I think you are all doing a great job responding to the ideas of socialism vs capitalism, but many of you still seem a bit confused about the relationship to the plot and characters of the book. Orwell (Blair) was obviously fearful of what he was seeing happening in Russia–a country that was promoting itself as communist. He felt Russia’s enactment of communism was horribly distorted from the socialist ideals that he himself held so strongly. So, to help you get an even clearer view, I’d like you to do the following as your last post requirement:
This question requires a little research on your part. Find three facts about one of the above topics
1. Post your three facts
2. You may not post a fact someone else has already posted
3. Respond to at least one fact posted by another and explain how that fact ties into the novel
October 19, 2007 at 9:48 pm
1. There are two main communist documents, The Communist Manifesto and Principles of Communism.
2. Communism is meant to abolish religion and absolute morality founded on religion, along with political and economic reform.
3. Around 40 million Russian citizens were killed “for the good of the state under Stalin’s rule.
There arn’t any other comments for me to tie into the story, so I will tie my own in. My second fact relates to the book because in reality communism abolishes religion, and in the book Napolean tries to abolish their ability to think for themselves. Napolean tells them what is right, and none of them are willing to disagree. Please correct me if I still don’t have the right idea.
October 20, 2007 at 8:25 am
Three facts that I learned about communism is that
1. Communism is a branch of Socialism
2. The Communist Party is the most advanced and resolute working class party of every country.
3. The aim of the Communists is the formation of proletariat into a class.
Kurstyn, your third fact is really interesting. I did not know that 40 million Russians were killecd
October 20, 2007 at 10:27 am
1. “A common mistake is to confuse Socialism, the economic system, with Communism, the political system. Communists are “socialist” in the same way that Republicans are ‘compassionate conservatives’” (The Difference Between Socialism and Communism).
2. “Socialism grows directly out of capitalism; it is the first form of the new society. Communism is a further development or “higher stage” of socialism” (Huberman and Sweezy).
3. Communism is a good idea, but many times the government becomes greedy and puts themselves before everyone else, which is exactly what was not supposed to happen!
The third comment relates to the book because it is easily showed that as time goes on in Animal Farm, the “government” changes the laws to fit his wants and they get special treatment. In other words, “some animals are equal, but others are more equal than others” (Orwell).
October 21, 2007 at 8:54 am
I think that your guy’s research is great. It gives me a better understanding of these forms of government. So instead I researched Stalin, Trotsky and Lenin.
1. Joseph Stalin was a part of a “secret organization called Messame Dassy” while he was studying at Tiflis Theological Seminary.
2. Leon Trotsky changed his name from Lev Davisovich Bronstein after he escaped from jail in Siberia. He was put in jail for forming South Russia Workers Union and Russian Social Democratic Labour Party.
3. Vladimir Lenin was also expelled from a university for radcical policies and taken to jail in Siberia where he met Leon Trotsky. And from then on they worked together.
p.s.- Im sorry I’m late!
October 21, 2007 at 8:55 am
Oh and these people are the people from the book that helped rule these forms of government.
October 21, 2007 at 9:00 am
Kurstyn, Kailyn and Taylor–can you go give us the source citations for the information you found.
Also, don’t forget to talk with one another–what do you think about these facts. Does it change your view of the novel? Does it help to clarify it?
October 22, 2007 at 1:04 pm
1. The idea of Marxism is that the central government will eventually disapear so that people can control their own destinies by producing goods fo the benifit of all.
2. Karl Marx had horrible financial problems because he had no good jobs because of his ideas. Three of his children died of malnutrition and lack of health care and medicine, and one of his children was born dead. He could often not pay his debts, rents, or taxes and couldn’t afford heating fuel of shoes for his children. His wife Jenny also suffered from nervous breakdowns and physicall illnesses. Only three of his seven children lived to adulthood. Jenny died in 1881 and the Marx died in 1883, two months before his 65th birthday from a lung abcess. His two remaining daughters both commited suicide, one in 1898 and the other in 1911.
3.In 1917 Vladimir Lenin combined his ideas with Marx’s and created Marxism-Leninism.
For Kursyn’s second fact I realized that the crow was meant to symbolize religion and all of the pigs didn’t want any, so the animals would believe that what the pigs said was right.
October 22, 2007 at 2:26 pm
mrs.G I’m still really confused. This is one of the websites I was at http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/11/prin-com.htm . Am I searching the right thing or am I way off?
October 22, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Oh, I got my info from
Activists, Rebels and Reformers. Diane Sawinski. Detroit: UXL, 2001. Opposing Viewpoints
Resource Center. Gale. COLORADO SPRINGS SCHOOL. 21 Oct. 2007
.
And continuing my comment on Kurstyn’s fact the government(pigs) did not want any interfirence, and some religions might tell the people(animals) that the government was wrong and they should overthrough them. Most of the people wanted something to believe in, and if there wasn’t any religion to believe in, the only thing there was was the government. At first I didn’t really get why the crow had anything to do with the story, and why the pigs didn’t like him, but now I understand.
October 22, 2007 at 5:49 pm
Hi. I was wondering in the one page analysis if it was supposed to be about what the blog was about or how we thought the blog went. Please post me back. Thanks!
October 22, 2007 at 8:06 pm
Mrs. G, I unfortunatley don’t remember where I found the information. So, I can’t give you the citing, sorry.
October 22, 2007 at 8:10 pm
Mrs. G are we allowed to use first person phrases in our analysis?
October 22, 2007 at 8:15 pm
Sorry, this is my last question. Does our analysis have to be in paragraph form, or can we just write a long summary?
October 22, 2007 at 9:00 pm
Sorry guys, I’m logging in a bit late tonight, but to answer your questions: The analysis is your thoughts on the blog discussion in general. Did it help your understanding? Do you think it’s a useful addition to reading the novel? Would you recommend others join in? etc.
It can be one long summary, but you still want to think about paragraph formation if they are needed (if you are changing topics). Yes, you may use first person phrases on this.
Sam, I’m not really sure what it is exactly you are confused about. The other girls seem to be one right track–perhaps reading their responses will give you an idea of what to post.
October 28, 2007 at 4:02 pm
Sorry I forgot to cite the sources.
Leon Trotsky. fbuch. 10-27-07.
Spartacus Educational. 10-27-07.
Vladimir Lenin. Historic Figures. 10-27-07.
October 28, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Using these facts really helped me get a better understanding of what is going on in the book. I thought it was very effective and worked well.