Plot Summary:
1.[Type
Old Major,
here] the prize boar, calls a
secret meeting of all the farm animals
on Manor Farm. He states that a
rebellion against their human master,
Mr Jones, will one day come.
2. A cow starts the rebellion by
walking into the store-shed. The
animals end up chasing Mr Jones off
the farm.
3.Now they are free, the animals all
agree on the Seven Commandments
that they will live by. The farm is
renamed 'Animal Farm'; there’s hope
for a better future.
4.The pigs start to order the other
animals around and take more food
than they should.
5.The animals bravely fight off a
human attempt to retake the farm,
this becomes known as 'The Battle of
the Cowshed'.
6.The animals set to work building a
windmill and Napoleon takes charge.
7.Napoleon reduces the rations and
rights of the animals and starts
breaking the commandments. There is
another invasion by the men and the
windmill is blown up. Boxer collapses
whilst rebuilding it for the second time.
8.Napoleon and the other pigs learn
to walk on their hind legs, wear human
clothes and carry whips. Despite all
their hard work, the animals of the
farm are right back to where they
began, hungry, scared and exploited
by those in charge.
Key Quotes:
“Four legs good, two legs bad.”
“Beasts of England.”
“All animals are equal, but some animals
are more equal than others.”
“If you have your lower animals to
contend with,” he said, “we have our
lower classes!”
“At this there was a terrible baying sound
outside, and nine enormous dogs
wearing brass-studded collars came
bounding into the barn. They dashed
straight for Snowball...”
“Napoleon is always right,” Boxer said.
Napoleon - “A fierce looking Berkshire
boar.”
Snowball – “a more vivacious pig than
Napoleon, quicker in speech and more
inventive, but was not considered to
have the same depth of character.”
Year 8 – Animal Farm
Knowledge organiser
Literary devices
Metaphor – when two things are
compared
Similes – When something is compared
using like or as
Personification – when an object is
described with human characteristics
Imagery – writers using descriptive words
to create a picture
Symbolism – when writers use ideas or
pictures to represent something else
Year 8 Animal Farm KO
Character:
Napoleon - A pig. Napoleon is
cowardly, calculating, and selfish.
Napoleon symbolizes Stalin, who led the
Soviet Union from 1930 until his death in
1953.
Snowball - A lively, original, and
intelligent pig with less political
awareness. Snowball symbolizes Trotsky,
a rival of Stalin who was exiled.
Squealer - A short and fat pig, who is a
terrific speaker. Squealer represents the
Soviet press, which Stalin controlled
throughout his rule.
Minimus – A pig who writes
propaganda poems and songs praising
Napoleon and Animal Farm.
Boxer – A horse. Strong and
hardworking, though not so intelligent.
Boxer symbolizes the male working class
and peasants of the Soviet Union.
Clover – A horse. Clover is a gentle,
motherly, and powerful. Clover
symbolizes the female working class.
Mollie – A vain horse who doesn’t care
about the revolution. Mollie symbolizes
the selfish and materialistic middleclass.
Benjamin – A donkey. An intellectual
guided by a belief that life will always
be difficult and painful. He reflects
those who were aware of Stalin's unjust
and oppressive policies but did nothing
to try to stop them
Contextual information
1) Animal Farm was written in
1945
2) It was written by George
Orwell.
3) Orwell was a socialist.
4) Orwell was born in 1903.
5) Animal Farm was
influences by the events of
World War II
6) Orwell wanted to write
about the cruel leaders of
Europe during World War II
7) Animal Farm is an allegory
of the events of the
Russian Revolution.
8) In Russia, in 1917, there
were big changes to the
political system. Lenin
began governing Russia
using the new idea of
communism.
9) Communism is the idea
that the government will
own and run all of the
economy for societies
benefit. It is supposed to
lead to a fairer society.
10) Farming was the main
economy is Russia in 1917
and communism lead to
widespread poverty.