After Viewing

1. Animal Farm was completed in 1945, when Russian Communism was in full power, and had yet to see some of its darkest years. Now, the Soviet Union has completely collapsed, and communism, or at least the version of it that Lenin and Stalin implemented, has been largely proven to be a disastrous failure. Do you believe that the modern fate of communism makes sense, considering how corruptly it was portrayed in Animal Farm? How important is it to judge Animal Farm in its historical context? Can the film ANIMAL FARM be judged fairly once it has been placed in modern-day context? Explain.
   
   
2. Make a chart that compares the literary elements of fable, allegory, symbolism, point of view, and irony in both George Orwell's novel and TNT's film interpretation. Which medium do you think is more effective in communicating Orwell's message to audiences today? Explain.
   
   
3. Have students make up their own list of commandments for the classroom. Place different students in charge of the class at different times and tell them that they can change the commandments if they like. How do the commandments change depending on who is in charge? How do other students react to the changes?
   
   
4. Have the students choose an issue about which they have strong opinions. Have them write an allegorical fable that conveys their opinions on that issue. Have them choose their animals carefully. Students can read their fables aloud and students can try to guess what their allegory represents. For extra credit, they can use a video camera to tape animals at a local zoo or even in their backyard. Students can dub voices for the different animals in the video to tell their fable.
   
   
5. Place several pieces of paper in a hat - each one representing a chapter of the novel Animal Farm. Have groups of students choose a chapter from the hat. Their job is to write a script for that scene. The script should include both dialogue and filming directions. They can choose to use a narrator or to tell the story from the perspective of one of the animals. When they have finished, they can act out their scene - with the filmmaker calling the shots. At the end of the performance, have students compare their interpretation with that in TNT's ANIMAL FARM. How do students reconcile the choices they made?

back to top