7. What role do symbols play in dystopian allegories?

AT A GLANCE

Intention: Understand how symbols are used in dystopian allegories.

Task: Follow the lesson.

Duration : approx. 75 minutes

Material required : Student Booklet

Original activity , under CC BY-NC licence (see other credits )

Introduction

Authors use specific literary devices in dystopian texts to warn audiences about what could go wrong with certain aspects of society.

When authors want to simplify complex ideas or problems in a way that is going to allow more people to understand them, they can create an allegory by having characters, places or events deliver a message about real-world problems.

One of the most popular allegories in English literature is George Orwell’s Animal Farm.

Animal Farm is a short read, but it essentially symbolizes the 25 years that followed the Russian communist revolution of 1917. At the same time, this allegory demonstrates how some revolutions that are supposed to lead to utopia (a perfect world) can instead lead to abuses of power that create a dystopia for the people.

Important

Scroll up and click on the next TAB to read a short summary of Animal Farm.

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Read (and/or listen) the short summary of Animal Farm.

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Important

Scroll up and click on the next TAB to read the real world equivalent of Animal Farm: The Russian Revolution and the Events that Followed.

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Read (and/or listen) the Real-World Equivalent: The Russian Revolution and the Events that Followed.

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Important

Scroll up and click on the next TAB to answer some questions.

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Match the symbols used by George Orwell with their real-life equivalents using this list

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                <p class="G001 " data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2" style="font-weight: 800;">
                  Copy and paste the symbols and their equivalents. The first one is done for you.
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                          <p class="G001 " data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2">
                            The Russian Revolution
                          </p>
                          <p class="G001 " data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2">
                            Those who are the closest to the Communist Party can live comfortable lives, while the rest of the people live modestly under surveillance, propaganda and fear. The great communist dream has become a nightmare.
                          </p>
                        </div>
                      </div>
                      <div class="I2004c inserer col-lg-3 py-2">
                        <div class="I2004e basic-pale-row text_box2" style="" data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2">
                          <p class="G001 " data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2">
                            The Soviet Union
                          </p>
                          <p class="G001 " data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2">
                            The Soviet Union and Allied Forces win the war, but millions of lives are lost. Famine is common in the Soviet Union; there is a lack of everything except for those in power.
                          </p>
                        </div>
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                      <div class="I2004d inserer col-lg-3 py-2">
                        <div class="I2004e basic-pale-row text_box2" style="" data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2">
                          <p class="G001 " data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2">
                            The KGB
                          </p>
                          <p class="G001 " data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2">
                            The peasants and working class
                          </p>
                          <p class="G001 " data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2">
                            Adolf Hitler
                          </p>
                          <p class="G001 " data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2">
                            Joseph Stalin
                          </p>
                          <p class="G001 " data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2">
                            Nazi Germany
                          </p>
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                      <div class="I2004e inserer col-lg-3 py-2">
                        <div class="I2004e basic-pale-row text_box2" style="" data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2"><p class="G001 " data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2">The Czar, who lives like a king</p><p class="G001 " data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2">Leon Trotsky</p><p class="G001 " data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2">Resources</p><p class="G001 " data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2">Communism</p><p class="G001 " data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2"><strike>Russia</strike></p></div>
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                    </div>

</section>
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                          <thead class="text-white">
                            <tr class="bg_secondary">
                              <th scope="col" class="border border_white">
                                Elements from Animal Farm&nbsp;
                              </th>
                              <th scope="col" class="border border_white">
                                Elements from the Russian Revolution
                              </th>

</tr>
                          </thead>
                          <tbody>
                            <tr id="row_1">

<td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                                Poor farm
                              </td>
                              <td class="border border_white">
                                Russia
                              </td>

</tr>
                            <tr id="row_2">
                              <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                                <span style="font-size: 15px;">
                                  The farmer
                                </span>
                              </td>
                              <td class="border border_white">
                              </td>

</tr>
                            <tr id="row_3">
                              <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                                <div>
                                  The neglected animals
                                </div>
                              </td>
                              <td class="border border_white">
                              </td>

</tr>
                            <tr id="row_4">
                              <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                                Mr. Jones is chased away
                              </td>
                              <td class="border border_white">
                              </td>

</tr>
                            <tr id="row_4">
                              <td class="border border_whitebg-light text-dark">
                                Snowball
                              </td>
                              <td class="border border_white">
                              </td>

</tr>
                            <tr id="row_5">
                              <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                                Animalism
                              </td>
                              <td class="border border_white">
                              </td>

</tr>
                            <tr id="row_6">
                              <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                                Napoleon
                              </td>
                              <td class="border border_white">
                              </td>

</tr>
                            <tr id="row_7">
                              <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                                Animal Farm
                              </td>
                              <td class="border border_white">
                              </td>

</tr>
                            <tr id="row_7">
                              <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                                Food
                              </td>
                              <td class="border border_white">
                              </td>

</tr>
                            <tr id="row_7">
                              <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                                Dogs
                              </td>
                              <td class="border border_white">
                              </td>

</tr>
                            <tr id="row_7">
                              <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                                Mr. Friedricks
                              </td>
                              <td class="border border_white">
                              </td>

</tr>
                            <tr id="row_7">
                              <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                                Mr. Friedricks’ farm
                              </td>
                              <td class="border border_white">
                              </td>

</tr>
                            <tr id="row_7">
                              <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                                Victory for Animal Farm comes at a high cost. Lives are lost. Conditions for the animals continue to decline except for the pigs.&nbsp;
                              </td>
                              <td class="border border_white">
                              </td>

</tr>
                            <tr id="row_7">
                              <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                                Gradually, all of the laws of Animalism have been changed to the advantage of the pigs. Things on the farm are worse than when Mr. Jones, the farmer, was in charge. The animals live in a state of hunger, fear and surveillance; they are being lied to and abused. Animal Farm goes from being a utopia to a dystopia.
                              </td>
                              <td class="border border_white">
                              </td>

</tr>
                          </tbody>
                        </table>
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    </section>

Supported by examples from the texts, explain why Animal Farm fits the definition of an allegory.

Explain in your own words how symbols are used to create an allegory.

Reflect: Give your opinion: How can the use of symbols and metaphors influence your personal interpretation?

Reflect: Hypothesize why Animal Farm is banned in many countries.

What's Next?

Now that you know how literary devices can transform the real world into a fictional dystopian one, let’s see how dystopia can be interpreted to fit many real-world situations.

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