Form & Structure

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Form

Here are different aspects of the form of Animal Farm:

Beast fable

A story in which animal characters are used to give serious moral messages, just as each key character or group of characters does in Animal Farm (see character grid for more details).
By using animals, Orwell makes his story, and political message, appeal to a wider audience, whilst also ridiculing those who the animals represent.

Allegory of Russian history

To highlight the realities of Stalin’s regime.

“A Fairy Story”

This subtitle (not always used) reminds the reader that it is a work of fiction.
However, it also suggests that the story is going to have an adult and worldly lesson hidden in it.

Satire

When literature is written in a way which attacks someone or something and makes it look foolish.
Orwell uses humour (Napoleon is called “Friend of the fatherless” in a poem and this is so far from the truth that it is humorous), exaggeration, and animals to represent political and historical figures.
Orwell uses satire to make the story and the complex historical and political issues easy for his audience to understand.
It is also very persuasive; through this form, Orwell can provoke both the reader’s sympathy, hatred and ridicule for his characters through this emotive form of writing.

Structure

Here are key features of the structure of Animal Farm:

Circular plot

At the start of the novel, Old Major says “man is the only real enemy we have”.
The novella ends with the sentence: “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”
The novel also starts and ends with the farm being called “Manor Farm” and it is governed by a cruel and ruthless leader and regime.
The novel has a circular plot, the revolution turns a full circle; everything new which is put in place is corrupted and the animals end up back where they began.

Turning point

The turning point is in Chapter 7, where Napoleon executes anyone who could potentially oppose him (or arguably, it is in Chapter 5 when Snowball is chased off the farm).
After chapter 7, the tyranny and betrayal continues and becomes more and more brutal.
Anything linked to man is a symbol of corruption, and so when the pigs begin to wear human clothing, walk on their hind legs and carry whips, the reader can see that the farm has descended into tyranny.

Seven commandments

The corruption and betrayal can be plotted through the changes in each of the seven commandments.

Repetition

From chapter 6, the phrase “The animals worked like slaves” is repeated.
This is ironic as the animals are not free. It also reminds us of the extent that the animals have been controlled. They are “slaves” and yet they do not realise it.
They have been manipulated, controlled and betrayed by a type of tyrannical regime which they originally fought to overthrow.

Significance of the circular plot

Orwell uses the circular plot to highlight the failure of the revolution and the cruelty and corruption of Napoleon and the pigs. He is also highlighting the failure of the Russian Revolution and Stalin’s corruption of communism.

1Important Plot Features

1.1Plot Summaries

1.1.1Chapters 1-2

1.1.2Chapters 3-4

1.1.3Chapters 5-6

1.1.4Chapters 7-8

1.1.5Chapters 9-10

1.1.6Keywords

1.1.7End of Topic Test - Chapters 1-5

1.1.8End of Topic Test - Chapters 6-10

2Characters & Their Links to History

2.1Key Characters

2.1.1Old Major

2.1.2Snowball

2.1.3Napoleon

2.1.4Squealer

2.1.5Boxer

2.1.6End of Topic Test - Key Characters

2.1.7AO2/3 - Key Characters

2.1.8Exam-Style Questions - Boxer

2.2Other Characters

2.2.1Mr Jones

2.2.2Clover

2.2.3Hens

2.2.4Sheep

2.2.5Mollie

2.2.6Benjamin

2.2.7Moses & Mr Frederick

2.2.8Pilkington & Mr Whymper

2.2.9End of Topic Test - Other Characters

2.2.10End of Topic Test - Other Characters 2

3Key Themes & Orwell's Purpose

3.1Key Themes

3.1.1Education

3.1.2Power & Control

3.1.3Power & Language

3.1.4Equality

3.1.5End of Topic Test - Key Themes

4Language, Form & Structure

4.1Language, Form & Structure

4.1.1Form & Structure

4.1.2Language

4.1.3Symbols

4.1.4Narrator & Allegory

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