Animal Farm

Allegory

A literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent other events - Animal Farm is an Allegory for Communist Russia

Allegory of the Cave

Plato's description of individuals who live their lives in accordance with the shadows of reality provided by sensory experience instead of in accordance with the true reality beyond sensory experience; the views of the people in the cave are limited, they can only see what they are told to see

Karl Marx (1818-1883)

Wrote the communist manifesto, invented communism, didn't believe in religion

Proletariat

Marx's term for the working class

Bourgeoisie

Marx's term for the wealthy class

Czar Nicholas II

Russian Czar during WWI; unpopular with Russian people; was just a normal king - not a tyrant; had a lot of siblings who were rulers of other countries, started a family feud that turned into a war later on

Vladmeir Lenin

A revolutionary, was a harsh ruler, pre-Stalin, Leon Trotsky was his 2nd in command

Joseph Stalin

Russian leader who succeeded Lenin as head of the Communist Party and created a totalitarian state by purging all opposition, communized all of Russia, made the gulag system, widely hated nowadays, was leader in WWII

USSR

Communist Russia

Napoleon

Stalin; the "leader" of the farm; intimidation is his form of power

Snowball

Trotsky; exiled by Napoleon; becomes the common enemy on the farm and is blamed for all of the bad

Squealer

Propogandist; justifies Napoleons monopolization of resources; twists the truth

Old Major

Marx; beasts of England song;

Boxer

Proletariat (working class); really strong horse; sold for glue so the pigs can buy more whisky

Mollie

Bourgeoisie (upper class) that fled from Russia; loves being pampered; ribbons

Clover

Mother figure; suspects the pigs of violating commandments - is taken advantage of because she is not as smart as the pigs

Benjamin

Cynic (believes that people are selfish no matter the cost); he is one of the only animals who understands the manipulation

Moses

Religion (Russian Orthodox Church); Sugarcandy Mountain - heaven

Sheep

Ignorant masses

Dogs/puppies

KGB (secret police)

Jones

Czar Nicholas II; old farmer of Animal Farm - Manor Farm; is overthrown

Whymper

America/Foreign ambassadors

Pilkington

England

Fredricks

Germany

Pigs

become corrupt with power; are supposed to lead fairly but end up being worse than before; become indistinguishable from humans

Manipulation of Language

Changes in the commandments; keeps animals obedient; Squealer is the main one who does this

Birds

Have wings; can escape and get out of the farm

Blind Faith

Belief despite the lack of evidence; Boxer does this through his motto of "Napoleon is always right"

Change

the plans always are changing in Animal Farm: the animals were promised one thing, and then they are actually given the complete opposite but are gaslit into thinking this is what they want

1st Commandment

Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy

2nd Commandment

Whatever goes upon 4 legs, or has wings, is a friend

3rd Commandment

No animal shall wear clothes

4th Commandment

No animal shall sleep in a bed - changed to with sheets

5th Commandment

No animal shall drink alcohol - changed to add to excess

6th Commandment

No animal shall kill any other animal - changed to without cause

7th Commandment

All animals are equal; broken on the first day

Commandments left over at the end

just one: ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS