Concept and Vocabulary Analysis for Orwell s Animal Farm

Transcription

1 Concept and Vocabulary Analysis for Orwell s Animal Farm Purpose of Concept/Vocabulary Analysis The Purpose of the Concept/Vocabulary Analysis is to give the teacher a vision of where he or she could go and what items could be covered while teaching a certain novel. A more condescended version might also be produced and given to the students as a study guide for them in preparation for reading and testing. Literary Text: Animal Farm, A Fairy Story by Eric Blair (pen name was George Orwell) Centennial Edition. Organizational Patterns Animal Farm is divided into ten chapters. The body of the text is preceded by three important literary items that give important background and detail for the reader of Orwell s politically powerful book. A foreword by Ann Patchett, a preface by Russell Baker, and an introduction by C.M. Woodhouse supply the reader with this much needed detail. Background Knowledge A prior understanding of the characteristics of a totalitarian state and of early twentieth century Russia and the rise of the Communist Party is essential if the reader of Animal Farm is to unlock the amazing parallels of Communism s characters to Orwell s characters. To understand the idea of the politically repressive totalitarian state is vital in appreciating all of the happenings on Manor/Animal Farm. Duiker and Spielvogel, in their modern history survey text World History, write The modern totalitarian state moved beyond the ideal of passive obedience expected in a traditional dictatorship or authoritarian monarchy. The new total states expected the active loyalty and commitment of their citizens to the regime s goals. They used modern mass propaganda techniques and high-speed communications to conquer the minds and hearts of their subjects. The total state aimed to control not only the economic, political, and social aspects of life, but the intellectual and cultural aspects as well (773). With this basic definition in mind, readers can appreciate how Orwell incorporates these repressive ideals in the lives of Napoleon, Squealer, and the fanged police force. A basic knowledge of the rise of Communism (especially after the death of Lenin in 1924) and the immediate struggles between Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin give depth and complexity to Snowball (representative of Trotsky) and Napoleon (Stalin). The student sees the literal parallels of how the latter ousts the former and would use the name of Snowball as a national enemy that would create negative unity among the lower animals. The reader of Animal Farm cannot miss obvious connection as Snowball is blamed for everything from the destruction of the windmill (50) to the shortage of food supply (55). The political purges that Stalin performed were done in

2 2 the name of the enemy Trotsky; similarly Napoleon performs his ruthless purges in the name of Snowball (58-60). Historical understanding allows for a rich harvest of reading. Issues/Major Concepts Politics: This is what the book is all about especially concerning the exposing of a corrupt totalitarian system of government and its affect on those within its fearful borders. Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism Animal Farm was the first book in which I tried, with full consciousness of what I was doing, to fuse political purpose and artistic purpose into one whole (xxiii). And with the theme of politics come such sub-themes as political protest, complacency (the politically unsavvy lives of the animals), rebellion, oppression (Napoleon s police force, withholding of food for minimal labor, etc), corruption of power, etc. If it deals with politics, especially the negative side of oppressive politics, the reader will discover it during his or her reading of Orwell. Whether it s the power of Old Major s organized ideas that lead to a political uprising and overthrow of current political thought (5-10), or if it is the compulsory means of policing (and eradicating) protest (39-40), Animal Farm contains it. Religion: The raven Moses, a clever talker, is the sole voice (and seemingly crazed one) that proselytes for converts to his Sugarcandy Mountain doctrine of bliss in the next life for ignorant political submission in this life (13-14). Ann Patchett, in her foreword writes It was Animal Farm that told me religion may be a hoax perpetuated by a bird named Moses (ix). Literacy: This is a theme throughout the text, emphasizing over and over again the power of both literacy and ignorance. It was the political elite (the pigs) who learned to read and write, while the rest of the animals (excepting a few Benjamin, Clover, Muriel) were fettered in ignorance by being taught that it was unnecessary that they learn the alphabet, it was sufficient for them to only know the reaching maxim of Animalism: Four legs good, two legs bad (24-25). Historical Interpretation: The book is laden with the danger of the pigs rewriting history and its negative psychological impact on the ordinary, politically inactive citizen. Squealer was making constant round(s) of the farm, set(ting) the animals minds at rest by assuring them that what they understood of previous events and traditions were false as he appealed to their illiterate ignorance insisting that none of what they were saying was written down anywhere and that it never was like that (46-47). Propaganda: This is one of the major themes throughout Animal Farm. From Old Major to Squealer, from Beasts of England to poetic justices that hailed Napoleon as father, the power of propaganda is a powerful idea portrayed by Orwell. Squealer, in every line he utters, is the ultimate expression of the influence of propaganda on the minds of the lower animals and its power to beat them into ignorant submission. This idea can be found in almost every chapter of the text.

3 3 Setting The story begins and ends on a small farm (Manor Farm/Animal Farm) in England. Foreshadowing The most prominent case of foreshadowing occurs during Old Major s arousing oratory as he relates his dream, his prophecy, of an animal uprising and the end to the power of humans animals only real enemy (6). Old Major declares I have little more to say. I merely repeat, remember always your duty of enmity towards Man and all his ways. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend. And remember also that in fighting against Man, we must not come to resemble him. Even when you have conquered him, do not adopt his vices. No animal must ever live in a house, or sleep in a bed, or wear clothes, or drink alcohol, or smoke tobacco, or touch money, or engage in trade. All the habits of Man are evil. And, above all, no animal must ever tyrannise over his own kind. Weak or strong, clever or simple, we are all brothers. No animal must ever kill any other animal. All animals are equal (8). As the reader of Animal Farm progress from chapter to chapter (specifically after Snowball is ousted and Comrade Napoleon ensures his tyranny) he or she will see how Napoleon apostatizes from Major s counsel. It would be the adaptation of human qualities that would destroy what the Rebellion had stood for and land the lower animals into a far worse state than they were in with Mr. Jones. This apostasy is peaked in chapter ten as the animals witness the pigs walking on two legs and engaging in the habits of Man. The last paragraph of the book is most noteworthy. Narrative Voice Animal Farm is told from the third-person. It is reasonable to assume that this third-person narrative is in fact the narrative of the lower animals. Tone The tone of Animal Farm is one of cynicism of political movements that promote equality, but instead produce major class distinctions/stratifications. Orwell, who was himself a socialist, was very skeptical not only of corrupt socialism, but of most political movements that boasted of equality but branded oppression to its powerless populace. The authors of the introductory pages label the text as a cautionary text on what possibly could happen if oppressive regimes control government. Irony The irony of the novel is that tyranny replaced tyranny and that by the end of the book the other animals could not distinguish a man from a pig, or a pig from a man (97).

4 4 Vocabulary Issues There are a few words such as scullery, ensconced, and indefatigable that the reader may need to look up in order to understand the connotation of such respective words. Also, students may need to familiarize themselves with farm language if they are unfamiliar with some of the machinery mentioned. Readers should always seek to understand and expand the vocabulary they come across in any text. But because Animal Farm uses simpler language, the vocabulary that I am most concerned with will be the political language that I will bring into the text (i.e., totalitarianism, propaganda, etc.). To understand these outside words, especially in the historical context of the Russian Revolution, will aid the students in their reading and understanding of what Animal Farm really is about. Affective Issues Related to Work With what propaganda are students bombarded with each day through the means of media? What is this propaganda aimed at? Students can become much more aware of the daily doses of political propaganda that surround them. Have students report each day during the Animal Farm unit on the rhetoric used today. If the unit is given during an election year, encourage students to follow the various campaigns and candidates. What are the issues? How are they addressed? Assign activities in which students briefly research the political movements of another country and report on those ideas to their peers. How does this movement affect the political movements in their own country? Research Ideas, Essay Questions, and Projects Study the life of Joseph Stalin. Report on the findings of Stalin using the life of Napoleon as a guide to present more in-depth findings on the Communist Comrade to peers. Compare and contrast the lives of Boxer and Benjamin. Who was the better citizen? Why didn t Boxer and/or Benjamin become more politically involved? Are you more like Benjamin or Boxer? Why? Present these finding in whatever form you choose. Collect /find (online, library, books, etc.) popular political propaganda (tracts, flyers, etc.) from the Revolutionary War through World War II. What does each have in common? Why is propaganda such a powerful tool? Create your own poster promoting propaganda for either Snowball or Napoleon. Discuss the idea Snowball as the common enemy. Why was this important for Napoleon? How did it unite the farm? Research more into how Stalin used this common enemy idea with Trotsky. Has it happened before? What about today? Find examples and incorporate them into your paper. Write poetry exalting or exposing Napoleon.

5 5 Discuss the idea of a police force in shaping a political machine. Write Chapter 11 to Animal Farm. What happens to the political machine of Napoleon? Is there a lower animal uprising? Finish the story Remember the full title of the book is Animal Farm: A Fairy Story. Did Orwell make a mistake in calling this piece a Fairy Story? What are the elements of a fairy tale? Is Animal Farm justified in having this subtitle? Why or why not? What role does Moses the raven play in this story? What is Orwell saying about the role of religion? Or is Moses irrelevant and is Orwell saying nothing concerning religion? What symbolism does the windmill have in this story? Discuss this idea as if coming from the journal of Napoleon. Supplemental Texts 1984 (Orwell) The Lord of the Rings (Tolkien) Lord of the Flies (Golding) Communist Manifesto (Marx and Engels) Stalin: The Man and His Era (Ulam)