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Animal Farm is the most famous by far of all twentieth-century political allegories. Its account of a group of barnyard animals who revolt against their vicious human master, only to submit to a tyranny erected by their own kind, can fairly be said to have become a universal drama. Orwell is one of the very few modern satirists comparable to Jonathan Swift in power, artistry, and moral authority; in animal farm his spare prose and the logic of his dark comedy brilliantly highlight his stark message.
Taking as his starting point the betrayed promise of the Russian Revolution, Orwell lays out a vision that, in its bitter wisdom, gives us the clearest understanding we possess of the possible consequences of our social and political acts.
Orwell's classic satire centers on the bold struggle to transform Mr. Jones's Manor Farm into Animal Farm -- a wholly democratic society built on the credo that All Animals Are Created Equal.
| How to study | v | |
| How to use this guide | ix | |
| Key to icons | x | |
| Background | 1 | |
| The story of Animal Farm | 5 | |
| Who's who? | 10 | |
| The main animal characters | 10 | |
| The other animals | 19 | |
| The humans | 21 | |
| Themes | 23 | |
| How to get to the top | 23 | |
| How to tell lies | 25 | |
| The uses of literacy | 28 | |
| Down with "isms" | 29 | |
| Language, style and structure | 32 | |
| Just words? | 32 | |
| Do we laugh? | 33 | |
| The structure of the novel | 34 | |
| The use of repetition | 35 | |
| Commentary | 37 | |
| Chapter 138 | ||
| Chapter 241 | ||
| Chapter 344 | ||
| Chapter 448 | ||
| Chapter 551 | ||
| Chapter 655 | ||
| Chapter 758 | ||
| Chapter 862 | ||
| Chapter 966 | ||
| Chapter 1071 | ||
| Topics for discussion and brainstorming | 77 | |
| How to get an "A" in English Literature | 79 | |
| The exam essay | 80 | |
| Model answer and essay plans | 81 | |
| Glossary of literary terms | 84 | |
| Index | 86 |
Overview
Animal Farm is the most famous by far of all twentieth-century political allegories. Its account of a group of barnyard animals who revolt against their vicious human master, only to submit to a tyranny erected by their own kind, can fairly be said to have become a universal drama. Orwell is one of the very few modern satirists comparable to Jonathan Swift in power, artistry, and moral authority; in animal farm his spare prose and the logic of his dark comedy brilliantly highlight his stark message.
Taking as his starting point the betrayed promise of the Russian Revolution, Orwell lays out a vision that, in its bitter wisdom, gives us the clearest ...