LICENCE 1 :

ECUE : ILA62012- ETUDE D’ŒUVRE TD :12H

Corpus: ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell

Prof Louis OBOU

Introduction

- Revolution is beautiful; it is only the terror arising from it which is evil

- The story is an allegory

- The basic event of the novel is the story of totalitarianism, which
deprives people of memory and thus retools them into a nation of
children

- Totalitarian world is a world of answers than questions

- The stupidity of people comes from having an answer for everything.

- The wisdom of the novel comes from having a question for everything.
1. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

George Orwell (1903-1950), pseudonym of Eric Blair, was born into a poor but
proud middle-class family. He was sent to a private school, from where he won
a scholarship to Eton. After his studies he served in the Burma Police, and then
resigned from dislike of what he interpreted as imperialist oppression Burmese
Days (1934). He then tried to appease his sense of utmost destitution.
During the Spanish civil war, he joined the ranks of the POUM (Workers’ Party
for Marxist Unification) a party favorable to I. D. Trotsky and opposed to the
Brigades internationals supported by J. Stalin. Orwell was wounded in the throat
to defend his greatest ideal: freedom.

2. ANIMAL FARM ( A.F.):SYNOPSIS OF THE STORY

- The novel is an allegorical presentation of the situation which developed in

Russia after the Revolution of the October 1917 and after the death of Stalin.
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- Orwell specifically had Russia in mind but also draws from his experiences
in Spain to show that all-meant societies are at risk.
- The novel is divided into ten (10) chapters.
- Right at the start of the book, the author shows Jones as being a drunk,
neglectful farmer who cares very little about his animals. The farm was in a
terrible state.
- The animals were clearly oppressed and had good reason to want change.
- The revolution took place. Mr. Jones was chased away from his farm
- The pig straight away took their place immediately in front of a basic
hierarchical society.
- Gradually as the pigs gain more and more power they find it harder to resist
temptation, soon after their revolution falter” and they “ adopt his vices” they
move into Jones’ house, drink alcohol and engage in trade with the other
farms, all things which Old Major had specifically urged them not to do.

3. CONTEXT AND INTEREST

- Context: during the war, the Spanish Civil War, Orwell began to realize the
true nature of Stalin’s rule in Russia. The actions of the Communists in Spain
exposed him how false the idea was the Russia was a Socialist State. He then
went on to write Animal Farm as a way to remind people about the true facts
of the Russia Revolution and the nature of Stalin’s rise to power, becoming a
totalitarian dictator. Essentially Orwell wanted to save Socialism from
Communism.
- Interest: it is important for younger generations to see how a wonderful ideal
can be betrayed by a minority of people (leaders). Orwell’s message is that
any society which has leaders with absolute power is ultimately doomed to
failure due to the inevitability of leaders manipulating power for their own
personal benefit.

THEMES
The major theme od AF is the betrayal of the Russian Revolution and the way
that good will can fall prey to ambition, selfishness and hypocrisy.
AF also addresses the abuse of power, the misuse of power, the question of
leadership.

CHARACTERIZATION
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Characterization, as Arnold Bennett put it, is “the foundation of good fiction …
and nothing else” the actions are animated by one or more characters. Without
these characters the action or plot of the novel would have no impulse.
Characters are functions therefore essential to the story. The role played by
characters in the novel may vary. In A.F., animals are used as characters to gives
an insight into Orwell’s political feelings.

SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR STUDY

 STUDY1
a) The rebellion
- Aspirations of the animals
- The causes
- Objective of the rebellion
- Organization of the rebellion
 STUDY2

b) The revolution in fetters

- Manifestation of totalitarianism
- Different stages of the betrayal of the rebellion
- Evolution of differentiation
- Evolution of democracy
- Propaganda
 STUDY3
i) Find examples of what you feel to be:
- excessive sentimentality
- Ironical circumstance
ii) Find examples of each of the following type of characters
- The innocent figure
- The horrible or grotesque foil ( contrasting character)
- The pompous or broadly humorous fun-maker
- A tender or powerfully figure

 STUDY4
- Orwell’s pessimism
- The philosophy of “animalism” and Marxist-communism
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 Conclusion
- Revolution or reform to change the society? The answer according to Orwell
was reform, not revolution.