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Contributor: Melissa Kowalski. Lesson ID: 12722
How far should society go to establish a better life? Who is the better life for? Motives are important to consider when fighting for change. Who can you trust to lead you?
Now at a pivotal juncture in the story, Chapters Three Four delve into the consequences of a rebellion fueled by the pressure and oppression faced by the animals on Manor Farm.
With the rebellion's success, the animals stand at the precipice of newfound freedom. However, as you navigate these chapters, two fundamental questions emerge.
Examine the complexities inherent in pursuing liberation and the sacrifices it demands as you explore the intricacies of freedom, its value, and the challenges it presents in the gripping chapters ahead.
You know George Orwell's Animal Farm is an allegory.
An allegory is a story with a hidden meaning. While the story is about animals, it is also about the Russian Revolution and the rise of Communism in Russia.
George Orwell believed that the world should try to more evenly distribute its wealth among people so that no one is wealthy and impoverished. The gap between the wealthy and poor would become smaller, although it might never fully disappear.
Orwell believed that a more equitable distribution of the world's resources and wealth would lead to happier and more productive societies worldwide. These views are part of the system of political beliefs known as socialism.
The Russian Revolution was supposed to end the monarchy's rule under the tsars (what Russians called their monarchs) and begin a new age of socialism.
Under the tsars, Russia was divided between the wealthy nobles and the impoverished peasants — known as serfs — who were forced to work the land their families had worked on for generations and give the proceeds of their labor to the nobles who were the landowners. This system, known as serfdom, lasted until the 1860s in Russia.
If you said "slavery," you are right. Serfs had very few freedoms, just like enslaved people. Slavery was more oppressive because enslaved people were considered the property of their owners, could be bought and sold, and sometimes were not considered humans.
However, serfs were not allowed to leave the lands on which their families worked and often were poorly treated by the nobles who owned the land, even to the point of being starved to death. Like inhumane slaveholders, nobles rarely faced punishment if they oppressed their serfs.
These conditions led to the Russian Revolution in 1917.
As you read to learn more about The Russian Revolution, Through American Eyes, write down the answers to the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.
Use the facts you just learned to answer this question.
Now that you have learned a little bit about the historical Russian Revolution, it's time to read the next two chapters in Animal Farm to see how George Orwell fictionalized parts of the Russian Revolution in his novel.
First, define the following vocabulary words on a separate sheet of paper, including a sentence using each word correctly. You may use a print dictionary or Dictionary.com.
| chaff | perpetually | contemptible | |
| shirked | scorn | manoeuvre | |
| indefatigable | fortnight | hobnail | |
| maxim | tractable | ignominious | |
| shrewd | confer | posthumously |
Once you’ve completed your vocabulary work, read Chapters Three and Four in Animal Farm.
Continue to complete the Animal Farm Reading Log (right-hand sidebar) and answer the questions for Chapters Three and Four, either directly in your reading log or on a separate sheet of paper if you prefer.
Continue using your hard copy or access Animal Farm online. Click on the right-hand side chapter titles to access Chapters Three and Four.
When you've finished answering the questions in the reading log, move on to the Got It? section to check your answers.
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