George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm, published at the end of World War  II, is a cautionary tale of the dangers of totalitarianism and the human  tendency for corruption, especially in politics. The story is an allegory  for the Russian Revolution and Stalin’s leadership of the Communist  Soviet Union, but it also serves as a criticism of all totalitarian regimes.  

Animal Farm begins with the animals of Manor Farm gathering  together to listen to the vision and prophecies of Old Major, a well respected boar. He enlightens the animals of the unjust principles  they’re subject to as workers on Manor Farm. He paints a picture of  human beings as corrupt leaders who take but never give back to the  animals. He dreams of a day when the animals will live in freedom and  will control their own destiny. After he dies, the pigs – the cleverest  animals on Manor Farm – codify his words into a system of thought  called “Animalism,” representing Communism.  

The pigs begin a rebellion, in which they take over the farm, and help  defend it from humans. At first, the other animals rally around the pigs,  forbidding human behavior. Three pigs - Napoleon (symbolizing Joseph  Stalin), Snowball (symbolizing Leon Trotsky), and Squealer (symbolizing the Soviet Press and Communist propaganda) - assume  leadership roles in this new society. 

Eventually, through manipulative techniques and rhetoric used to  oppress the other animals, Napoleon seizes absolute power and begins  to restrict animal freedoms. Slowly, the pigs take power away from the  other animals and amass wealth and rights for themselves.  

By the end of the book, the pigs are walking on their hind legs, carrying  whips, dressing in human clothing, fraternizing with humans, drinking  alcohol, and carrying on in a similar manner as the farmers they drove  

out.  At the end of the book, the animals can no longer tell the difference  between the pigs and the men they are fraternizing with. 

Big Ideas/Themes: Orwell once wrote: “Every line of serious work that I  have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against  totalitarianism.” This purpose shines through in Animal Farm, as its central  theme is a warning against the political corruption of people in power, and the  human tendency to manipulate others (often through language/rhetoric and  propaganda) for their own gain. Orwell directly criticizes Stalin’s Soviet Union,  but he also critiques totalitarianism in general.  

Text Structure: The structure of Animal Farm is cyclical. It starts and ends  with totalitarian leaders who oppress the lower, working class. Although much  happens in the middle, the purpose of the cyclical structure is to show that  totalitarianism (disguised as a socialist pursuit for “equality”) regimes will  always leave their people oppressed, manipulated, and worse off than before.  The author uses third-person omniscient narration.   

Real World Connections: Many of the characters and plot events in  Animal Farm represent real people and events from the Russian Revolution.  Additionally, the themes, including the dangers of totalitarianism, political  corruption, abuse of power, and the importance of independent, critical  thought are very relevant in the world today.  

Potential Challenges: Building background knowledge is particularly  important to this unit. Students must have an understanding of Stalin’s  totalitarian rule and the Communist Soviet Union in order to grasp the allegory  of Animal Farm.  The informational videos and supplemental texts included are  good ways to support students in noticing these connections.