Lesson 4

Lesson Goals

Texts

Core

• • “What Is Totalitarianism? Definition and Examples,” Robert Longley, ThoughtCo, 2022

• • Animal Farm, George Orwell, Signet Classics, 2004

Materials

Tools

• Animal Farm: Reading Schedule

• Animal Farm: Vocabulary List

Reference Guides

• Academic Discussion Reference Guide
• Argument Reference Guide
• Claims Reference Guide

Question Sets

• Animal Farm: Section 2 Question Set

Editable Google Docs

• Animal Farm: Section 2 Question Set

Activity 1: Read – Discuss

We will think about a characteristic of totalitarian governments—state control of media (and messages)—and how that characteristic plays out in Animal Farm through the pigs’ use of language and rhetoric to control the other animals’ thinking.

Return to the ThoughtCo explanation of one of the characteristics of totalitarian governments: state control of media:

“Totalitarian governments control all mass media, including art and literature. This control enables the regime to produce a constant stream of propaganda designed to ‘gaslight’ the people and prevent them from realizing the hopelessness of their situation. Often riddled with clichéd, confusing catchphrases, this propaganda is typified by the poster created by the totalitarian government depicted in George Orwell’s classic novel 1984: “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.”

Consider the ways in which the pigs come to control the animals through their use (and manipulation) of the Seven Commandments of Animalism and how they use language and the rhetoric of their speeches “to ‘gaslight’ the people [animals] and prevent them from realizing the hopelessness of their situation.”

Discuss examples that you recall from reading the book and think about how they illustrate its theme about the power of language (and literacy) to influence and control others.

Activity 2: Discuss – Read

As a class, we will review the concepts of claims, supporting evidence, and overstatement, then begin to re-examine the speech from old major in terms of its claims and the rhetorical device (overstatement) used to convince the animals to engage in rebellion.

Step 1

Review the concept of a claim, as explained in the Claims Reference Guide:

A claim is an opinion or conclusion that a writer or speaker wants others to consider or accept, often based on the analysis of a topic. A claim can be supported by solid evidence, or it can be unsupported. A supported claim can be referred to as an evidence-based claim.

As a class, read through and discuss the processes outlined in the reference guide for identifying and analyzing and evaluating claims (pp. 2-3).

Step 2

Return to Chapter 1 of Animal Farm, specifically to the speech by Old Major that inspires and foreshadows the animals’ rebellion against Jones.

Discuss how this speech could be seen as a corollary to the writings and speeches of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin that influenced the Bolshevik Revolution.

Step 3

As a class, re-examine the first paragraph of the speech in Chapter 1 (beginning “Comrades, what is the nature of this life…”). Look for and highlight claims made by Major in response to his opening question.

For any or all of the claims in this paragraph, use the process in the reference guide to evaluate them as supported claims:

• Study the language of the claim.

• Determine if the claim is a supported conclusion or an unsupported opinion.

• Look for and evaluate any evidence in support of the claim.

• Determine if you accept the claim or not.

Determine which, if any, of Major’s claims are evidence-based—supported by evidence that is “relevant to the claim, credible or believable, and sufficient to support the claim.” (Claims Reference Guide, p. 3)

Step 4

Now discuss a rhetorical device that was introduced in Section 1, Lesson 4: overstatement.

An exaggerated statement or account

In a speech such as the one given by Major, claims may sometimes be seen as examples of overstatement when they are either exaggerated in the way they are presented or stated as absolutes.

Absolute statements are often indicated by words such as “all,” “every,” “no,” ”none,” or similar language, indicating that the statement is beyond question always true.

For the claims you have identified in the first paragraph of Major’s speech, identify ones that could be classified as overstatements. Identify the word(s) that lead you to see them as such.

Step 5

As a class, discuss what you see as the impact of Major’s absolute claims:

• on the animals in general

• on the specific character each of you has focused upon

• on you as a reader

Activity 3: Read – Discuss

We will continue to examine old major’s speech in terms of its perspective, claims, supporting evidence, and use of overstatement.

Step 1

Discuss the concepts of an author’s or speaker’s purpose and perspective and how clues in a text can help you understand and evaluate its perspective.

Step 2

Reread the paragraph in Animal Farm that precedes and introduce Old Major’s speech, beginning with “Comrades, you have heard already…” Then consider the key words you have identified in the first paragraph of the speech.

As a class, discuss these questions:

1. What does evidence from the text suggest are Major’s purpose and perspective in delivering the speech to the animals?

2. How might Major’s perspective influence his claims? (What about Major’s perspective might cause him to say what he says?)

3. In what ways might Major’s perspective resemble the views of Marx and Lenin that influenced the Bolshevik Revolution?

Step 3

Join with a reading partner to study additional paragraphs and claims in Major’s speech, as assigned by your teacher. Repeat the process you have used as a class as you identify and evaluate his claims.

1. Study the language of the claim.

2. Determine if the claim is a supported conclusion or an unsupported opinion.

3. Look for and evaluate any evidence in support of the claim.

4. Determine if you accept the claim or not.

5. Decide if you think the claim is an example of overstatement?

6. Based on evidence in the passage you have analyzed, what is Major’s perspective on the message he is delivering to the animals?

Step 4

For a claim you have identified in your section of the speech, present your analysis to the class, using the steps in the process for evaluating a claim to organize your explanation.

In a final discussion, return to the question you considered earlier:

1. What does evidence from the text suggest are Major’s purpose and perspective in delivering the speech to the animals?

Determine if you find Major’s perspective to be a valid one and his argument to be convincing for the animal character you focused on in Section 1 and for you as a reader.

Use evidence from the text to explain your evaluation of the speech.

Step 5

In your Vocabulary Journal, write a definition for three rhetorical terms you studied in these first two activities:

• claim

• evidence

• overstatement

With your definition, include an example from Major’s speech in Animal Farm that illustrates the concept.

Step 6

In your Learning Log, record the claim from the speech that you analyzed and summarize your analysis of it.

Based on that analysis, write a short, evidence-based response to these questions:

1. What does evidence from the text suggest are Major’s purpose and perspective in delivering the speech to the animals?

2. What impact does Major’s speech (and ideas) have on the animals in Orwell’s fable?

3. In what ways might Major’s perspective resemble the views of Marx and Lenin that influenced the Bolshevik Revolution?

Activity 4: Read – Discuss

We will examine the rhetoric of short speeches by squealer and Napoleon through which they misinform and control the animals. We will learn about the rhetorical devices of straw man and red herring.

Step 1

Starting with the initial speech by Old Major that inspires the animals to rebel against Jones, discuss as a class your thoughts in response to these text-specific questions:

1. How do the pigs use their speeches, their skill with language, and their use of rhetorical devices such as overstatement to influence and control the other animals?

2. Why are the animals so easily influenced and controlled by the pigs’ rhetoric?

Step 2

Follow along as your teacher introduces two other rhetorical devices that are sometimes used by speakers to influence their listeners, oftentimes through invalid reasoning:

• red herring

• straw man

Step 3

Think about the ways in which Squealer, as Napoleon’s spokesman, uses his speeches to influence the animals’ thinking. Discuss the ways in which Squealer might represent or be a counterpart for the propagandists who “gaslighted” the Russian people in support of Stalin’s totalitarian regime.

Read and discuss the description of Squealer that introduces his character in Chapter 2 that begins, “The best known among them…” and ends with, “...he could turn black into white.”

3. What does Orwell’s description of Squealer and his characterization that he “could turn black into white” suggest about him as a speaker?

Step 4

Turn to Chapter 3 in Animal Farm and to Squealer’s first speech in which he tries to manipulate the thinking of the animals through his use of language and rhetoric, which begins as follows:

“‘Comrades!’ he cried…”

Read through the paragraph in which Squealer’s speech is presented, looking for examples of the following:

• The argument about what the animals may be imagining that Squealer is combatting

• Misinformation that Squealer is presenting to manipulate the animals’ thinking

• Squealer’s use of exaggeration and overstatement to further misinform

• An example of straw man reasoning

• The red herring that Squealer presents to distract the animals

Step 5

Discuss the evidence you have found of the various ways that Squealer is using misinformation and rhetoric to manipulate the animals’ thinking.

Use the following questions to guide your discussion:

1. How is Squealer’s use of language representative of a prime characteristic of totalitarian governments: control of language and messages?

2. What are the parallels between Squealer’s interactions with the animals and the ways in which Stalin and his propagandists controlled peoples’ thinking in the Soviet Union?

3. How is the thematic idea of literacy in Animal Farm related to the misinformation and manipulative rhetoric?

Activity 5: Read – Discuss

We will continue to examine short speeches by squealer and Napoleon as examples of the ways in which totalitarian governments use language, rhetorical devices, messages, and misinformation to manipulate and control their listeners.

Step 1

With a reading partner, turn to a later passage from the novel in which Squealer or Napoleon is using misinformation and rhetoric to manipulate the animals’ thinking.

Read through the passage you have been assigned, looking for examples of any or all of the following:

• the animals’ suspicion, argument, or belief that Squealer is combatting

• misinformation that Squealer is presenting to manipulate the animals’ thinking

• Squealer’s use of exaggeration and overstatement to further misinform

• an example of straw man reasoning

• the red herring that Squealer presents to distract the animals

Step 2

Discuss how the speech you have analyzed represents the ways in which totalitarian governments attempt to control the thinking of their people. Consider how the speech might represent what people in the Soviet Union heard during Stalin’s totalitarian rule.

With your partner, prepare a short summary of what you have discussed and identified to share with the class.

Step 3

In the order in which the example passages containing manipulative speeches come in the novel, present your findings to the class.

As a class, return to and discuss the questions you considered at the start of the lesson:

1. How do the pigs use their speeches, their skill with language, and their use of rhetorical devices to influence and control the other animals?

2. Why are the animals so easily influenced and controlled by the pigs’ rhetoric? In what ways are their vulnerability and naivete related to their limited literacy?

3. In what ways do the speeches of Squealer and Napoleon resemble or represent what happens when totalitarian governments such as Stalin’s use language, rhetoric, and misinformation to control peoples’ thinking?

Step 4

In your Vocabulary Journal, write a definition for the rhetorical terms you have studied:

• straw man

• red herring

With your definition, include an example from one of the pig’s speeches in Animal Farm that illustrates the concept.

Activity 6: Write

For homework, we will think about how the character we followed in section 1 might have reacted to a speech by major, squealer, or Napoleon that we have examined in this lesson. We will draft a short, first-person vignette that expresses the character’s reaction to the speech.

For homework, think about how the character you followed in Section 1 might have reacted to a speech by Major, Squealer, or Napoleon that you examined in this lesson.

Draft a short, first-person vignette that expresses the character’s reaction to the speech.

In writing your vignette from your character’s point of view, consider what you know about the character’s level of literacy (being able to read and understand language) and how that might influence reactions to the speech.