Understanding Animal Farm by George Orwell

Materials

• Copies of Animal Farm by George Orwell
• Access to projector for “Animal Farm Context – Schooling Online” via YouTube.
• A Google Doc for students and teacher to write down questions
• Or a whiteboard and markers

Steps involved

1. Introduction

Journal: Can you think of an instance where you found it difficult to stand up for what you believe in because of the beliefs of those around you? Were you able to overcome this obstacle? Why or why not?

• Give students 5-10 minutes to think and write.
• Ask a few students to share if they would like. Talk about the societal pressure we might feel due to “herd mentality”. How does “herd mentality” push us into a box? How does this, then, create an opportunity to allow power imbalance into our lives?

2. Watch the “Animal Farm Context – Schooling Online” video on the resources tab

To ensure comprehension, facilitator can ask the following questions once the video has concluded:

• What is an allegory?
• What was George Orwell’s purpose behind writing Animal Farm? What did he want to communicate to his audience?
• What parallels did you find between the characters in Animal Farm and the historical figures shown in the video, such as Trotsky, Stalin, and Marx? In other words, what role do the animals and their representations serve in order to make Orwell’s point?
• What is propaganda? How does propaganda influence us? Where do we see propaganda being used in the book?
• Why do you think it is important to understand the historical relevance of a story?

3. Close Reading Discussion

PASSAGE 1
“And remember, comrades, your resolution must never falter. No argument must lead you astray. Never listen when they tell you that Man and the animals have a common interest, that the prosperity of the one is the prosperity of the others. It is all lies. Man serves the interests of no creature except himself. And among us animals let there be a perfect unity, perfect comradeship in the struggle. All men are enemies. All animals are comrades.”

Discussion Questions:

• What was Orwell’s intention behind including Old Major’s character at the beginning of the story?
• Why do you think man and animals can’t have a common interest? Why can’t the prosperity of man not be the prosperity of the animals? How does power influence these ideas?
• What is the importance of community during societal hardship? In other words, why does Old Major think banding together is the answer to the animal’s struggle?

PASSAGE 2
“In spite of the shock that Snowball’s expulsion had given them, the animals were dismayed by this announcement. Several of them would have protested if they could have found the right arguments. Even Boxer was vaguely troubled. He set his ears back, shook his forelock several times, and tried hard to marshal his thoughts; but in the end he could not think of anything to say. Some of the pigs themselves, however, were more articulate. Four young porkers in the front row uttered shrill squeals of disapproval, and all four of them sprang to their feet and began speaking at once. But suddenly the dogs sitting round Napoleon let out deep, menacing growls, and the pigs fell silent and sat down again. Then the sheep broke out into a tremendous bleating of “Four legs good, two legs bad!” which went on for nearly a quarter of an hour and put an end to any chance of discussion.”

Discussion Questions:

• Why do you think many of the animals struggled to argue against Snowball’s expulsion?
• What is the importance of the sheep’s mantra, and how has it changed throughout the story thus far?
• How does a corrupt leader benefit from the silencing of their citizens?

PASSAGE 3
“That evening Squealer explained privately to the other animals that Napoleon had never in reality been opposed to the windmill. On the contrary, it was he who advocated for it in the beginning, and the plan which Snowball had drawn on the floor of the incubator shed had actually been stolen from among Napoleon’s papers. The windmill was, in fact, Napoleon’s own creation. Why, then, asked somebody, had he spoken so strongly against it? Here Squealer looked very sly. That, he said, was Comrade Napoleon’s cunning. He had seemed to oppose the windmill, simply as a maneuver to get rid of Snowball, who was a dangerous character and a bad influence.”

Discussion Questions:

• What role does Squealer play in this story? What does Squealer gain from defending and reinforcing Napoleon’s beliefs/actions? How does he twist the truth in order to persuade the other animals?
• How does a corrupt leader’s rise to power benefit from manipulation tactics? How are the animals manipulated throughout the story?

PASSAGE 4
“Nevertheless, some of the animals were disturbed when they heard that the pigs not only took their meals in the kitchen and used the drawing room as a recreation room but also slept in beds. Boxer passed it off as usual with “Napoleon is always right!”, but Clover, who thought she remembered a definite ruling against beds, went to the end of the barn and tried to puzzle out the Seven Commandments which were inscribed there. Finding herself unable to read more than individual letters, she fetched Muriel.

“Muriel,” she said, “read me the Fourth Commandment. Does it not say something about never sleeping in a bed?”

With some difficulty Muriel spelt it out.

“It says, ‘No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets,” she announced finally.

Curiously enough, Clover had not remembered that the Fourth Commandment mentioned sheets; but as it was there on the wall, it must have done so.”

Discussion Questions:

• What is the benefit of thinking critically for ourselves? How can we prevent falling into ideas supported by “herd mentality” thinking?
• How does the lack of education of a leader’s citizens make them more susceptible to propaganda and manipulation?

PASSAGE 5
“Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No questions, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”

Discussion Questions:

• How does the evolution of the pigs represent corruption?
• What lesson is Orwell trying to teach his audience by ending the story here? How does this ending emphasize the dangers of power and corruption?

4. Conclusion

Facilitator will summarize key points from the discussion.

Students will be asked to share any final thoughts they have.