First+Period+AF+Allegory


 * Allegory Comparison Chart **


 * __Directions__**: Orwell's novel //Animal Farm// is an allegory, as we discussed. While on the surface level, it is about pigs and other animals and their revolt against human masters on their farm, there is another symboloic level in which almost all characters and scenes symbolize true figures and events from the communist era in Russia/ USSR (or at least Orwell's perspective of them), beginning with the Russian Revolution up through the end of WWII. The goal is to individually research one assigned individual, group or event from the novel, and then post in the allotted space in the chart below your explanation of **the similarity between the item from the novel and what you learn about Russian history**. Please visit suggested or self-selected websites to find the information you need to create the best possible explanation of the symbolism.

Napoleon and Stalin are alike for many reasons. One is that they both put threat behind their leadership (the dogs in Animal Farm and the Army in the Soviet Union.) Also, they both send away other possible leaders (Snowball in Animal Farm and Leon Trotsky.) Most of all, they are both alike because they show more interest in ruling and have power, then the actual place they are ruling. Napoleon is also like Napoleon Bonaparte. Not only having the same first name, Napoleon Bonaparte and Napoleon are alike because they both seek power and are strong dictators.

Czar Nicholas ii was the last czar of Russia and the last czar of the Romanov dynasty. He was abdicated on March 15, 1917 during the Russian Revolution. He was nicknamed “Bloody Nicholas” because of all of the pogroms during his reign. He was abdicated because he chose to feed the soldiers instead of the people and he brought Russia into World War 1. || **Which character most resembles Czar Nicholas II? What are the similarities? ** I think that Czar Nicholas ii most resembles of the character of Mr. Jones in Animal Farm because Nicholas could not keep Russia under control and mistreated the citizens. This is similar to the way Mr. Jones treated the Animals on the farm. Czar Nicholas was then removed from the throne. This is similar to when the animals rebelled against Mr. Jones and kicked him off the farm. ||
 * Similarly, how did this character break the pact he formed with Napoleon? **
 * **Russian Revolution/ Soviet Communism** || **Animal Farm Character/ Event ** ||
 * **Look up “Czar Nicholas II” and list some characteristics of him during his reign. How, why and when did his reign end? **
 * **Karl Marx is often credited as the Father of Communism. Why? What did he do? And what are the central communist beliefs/goals? **

German philosopher Political/economic theorist Father Modern Communism Communist Manifesto--author, 1848 pro-socialism and down with capitalism! must involve revolution || **Which character most resembles Karl Marx, and in what way does Animalism resemble communism? **

Old Major-- Father of Animalism concepts (animalism is basically communism)! ||
 * **Look up “Vladimir Lenin.” Who was he, and what was his role in the Russian Revolution? **

Vladimir Lenin was a polititian who spiked the Russian Revolution, and took control of Russia after the Provisional Government was overthrown. He operated off of one phrase : "Peace, land, and bread." He would pull Russia out of World War I and reform it as the Soviet Union, under the form of communism. || **Which character most closely resembles Lenin? Why? **

In Animal Farm, Old Major is the character that resembles Lenin. He is someone who does not want to see his people suffer, and wants to do something about it. In Animal Farm, Old Major spikes a rebellion, while in real life, Lenin spikes a revolution. Also, when Lenin dies, his two closest advisors (Trotsky and Stalin) will have to run the country. When Old Major dies, the Animal Farm potrayals of Trotsky and Stalin (Snowball and Napoleon) compete with each other to run the farm. ||
 * **Look up “Leon Trotsky.” Who was he, and what was his leadership role in the Russian Revolution? Why did he leave Russia? **

Leon Trotsky was a major figure in the Russian Revolution. He was second-in-command after the revolution against Kerensky's Provisional Government under Lenin. When the Russian Civil War started Lenin made Trotsky the Commissar of War. Trotsky organized the troops well and won the war for the Russians. Trotsky is looking like he is going to be Lenin's successor, but then Joseph Stalin starts to gain power. Trotsky believed that communism should be spread to other countries while Stalin believed that communism should be improved in Russia. Stalin gained enough power and banished Trotsky from Russia. Trotsky continued to criticize Stalin, but Trotsky was later assassinated by a KGB agent. || **Which character most resembles Leon Trotsky? How? What are the similarities? **

The character that I think represents Leon Trotsky is Snowball. There are many examples throughout the book why Snowball represents Trotsky. First of all, Snowball's belief on how to defend the Animal Farm by spreading the rebellion is the same as Trotsky wanted to spread communism to other countries. An example is that when Snowball led the animals to victory in the Battle of Cowshed is like how Trotsky led the Red Army to victory in the Russian Civil War. Another example is when Snowball is chased off the farm by Napoleon's dogs is similar to when Trotsky is banished from Russia by Stalin and later assassinated by one of Stalin's KGB agents. || The February Revolution started March 8, 1917. It was some-what spontaneous and not properly planned. There were a lot of contributing factors that led to the revolt. The Russians had had a harsh winter and there was a lack of food. There was also poor leadership. The peasants, along with some of the working class, had finally had enough and all of the anxiety that had been building up, and that became what we know today as the February revolution. || **Which events in the novel might symbolize this February Revolution? Describe similarities. The original rebellion was similar to the February Revolution in many ways. There are many similarities between the rebellion and the February Revolution. The first being that the revolution was the first of the two fights (the second being the Battle of the Cowshed).It says that there was little planning prior to the February Revolution, and the same can be said for the rebellion when Jones was overthrown. The result for both revolutions was that their leader was overthrown, and a new revolutionary leader was appointed. ** || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">__[]__ ** || **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Which character delivers messages to Animal Farm that serve as exaggerations of the communist propaganda? What are the similarities? ** || I<span style="color: #db0a0a; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">n the early 20s before Lenin's death, Joseph Stalin was trying to gain power. Despite Lenin's doubt in him, Stalin joined a leadership group called a Troika that would rule the soviet union. Once Lenin died he quickly gained the support of the citizens ruled of the Soviet union in 1929. Joseph Stalin did not rule democratically. He wanted to make the Soviet Union a powerful nation-even it were to sacrifice some of the original ideals of Revolution. His had three major goals- one was to make the communist party of Russia the leading power, and to be leader of the communist party. Being in charge he would secure his second goal, to make Russia a leading nation safe from all threats. His last goal was to not only make the Soviet Union a communist country, but the spread communism throughout the world. || **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">How does Napoleon the pig possibly represent Stalin? Also, look up the name Napoleon Bonaparte—what characteristics does the pig share with this other leader as well? ** || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">__[|**http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/archives/secr.html**]__ || **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Which character or group of characters in the novel most closely resembles the secret police, and what are the similarities? ** ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Look up the “February Revolution.” What were the major events and outcomes marking this phase of the Russian Revolution? **
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">The communist government in Russia used a lot of propaganda such as Pravda. Read through the information at this site and make notes on key ideas in the space below:
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Look up Joseph Stalin. How did he come to power? How did he rule? What were his major goals for Russia? **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">
 * **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Look up “Russian secret police” or browse through this article and take notes answering what tactics these police forces used in protecting the communist/socialist government: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">**Lenin and Marx both felt that religion could be abused to mislead people. Read the opening paragraphs at the following link and take some notes below:** [|**http://ancientdays.net/opiate.htm**]

=== Lenin and Marx both thought that since the Czar controlled the Church, the Czar could use that power over the people's spiritual lives. Now he can convince people to do things for his own benefit. In response to this, they both had created Atheism and Communism. This was to prevent the Czar or anybody else from possibly straying Russia any further. === || **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">The only character in the novel with a religious name is “Moses” the raven. What promises does he make the animals, and how might they symbolize religion of the type Lenin and Marx warned against?

Moses said that they'll go to a luxury place called "Sugercandy Mountain" when they die. Napoleon saw this as a threat to the farm because Moses was on Jones's side. So it could have come from Jones's farm. So when Rasputin said something like that, Lenin thought it was a threat because it could have come from the Czars mouth. ** || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> February revolution is when the animals were rebelling against the government or Jones. The October revolution was when the dogs were ordered to kill the animals that were used to commit treason by snowball. This is when the Czar ordered his troops to kill the people that wanted to have a riot. || Stalin's five year plan was when Stalin's advisors told him that he needed to increase farming, and the best way to do that is to get 250,000 tractors for the farms. He increased coal, iron and steel production and electrical power by an obscene amount and set really high targets for what the outcome would be. In the end, they did not get close to their targets and the five year plan as a total waste. || **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">How do Napoleon’s two-year plans to build the windmill resemble Stalin’s plans? What might the windmill represent? ** Napoleons two year plans resemble Stalin's five year plan because they both set really high expectations and in the end a lot of people worked too hard for nothing. The windmill represents all the metal products and electric power work workers had to do for the plan. ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Look up the October Revolution, and describe the events of that phase and of the civil war below. ** || **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">What event in the novel probably symbolizes this final phase of the revolution that sealed the Bolshevik power? **
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Look up Stalin’s five-year plans, and note their major goals and consequences in the space below: **
 * **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Look up the Great Purge. Describe this series of events under Stalin’s reign:

The Great Purge was a chain of campaigns made by Stalin against the Communist Party and government officials. He was trying to purge the communist party of certain leaders. It took place from 1936-1938. Stalin was extremely paranoid and led campaigns that would sometimes end in execution of these government officials and members of the communist party. Peasants were also oppressed and killed in The Great Purge. Stalin was trying to "clean out" the government with assassinations and killings. The killings were done to people who were "anti-revolutionary" to communism. ** || **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">What event in the novel represents the Great Purge, and what are the similarities? The Great Purge was like the time in the story when Napolean was killing all the animals that "were in league" with Snowball. He had no reason for killing them but there were mass killings on animal farm just like The Great Purge. ** ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">What pact did Hitler form with Stalin during WWII? Name and describe it below: **

Hitler formed a non-aggression pact with Stalin. This non-aggression pact said that Germany and the Soviet Union could not attack each other. This pact was made at the beginning of WWII and was supposed to last ten years but it didn’t even last two years. || **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Which character from which farm in the novel most likely symbolizes Hitler, and what “deal” or pact did this character make with Napoleon? **

I think that Mr. Whymper and Napoleon symbolize the making of this pact. In the book these two animals are secretly communicating. || The pact Hitler and Stalin made was called the Treaty of Non-Agression. It was a truce between Germany and the Soviet Union (Russia). The treaty also divided Europe into German and Russian groups influence ** ||   || [|**http://www.2worldwar2.com/leaders.htm**]
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">How did Hitler ultimately break or betray this pact with Stalin?
 * <span style="color: #f36c20; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">**What was the relationship between Russia and Britain (under Winston Churchill’s leadership) and the US (under Franklin Delanoe Roosevelt)?**

Before the U.S. joined the war and when Germany invaded Russia, the U.S extended military aid to Russia.When the U.S. joined the war, it was an ally of Britain and Russia and helped to defeat the Nazi Germany. And from the link above, it said that the American public had strong sympathy in support of Britain against Nazism. So Russia and Britain were allies in World War 1 and helped each other fight mostly against Germany. || **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">What character or farm from the novel might represent Britain and/or the US, and why? **

The animals of Animal Farm are like Germany, but they won the Battle of te Windmill against Mr. Jones and the other farmers, even though many animals were wounded and died. Mr. Jones teamed up with the neighboring farmers to defeat the animals because the humans didn't want to be "shown up" by animals. The humans thought they were in control of the animals, but the animals beat the humans in both the Battle of Cowshed and the Battle of the Windmill. ||