents. Their lust for power overcame the desire to do right. After gaining complete and uncontested power, these two leaders ruled in similar fashions. Their corrupt rules were maintained by instilling fear into the subjects under their control.
Several themes we discover are deceit, and exploitation of the people. The governing bodies made the people fear them and depend upon them for protection and food. Instead of choosing to learn from the outside world, the government chose isolation for them. If the Russian people had known how well off the Western nations were, the Communist government might have been kicked out and replaced by a democracy or Republic. When the people of Russia complained or acted up, they were killed or sent directly to work camps. On Animal Farm, Squealer was Napoleon’s tool by which he communicated propaganda, and stated new laws. When the animals questioned Squealer he would simply tell them that if Napoleon did things differently, Jones would come back. This answer soothed them most of the time and they remained imprisoned. Often the animals were discouraged from even questioning new policies because of Napoleon’s fierce dogs which roamed around enforcing the wishes of Napoleon. Stalin had his fierce dogs as well. The secret police which carried out his cruel orders were called the NKVD. Both Stalin and Napoleon carried out mass murders. Napoleon ordered his dogs to kill the animals which were not avid supporters of his policies. Stalin’s was much worse. He alone is responsible for the murder of millions of his own people. Not only did he murder the Russian people, he starved the people. He began to export tons and tons of goods and food out of the nation. His own people needed the food and he was shipping it out for money. This resulted in widespread death and famine. Both the Russian peasants and animals on Animal Farm were expected to honor and revere their leaders. This must have been difficult to do when the government had been obviously exploiting them.
Mr. Jones and the Tsar leaders of Russia were replaced by Napoleon and Stalin. The people were hungry for a governing organization that would rule with honesty and fairness. In Russia’s case, the Tsars had been hated and generally disliked. This opened the door for the Communist party to openly rebel. This appealed to the people and they supported their efforts to bring down the government. When Lenin came into power, life was better than before, but not much. When Stalin replaced Lenin after his death, he quickly became the most despised leader in Russia’s history. He brought the nation into financial and industrial greatness, but death and struggle to the lower classes. When Mr. Jones was kicked off his farm, Snowball and Napoleon ruled well. The whole time however Napoleon was plotting against Snowball. So basically the animals and Russian people worked to place Tyrants in power. Both usurped the rights of the people/animals. The farm animals and Russian people expected freedom from their new governments, but were enslaved. Napoleon twisted the seven commandments in a way that allowed him to get away with breaking every commandment. He enslaved his fellow “comrades,” and worked them with little rest while he simply sat back and observed their progress. It is obvious that in the case of Joseph Stalin, Adolph Hitler, Mao Zedong, and Napoleon, dictatorships are not beneficial for the people. Greed and desire for power dominate the intentions of such governments and the citizens become tools by which the government gains wealth.
The rise of Stalin and Napoleon came from a general lack of ignorance. The Russian populace knew little about Socialism or Communism, and were hungry for new leadership. The tsars had reigned with brutality and once being kicked out of power; Russian society was looking for new leadership. The answer appeared to be found in Lenin. Lenin preached hope and equality which appealed to the people. Soon after he died, and was replaced by Stalin. Stalin remained aloof to the needs and desires of the nation. Only his corrupt and immoral mind made decisions for the whole of Russia. Napoleon and Stalin used fear as the instrument by which they preserved their control. The subjects were immobilized by the threat of death if they were to oppose the government. Such tyrants must never be allowed to come to power again, for they are a danger to their own country and will plague it with injustice.
Kevin Doody
Literature/Composition
Mrs. Severson
3/20/08
Unjustified Inequality
Equality is something that we all strive for. We will fight and die for this right, and it is essential in an effective form of government. In the book Animal Farm by George Orwell, this concept of equality is at first realized but eventually dies out as their leader, Napoleon, assumes a tyrannical rule. The same is to be seen in Soviet Russia. Stalin proclaimed that equality would be established, but in all actuality it was not. Napoleon and Stalin were influential figures but became drunk with power and took advantage of their massive amounts of authority.
Napoleon, the power-craving pig of Animal Farm, rose to the status of dictator within a short amount of time, thus creating a society of inequality. When the farm animals were first declared free, a set of rules were set in place by the pigs with the best interest of the Animal Farm in mind. The last commandment was “All animals are equal,” and six more preceded it. As time went on, the pigs began disputing over who of them was most qualified to lead Animal Farm. Napoleon won this argument with a forceful action that expelled his companion, Snowball, from Animal Farm. Thus eliminating all opposition, Napoleon was declared the Leader. Slowly but surely, Napoleon made changes to their code of conduct. When these changes were questioned, a pig named Squealer was sent to persuade the farm animals that the changes were for their benefit. Time went on, and eventually the only commandment in place read, “All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others.” Napoleon rarely showed himself to his fellow farm animals and was guarded at all times by ferocious dogs. He abolished their anthem and eventually began slaughtering those who opposed him. And all the while the dull, stupid farm animals followed blindly. Napoleon had become drunk with power and had raised himself to the status of dictator, destroying all hopes of equality.
Like Napoleon of Animal Farm, Stalin, dictator of Russia, seemed to endorse equality, but in reality, his rule was the exact opposite. Stalin rose to power and began persecuting all those who stood in his way to absolute authority. He instituted new system of social classes that contained privileged, dominant, and subject classes. He also eliminated private property. No longer did the people of Russia own their houses and personal items. These had become the State’s property. But this was not the only thing that created an unequal balance in Russia. Stalin was also unfair with wages. Wages varied from 50 to 60 rubles a month to over 20,000 to 30,000 a month. Sixty rubles a month was barely enough to support a family in the 1930’s in Moscow (worldsocialism.org). Stalin eliminated all who threatened his position as supreme ruler of Russia. His military personnel, who were willing to give their lives to Stalin’s cause, constantly guarded him. Stalin ruled his people with an iron fist and divided his people into unfair classes based upon their nationality or occupation.
Orwell used Napoleon and Stalin as a satire, which he used to poke fun at Soviet Russia. Both of these dictators saw an opportunity to rise into power and took it without hesitation. Both of these infamous dictators used elaborate words and promises of hope in order to attain their high status. They must have realized that what they were doing was wrong, because they surrounded themselves with bodyguards for protection against disgruntled citizens. Napoleon, leader of Animal Farm, and Stalin, leader of Russia, exercised a massive amount of power but unfortunately used this power to inflict injustice on those they were ruling.
The inequality that Napoleon and Stalin inflicted was unquestionably wrong. God places us all in places of authority. Some of us are placed in more influential places than others. But it is up to us to use the power that God has given us to the benefit of others and make sure that what we are doing is in line with God’s Word. Napoleon and Stalin did not stop to think about the detrimental effects that their rule was having on those around them. Unfortunately, they were merely concerned about their own comfort and wellbeing. This is clearly not God’s intended purpose of an influential leader. A leader that obeys God’s commandments and follows his precepts does not set himself above the people that he rules. He comes beside them and helps them in the work that is required to make their world a better place. He does not create an atmosphere of inequality.
Do you see any parallels between Maoist China and Animal Farm. Mao Zedong= Napoleon, Windmill= Great Leap Forward or 14-years plan, similar to the 5 year plan in Russia. Moses the Raven= Religion
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