GEORGE ORWELL (1903-1950)

He was born in India. His real name was Eric Blair: he choose George because it was
a name he liked and Orwell is the name of a river. His father was a colonial official of
British Empire.
He was educated in Eton, one of the most expensive and esclusive school. Growing
up he developped a disgust of colonialism, religion and any kind of dictatorship. He
developped also an indipendent- minded personality, he professed atheism and
socialism.
- He started to work for the Indian Imperial in police in Burma , but he hated
this job and he returned to England on sick leave, where he writed full time
under the pseudonyme George Orwell.
In Spain in the 1930s there was a dictatorship, where the fascist dictator was
Francisco Franco. Europe was full of fascist tyrants. He was deeply involved in
political issues.
- In 1941 he joined the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)
- In 1943 he became the literary editor of the “Tribune”, a socialist weekly.
He died due a tubercolosis.
In his works he critized totalitarianism and express the violation of liberty and
tyranny. As a socialist he believed in Marx’s ideas.
- In 1945 he published his novel “Animal Farm”: animals are the main
characters and each of them embodies a different historical character. This
novel was written in order to defend and respect human rights.
- In 1949 he published “Ninteen-Eighty-Four”: it was a dystopian novel, set in
Great -Britain where there was regime controls. He described the future after
the second World War. It’s a wourning towards the future and a fondamental
of civilisation. Published and written in order to prevent people to make the
same mistakes of the second World War.

“ANIMAL FARM” (1945)

Historical background
It was written after the end of the Second World War. This book expressed Orwell’s
disillusionment with totalitarianism in the form of an animal fable. It’s a dystopia.
A fairytale against russian totalitarism.
1) Stalin’s Purge Trials: Stalin started to process public trials against his political
enemies because they were dangerous for his power and plans, bringing
totalitarianism. These people were publical executed or imprisoned because
of the accuse. Napoleon represents Stalin, who organised in the same way a
public execution in order to kill the animals that were accused of being in
touch with Snowball, who was his political enemy + the episode of the hans.

2) Stalin’s signature of the non-aggression pact with Hitler: they both wanted
the control and spread terror. In the story Napoleon engaged in trade with
Mr. Frederick (the owner of Pinchfield Farm), who represents Hitler. After the
sold of the timber Napoleon realised that Frederick gave him false banknotes
so began a battle between the two. Mr. Frederick attacked the farm and
destroyed the windmill but in end he and his men were defeated by the
animals ( the battle of the windmill). In the history, german soldiers invaded
Russia but they were killed bythe terrible Russian winter.

3) Stalin’s Farming Collectives: Stalin’s Collectives caused the Peasant’s revolt.

During this revolt some farmers killed their kuttler (=bestiame) and burnt their
farms , rather than accepting Stalin’s collectives. In the story the rebellion
corrisponds to the hens’ rebellion, that refused to give their eggs to
Napoleon. They prefered to drop the eggs instead to selling them to Mr.
Whimper in exchange for alcohol for the pigs.

Characters:
- Old Major: influenced by the view of capitalism of Marx. He represents a
mixature of Lenin (an old leader when Stalin was young) and Marx ( he fought
against despotism). He’s the oldest pig but he’s also the most intelligent
animal because he is very credible. He summoned the other animals in order
to tell them about the dream. He dreamt of a future without men (the only
creature that consumes without producing), where animals are free. He was
considered the father of the rebellion because he spread the idea of freedom.
He taught the Song Beast of England,which became the hymn of the farm.
This created a sense of belonging and it shoul give energy and motivation
because they were fighting for the same aim=freedom. Three nights later he
 died in his sleep, before the revolution. At the end the animals will worship
Old Major’s skill as a God. In the same way in Russia people will worship
Lenin’s corpse.
- Mr. Jones: he is the owner of the farm. He often got drunk without caring
about the animals. When he forgot to feed them , they decided to revolt.
After the rebellion he was senta way by the animals and they called the farm
“Animal Farm”. With the help of some farmers he tried to retake the farm
(battle of the cowshed) but he failed his aim because he was defeated by the
animals.
- The pigs: Snowball and Napoleon embodied the two leaders of the Russian
Revolution, Trotsky and Stalin, who fought in order to bring comunism. They
started arguing because of the different ideas. Stalin was considered a
despotic ruler, a tyrant as much as Napoleon:they both standed for despotism
and they didn’t care about the welfare of common people. Trotsky was
interested in the welfare of common people and he wanted to spread the
idea of revolution, as much as Snowball. But Stalin had Trotsky exiled, like
Napoleon did with Snowball. Then Stalin began a smear campaign
against(=campagna diffamatoria) him like Snowball was accused of all bad
things happened at the farm by Napoleon.
- Snowball: he has a nice personality, helpful. He represented Trotsky and
refers to something pure, pleasent, not dirty. He’s very interested in the
animals welfare, indeed he oplanned to build a windmill in order to simplify
animals’ work and life. He wanted to spread the rebellion. After his expultion
he was blamed for anything; he became the SCAPE GOAT.
- Napoleon: he represented Stalin and he was a selfish and cruel pig who
wanted to became the leader of the farm. He has to deal with Snowball with
whom he never agreed. Unlike Snowball, he never took part in the battle, he
hides himself. He was worshipped as if he was God. He manipulated the
others animals. Pigs started to have privileges like going and living in Jones’
house,eating apples and drinking milk because he said they were brain-
workers so they have to organise the work. He changed all the
commandments and organised an execution of some animals. The
commandments “Four legs bad, two legs good” changed in “Four legs good,
two legs better”, when the pigs started walking with their hind legs(=like
human). They started to engage in trade with the other farmers in order to
obtain materials. The hymn was abolished.
- Squealor: he was manipolated by Napoleon. He represented the propaganda
leader, the mass media. He was a brilliant orator, able to persuade and
manipulate the animals. He hides the truth and real facts, as he did with tha
apple and milk and Boxer’s death. He invented words like “brain-workers” or
“tactics”. During the battle of the windmill the animals seemed to have lost
hope but then he encouraged them to go on. He changed commandments
according Napoleon behaviour. In order to get animals approval he always
said “Do you want Jones to come back?”
- Boxer: represents the loyal, hard working man, like Igor Stakhanov (ignorant).
After the battle of windmill he was sad and frustrated. He was the strongest
animal and the one who worked the most for the windmill. His 2 mottos “ I
will work harder” and “Napoleoni s always right”. He was not able to learn the
alphabet. At the end he was sold to a knacker in exchange for whisky but
Squealor didn’t tell the truth. He said that he was carried in a hospital and he
died pacefully.
- Benjamin: he was a clever donkey; he could read and write like the pigs. He’s
lazy, indifferent even if he was one of the most intelligent. He is the only one
who really understood the situation but he didn’t say anything because he
knew taht nothing was changed. He cried for Boxer because they were real
friends.
- The dogs: they were four, brought up by Napoleon and they became his
personal guards. They run after Snowball and they sent him away.
- Mollie: she was a young horse who represented superficial and indifferent
people that care only about its own welfare. She never worked. She loved
wearing ribbons and eating sugar. She escapes from the farm.
- The cat: he’s lazy, he can be seen at the very beginning during Old Major
speech. He didn’t care about anything. The opposite of dogs that are loyal and
even kill for the master.
- The sheeps: manipulated by Napoleon. They were the least intelligent
animals. Their role is repeating the Commandments and so they were very
annoying and hummering. When the motto was changed and sheeps
repeated it, aniamls were puzzled.
- Moses: he is the black raven, Mr. Jones’ favourite pet but he’s a spy, a clever
talker. His name reminds of Mosè. He represents the Church , he deals with
religion, indeed he represents a priest; he always states that there is a place
called Sugar Candy Mountain that symbolised Heaven, where all the animals
after life will rest in peace. In history Comunism was against the Church
(corrupted), which is the reason why Moses was sent way. He didn’t anything
in the farm. But animals allowed him to come back because he was useful
with his presching. He gave hope to animals for a better future after life; in
this way they are able to accept thei daily life hoping one day to be able to
gain God’s rewards and go to Sugarcandy mountain.