Animal Farm

A Study In Parallels

The Characters

Animal Farm

Mr. Jones • Irresponsible to the

animals

(lets them starve)• Cruel--beats animals with

a whip• Sometimes kind--mixes

milk in animals’ food occasionally

In HistoryCzar Nicholas II• A poor leader compared

to other leaders of the time

• Cruel – Kills and tortures opponents

• Sometimes kind – hired students as spies to give them an income

The Characters

Animal Farm

Old Major• Taught Animalism• Workers do the work,

rich keep the money, animals revolt

• Dies before actual revolution

In History

Karl Marx• Invented Communism• Taught that workers

should revolt and take over the government

• Dies before the Russian Revolution

The Characters

Animal Farm

Animalism• No owners, no rich,

but no poor--utopia• Workers get a better

life; all animals are equal.

• Everyone owns the farm.

In History

Communism• All people are equal• Government owns

everything, and the people own the government

The CharactersAnimal Farm

Snowball• Young, smart, good

speaker, idealistic• Wants to make life better

for all• One of the leaders of the

revolution• Chased away by

Napoleon's dogs

In History

Leon Trotsky• Pure communist, followed

Marx’s ideas• Wanted to improve life for

all in Russia• A leader of the revolution• Chased away by Lenin’s

secret police (KGB)

The CharactersAnimal Farm

Napoleon• Not a good speaker or as

clever as Snowball• Cruel, Brutal, Selfish,

Corrupt• His ambition is for power;

he killed opponents• Used Dogs, Moses, and

Squealer to control other animals

In History

Josef Stalin• Not a good speaker or as

educated as other leaders

• Didn’t follow Marx’s ideas• His ambition is for power;

he killed his opponents• Used KGB, the church,

and propaganda to control the people

The CharactersAnimal Farm

The Dogs• A private army that used

fear to force animals to work

• Killed or intimidated any opponent of Napoleon

• Totally loyal to Napoleon

In History

KGB – Secret Police• Forced support for Stalin

through fear and intimidation

• Often killed entire families of opponents of Stalin

• Totally loyal to Stalin

The CharactersAnimal Farm

Squealer• Convinces animals to

believe and follow Napoleon

• Changes and Manipulates the commandments

In History

Propaganda Dept.• Used any lie to convince

people to follow Stalin

• Benefited from the fact that education was controlled by the communist party

The Characters

Animal Farm

Moses the Raven• Tells Animals about Sugar

Candy Mountain- Heaven• Sugar Candy Mountain

thought to be a lie by the pigs but used to make the animals work

• Napoleon let him stay because it kept the animals peaceful and working

In History

Religion• Tells the workers about

Heaven• Heaven thought to be a lie by

Communists but used to make the peasants work

• Communists allowed religion because it kept the peasants happy and working

The Characters

Animal Farm

Mollie• Was vain-loved her

beauty and herself• Didn’t care about Animal

Farm• Would follow anyone who

gave her treats• Left Animal Farm after

the revolution

In History

The Aristocracy• Cared only for their

possessions and their own comfort

• Didn’t care about Russia• Fled to other countries to

maintain their comfortable lives after the revolution

The Characters

Animal Farm

Boxer• Strong, hard-working

horse• Believes in Animal Farm

and the pigs• Gives his life and is

betrayed by Napoleon

In History

The Peasants of RussiaStrong and hardworking

people of Russia• Believe in Stalin and in

the Communist ideal• Betrayed by Stalin who

ignored and killed them through intimidation and neglect

The Characters

Animal FarmBenjamin• Old, wise donkey who is

suspicious of the pigs motives

• Says little to avoid attracting attention

• Thinks “Nothing ever really changes”

• His suspicions about change and Boxer are true

In History

The skeptical people of Russia

• Generally the educated people who will not or cannot escape Russia

• Say little to avoid attracting attention

• Think “Nothing ever really changes”

• Their suspicions about change and the communists are true

Overall Details of the Revolution

Animal Farm• Supposed to make life

better for all animals• Life was actually worse at

the end of the novel• The pigs became the

same as, or worse, than the original leader, Mr. Jones

In History• Supposed to make life

better for all citizens• Life was actually worse at

the end of the Communist reign

• Stalin became much worse than Czar Nicholas II ever was