Story Review

and
Test Prep
“Animal Farm”

By George Orwell

Materials Needed:
Lined paper (1+ sheets)
Pen/Pencil
Notes & Novel
Motivation and desire to succeed!
Symbolism Video
“Animal Farm” Vocabulary

 Study the vocabulary list I provided.

Symbolism & Allegory Review

 Study your notes on symbolism and allegory.

Character Map: “Animal Farm”
Themes in “Animal Farm”

 The Corruption of Socialist Ideals in the Soviet

Union
 The development of Communism
 Rise of power of Stalin
 Struggle between Leon Trotsky and Joseph
Stalin
 Orwell believed in socialist ideals, but felt
Soviet Union realized the ideals in a perverse
form
 The gradual corruption of socialist ideals
Themes in “Animal Farm”

 The Societal Tendency Toward Class

Stratification

 Humans maintain and reestablish class structures

 Power vacuum was created when Jones was

expelled – totalitarian control

 Division between intellection and physical labor,

expressed in new class divisions
Themes in “Animal Farm”

 The Danger of a Naïve Working Class

 Story told from the perspective of the working

class

 Gullible, loyal, hardworking

 Boxer’s personal maxims, despite contradictions

Themes in “Animal Farm”

 The abuse of language as instrumental to the

abuse of power

 Language is manipulated to gain control

 Major dies, his words are manipulated and

meaning changed

 How the commandments are changed

Songs in “Animal Farm”

 Beasts of England, improve moral

 Chants (sheep/working class) – new ideas or to

drown out protesters

 Ode to Napoleon

 They erode the sense of individuality

State Ritual in “Animal Farm”

 The ruling class increasingly dictates and defines

the identity and values of the working class
Symbols in “Animal Farm”

 Animal Farm: Russia and Soviet Union under

Communist rule. Also, symbolizes human
society

 The Barn: The collective memory of the modern

nation. If working class believes history supports
the oppressors, they are less likely to oppose

 Windmill: The pigs’ manipulation of the working

class for their own gain. Psychological
manipulation. Betrayal when it is converted to
commercial use instead of for the working class
 The End!

Make sure you study

for the test
tomorrow!