Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Contextual Piece
The Contextual Piece
The Contextual Piece
Characters:
● Snowball: Snowball’s character serves as an allegory of Leon Trotsky. Trotsky rooted his
Trotsky developed his own school of thought named “Trotskyism” which focuses on
Marxism economics, however, significantly less authoritarian. After critiquing the state
of the Soviet Union and workers’ rights under Stalin’s reign, Trotsky was exiled. George
Orwell, parallels Trotsky’s integrity in Animal Farm. Orwell writes Snowball as a witty
and intelligent pig who educates the farm on ‘Animalism’ (Marxism). Snowball is
wrongdoings of the farm (Soviet Union).1 Orwell, a major opponent of the Soviet Union
● Napoleon: Napoleon’s character serves as the tyrant ruler of the Soviet Union, Joseph
Stalin. Stalin came to power after the death of Vladmir Lenin. His diabolical power saw
the death of millions in the Soviet Union (and beyond). An example of this would be the
famines through the eastern Soviet Union which Stalin purposely neglected. Stalin rooted
his political beliefs in Lenin-Marxism, however, increased the authoritarian power of the
1
“Snowball in Animal Farm.” 2023. BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z3fcxsg/revision/4
2
Orwell.2
● Moderator: Our moderator is a textbook definition of a “Gen-Zer”. She is witty and has
a crude sense of humor. She invites Napoleon and Snowball to debate in hopes to expose
not only each other's hypocrisy. Yet, their own through pop culture references (that do not
really matter that much). She bullies her friends that call themselves a ‘Lenin-Marxist’ or
who say that Ronald Reagan was a ‘good guy’. (She hates anything authoritarian because
she doesn't like being told what to do, duh). However, she will be writing Bernie Sanders
in for the next election in full faith. Maybe…she is not really much of a ‘moderate’ that is
Setting: Round table in a dark room, Fiji spring water bottles on the mahogany table. It is
intense!!
Note: This is a work of fiction. In good Orwellian fashion, each character is a metaphor for the
respected historical figure. Also, they embody modern tropes to relay that questions/issues in the
past are still prominent today.
2
“Snowball in Animal Farm.” 2023. BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z3fcxsg/revision/3
3
Act 1
Moderator: Hey, my people! What is up?! We are here with Napoleon (not Bonaparte) and
Snowball. Thank goodness I don’t eat red meat because this would be really awkward.
Napoleon: Does she not know that we aren’t pigs? It is literally a metaphor.
Moderator: Ok, um, rude. Anywho, this is our series titled “Debates That Don’t Really Matter
That Much” where we bring in two notorious enemies in history and debate on things in essence,
don’t really matter that much (or do they)? Can you introduce yourselves?
Napoleon: No.
Napoleon: Well, I just need to let the world know that I was right. I am written as a tyrant ruler
Napoleon: I’m just confused why you are here and judging ME, one of the most powerful
figures of the 20th century from your standards of the 21st century.3
3
PragerU, dir. 2023. Leo & Layla Meet Christopher Columbus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux54IJ06uHg
4
Moderator: And…you did. Okay let’s move on. Our first topic today talks about the two
popular new movies that came out on the same day, Oppenheimer & Barbie. What movie do you
believe is better?
Moderator: Alright comrades (Ew, did I just say that unironically, ick). What is everyone’s
Napoleon: Well, as Robert Oppenheimer was a fellow comrade, I have to support Oppenheimer.
Napoleon: Why would I pay money to Universal Studios who actively suppressed their workers
Snowball: I mean, a lot. Are we going to forget that kulaks exist? You murdered thousands of
Ukrainians because they kept one too many pieces of hay. 5 Moderator, pull up the page where
Moderator: Ahem “The three hens who had been the ringleaders in the attempted rebellion over
the eggs now came forward and stated that Snowball had appeared to them in a dream and
incited them to disobey Napoleon's orders. They, too, were slaughtered. Then a goose came
forward and confessed to having secreted six ears of corn during the last year's harvest and eaten
4
Lindahl, Chris. 2023. “Actors, Writers Strike Shuts Down Major Street Near Universal Studios.” Patch, (August).
https://patch.com/california/hollywood/actors-writers-strike-shuts-down-major-street-near-universal-studios.
5
University of Minnesota. 2023. “Holodomor.”
https://cla.umn.edu/chgs/holocaust-genocide-education/resource-guides/holodomor#:~:text=The%20wealthy%20and
%20successful%20farmers,an%20integral%20part%20of%20collectivization.
5
them in the night. Then a sheep confessed to having urinated in the drinking pool-urged to do
this, so she said, by Snowball-and two other sheep confessed to having murdered an old ram, an
especially. Devoted follower of Napoleon, by chasing him round and round a bonfire when he
was suffering from a cough. They were all slain on the spot. And so the tale of confessions and
executions went on, until there was a pile of corpses lying before Napoleon's feet and the air was
heavy with the smell of blood, which had been unknown there since the expulsion of Jones.” 6
That is more violent than all the Saw movies combined jeez-louisy.
Napoleon: THEY WERE ENEMIES OF THE STATE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.
Snowball: I’m just saying, you killed innocent people because they needed food, FOOD.
Snowball: Well, I think Barbie was a masterpiece. The movie actively shows how women can
function in a society without men and be perfectly fine is truly inspiring. Barbie tells us that
without a patriarchal rule, women have the potential to do anything! Also, in this society, when
men were introduced back into the society, we learned that men and women can live
harmoniously without stepping on the necks of each other. No gender is greater than the other
gender.
Snowball: I’m literally not, I believe through and through that an economy based on equality
works efficiently, I just think totalitarianism has one too many flaws. I mean, you killed innocent
6
41-42. Orwell, George. 1946. Animal Farm. https://www.arvindguptatoys.com/arvindgupta/orwellanimalfarm.pdf
7
Frost, Natasha. 2021. “Why Stalin Tried to Stamp Out Religion in the Soviet Union.” History Channel.
https://www.history.com/news/joseph-stalin-religion-atheism-ussr.
6
people over food, FOOD! 8 Your political theory nearly mirrors what Hitler is, just different
economic practices. 9
Snowball: Listen, I’m just saying, our state was flawed. I mean, Orwell ended his book with the
haunting quote of “All animals are created equal. But, some animals are more equal than
Napoleon: If you want to talk about hypocrisy, I think it is funny how you loved the Barbie
movie and preached on women's equality when you actively cheated on your wife with Frida
Kahlo. That is not very ‘equal’. It sounds very Darwinistic to me, you capitalist.11
Snowball: You just made a false equivalence making your argument null. Along with the pot
Moderator: And that is all she wrote! I am hungry and want some Chipotle. We will catch you
next week when we ask Chris Pine and Harry Styles: what is Lana Del Rey’s best album?
Moderator: Give it a rest for God’s sake. If you want my take, you are all the problem. First,
Mr. Fascism desperately needs to get his haircut because he looks like an 18 year old who just
8
“Trotskyism | Marxist Theory & Revolutionary Politics.” 2023. Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Trotskyism.
9
Eldridge, Stephen, and André Munro. 2023. “Political spectrum | Definition, Chart, Examples, & Left Versus
Right.” Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/political-spectrum.
10
68. Orwell
11
Gotthardt, Alexxa. 2019. “Inside Frida Kahlo’s Affair with Communist Revolutionary Leon Trotsky.” Artsy.
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-frida-kahlos-love-affair-communist-revolutionary-impacted-art.
12
Veliz, Leslie. 2023. “The Truth About The Women Romantically Involved With Stalin.” Grunge.
https://www.grunge.com/598225/the-truth-about-the-women-romantically-involved-with-stalin/.
7
learned what Marxisim is. I have never met someone so out of touch. It physically pains me
every time you speak. Because of your hypocrisy and the more equal than others jargon, the
government failed. You preach equality until you have to live equally. Now, you have a fan club
of incel boys who are sympathetic towards you. But, you nearly wiped out the Ukrainian
population13. And you, Mr.Mustache, you are just as much at fault. You knew about the
corruption. But, you just ran away. I know Orwell writes you as a scapegoat. However, I see right
through it. You had a chance to end this hypocrisy. But, you fled until your eye was met with an
icepick. Ipso facto, you are all at fault. Ideal governments will always fail because human nature
of greed will always be the breaking point. I mean, you just argued for seven pages about
nothing! As Kourntey Kardashian said “Kim, there are people that are dying!”14. The blood is on
your hands because of your greed. The world will never forgive either of you for your
wrongdoings.
Silence fills across the room. The moderator sips on the lukewarm overpriced water.
13
Gavrilyuk, Paul. n.d. “Holodomor | Holocaust and Genocide Studies | College of Liberal Arts.” College of Liberal
Arts. https://cla.umn.edu/chgs/holocaust-genocide-education/resource-guides/holodomor.
14
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. n.d. ““Kim there's people that are dying” – dispatches from a
distance.” Dispatches From a Distance. https://quaranteens.web.unc.edu/kim-theres-people-that-are-dying/.
8
References
Eldridge, Stephen, and André Munro. 2023. “Political spectrum | Definition, Chart, Examples, &
Frost, Natasha. 2021. “Why Stalin Tried to Stamp Out Religion in the Soviet Union.” History
Channel. https://www.history.com/news/joseph-stalin-religion-atheism-ussr.
Gavrilyuk, Paul. n.d. “Holodomor | Holocaust and Genocide Studies | College of Liberal Arts.”
https://cla.umn.edu/chgs/holocaust-genocide-education/resource-guides/holodomor.
Gotthardt, Alexxa. 2019. “Inside Frida Kahlo’s Affair with Communist Revolutionary Leon
Trotsky.” Artsy.
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-frida-kahlos-love-affair-communist-revolutio
nary-impacted-art.
Lindahl, Chris. 2023. “Actors, Writers Strike Shuts Down Major Street Near Universal Studios.”
Patch, (August).
https://patch.com/california/hollywood/actors-writers-strike-shuts-down-major-street-nea
r-universal-studios.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z3fcxsg/revision/3.
https://www.arvindguptatoys.com/arvindgupta/orwellanimalfarm.pdf.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux54IJ06uHg.
9
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z3fcxsg/revision/4.
Snyder, Timothy. 2011. “Hitler vs. Stalin: Who Killed More? | Timothy Snyder.” The New York
Review of Books.
https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2011/03/10/hitler-vs-stalin-who-killed-more/.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Trotskyism.
https://cla.umn.edu/chgs/holocaust-genocide-education/resource-guides/holodomor#:~:te
xt=The%20wealthy%20and%20successful%20farmers,an%20integral%20part%20of%20
collectivization.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. n.d. ““Kim there's people that are dying” –
dispatches from a distance.” Dispatches From a Distance. Accessed November 15, 2023.
https://quaranteens.web.unc.edu/kim-theres-people-that-are-dying/.
Veliz, Leslie. 2023. “The Truth About The Women Romantically Involved With Stalin.” Grunge.
https://www.grunge.com/598225/the-truth-about-the-women-romantically-involved-with-
stalin/.