Hello and welcome to the lesson.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

I'm Mrs. Butterworth and I'm really excited about the lesson, which is all about tracking events and key characters in "Animal Farm." So let's get started.

So by the end of the lesson, you'll be able to track the main events and characters of "Animal Farm" and link these to Orwell's purpose.

So before we delve into the lesson, there are a few key words I would like us to look at that will help with our understanding.

These are democracy, tyranny, satirise and cynicism.

See if you can spot any of these as we work through the lesson.

So the lesson, tracking events and characters, looks like this.

So we're going to start by looking at the key events in "Animal Farm," and just really making sure that we understand the key plot points and linking these to Orwell's purpose.

We are then going to move on to look at different characters and tracking their journeys throughout the novella.

So let's start with those key events.

So let's just remind ourselves of some key events from "Animal Farm." There are only 10 here, so it doesn't cover everything that happens, but these should be the main ones.

So number, one, Mr. Jones owns the farm.

Old Major compares the animal's lives to slavery in a speech.

Mr. Jones is driven out of his farm and it is renamed Animal Farm.

The Seven Commandments are written on the wall by the pigs and the animals continue working the land.

Neighbouring farms worry that the revolution will spread, so attack Animal Farm, but they lose in the Battle of the Cowshed.

And a conflict between two pigs, Napoleon and snowball increases, and snowball is driven out by Napoleon's guard dogs.

And you may remember how then Snowball is used as the scapegoat for everything that goes wrong on the farm.

Let's do the next five, so number six, The pigs move into Mr. Jones' house and sleep in beds, and they start to sell the chickens' eggs to humans.

So we really see the start of this decline of their leadership and moving away from those principles of animalism.

The commandments start to be changed, but the animals can't read, so don't understand.

And then the shocking part when Napoleon holds those show trials, and he accuses the animals of ridiculous crimes and kills them in front of everyone.

And then number nine, another shocking moment where Boxer, a strong horse, collapses and is sold to be killed at the knackers.

And then finally, the pig starts a walk on hind legs and work with the neighbouring farms. And that commandment is changed, just the commandments are changed to just one, all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

Okay, so I've listed plot points one to five here.

Which one is missing? Some really quick responses there.

Well done.

So excellent.

I have many of you notice that it was the Seven Commandments are written on the wall by the pigs and the animals continue working on the land.

Well done.

So now we've thought about the key events in "Animal Farm." I want us to start thinking about Orwell's purpose.

So here's our question.

What is Orwell's main purpose in writing "Animal Farm"? Pause the video so you can discuss your ideas.

Some excellent discussions there, really, really great to hear.

So let's just share some of those key ideas.

So Orwell's purpose.

So he wants to show that power corrupts, and we really see this in the pigs, how they gain that leadership straight away, and then just continue to be more and more corrupted by the power that it holds.

To show the inevitability of hierarchy, so this is a really important theme and one of Orwell's key purposes.

And this is actually established in chapter one where we see Old Major presented on a raised platform.

So Orwell is saying that hierarchies are always inevitable and that they will continue to be maintained.

To satirise totalitarianism.

To expose corruption and tyranny, and we really see this tyrannical leader form in the character of Napoleon.

To reveal the methods of control used by government, and we see these being used really effectively by the pigs.

So that propaganda, the use of education, the use of information, the use of violence, fear, all of these methods are explored by Orwell and how they can lead to these totalitarian regimes.

And then finally, as a warning of the erosion of democratic values.

So we see that the animals lose more and more of their freedom and more and more of their say as the novella progresses, which really shows this decline of democracy.

The pigs are making all the choices and they are the ones in charge.

So now I want us to think about those specific themes and begin linking them to plot points.

So we will look at a key theme, and then we will discuss the plot points that link to that.

So which plot points are most important to the following themes? Our first theme is the erosion of democratic values.

And this can be seen best in these plot points.

So the commandments start to be changed, but the animals can't read, so don't understand.

So they are unable to challenge it, so they are unable to raise any issues, which, again, shows that decline of democracy because they aren't able to have a say.

And Napoleon holds these show trials, which, again, is all about gaining control.

So the animals are too scared.

They're too afraid to make a challenge or to have their views.

So again, it's another method in which Napoleon uses to erode those democratic values.

Okay, so the inevitability of hierarchy.

So we can see this when the pigs move into Mr. Jones' farmhouse and sleep in the beds, and that they sell the chickens' eggs to the humans.

So they really start to assert their power in the choices that they make.

Likewise, when they move into the farmhouse, they are physically showing this hierarchy.

So not only is this presented through their actions and their authority, they are physically showing that they are the top of this hierarchy by moving themselves away from the animals into that farmhouse.

And then the inevitability of hierarchy is definitely fully realised by the end of the novella when the pig starts to walk, they work with the neighbouring farms, and that last commandment is changed, which shows this hierarchy is fully established and will continue to be maintained as time goes on.

Okay, so another theme is to expose corruption and tyranny.

So which plot points are best linked to this? So the conflict between the two pigs is an excellent way to show that corruption, because the way Snowball is driven out is very underhanded of Napoleon.

It's a very corrupt move.

And again, then using Snowball as a scapegoat and Squealer lying about his involvement in things like the windmill, again, is a really corrupt way to behave.

These show trials, again, excellent example of the tyranny that Napoleon reigns with.

So the violence and the fear is very exemplary of a tyrannical leader.

And then obviously the changes of the commandments.

So the pigs are changing laws, they're changing the boundaries, which shows their corruption.

They're changing everything to suit their needs.

Okay, so quick question: What happens in "Animal Farm" that demonstrates corruption and tyranny? Well done, everyone that noticed that the answer was B, Napoleon's show trials, because this violence and fear links directly to that idea of tyranny.

Okay, so we have reached our first practise task.

So what I would like you to do is I'm going to show you some plot points in a moment.

So just look at these again and remind yourself of those.

And then I would like you to consider these in relation to the theme of power.

You then need to make a decision, which do you think is the most important plot point and which do you think is the least important plot point with relation to the theme of power? I would then like you to arrange them into a diamond, like the diagram here, with your most important at the top and your least important at the bottom.

So here are those plot points.

Think about your most important and your least important, arrange them into that diamond.

So pause the video So you've got plenty of time to complete this task.

Well done, everybody.

I really enjoyed seeing all of the different responses to that task and the different ways to answer the most important and least important plot points.

So that's really great to see, and I've enjoyed hearing your justifications as to why you have made the decisions that you have.

So really well done.

So what I would like us to look at now is I'm going to show you a way, just one way that you could have approached the task.

So look at this diamond nine and consider how far you agree with this and how far you disagree with the choices that have been made.

So we've reached the second part of our lesson.

So now we have looked through those key plot points.

We are now going to move on to tracking some characters and looking at how characters plots develop over the novella and how Orwell is using this to link to his themes.

So in order to track our characters, we are going to use something called a Freytag's pyramid, and this is a narrative structure that breaks a story down into five distinct sections.

It looks like this.

So you can see how the story is represented in this shape of a pyramid.

And in this pyramid, Freytag identifies five key moments in a narrative, and these are exposition.

So this is the introduction of characters, background, and setting.

And we very often see this at the start of stories, this establishing of characters and settings.

Then we see the rising actions.

So we can see this rising up that side of the pyramid.

and this is the part of the story where we see tension growing, and it's the development of that story, and it's leading to conflict.

And then at the very top of that pyramid, we have the climax.

And this is a real turning point in a story where attention is highest, and a conflict is addressed here.

It can very often be something that's quite dramatic or quite shocking, especially in the case of "Animal Farm." And then moving down that side of the pyramid, we see this falling action, and this is where the story shifts to action, what has happened as a result of the climax.

So you can think of it almost as like the fallout of that climax.

And then finally, we have a French word, denouement, and this is the ending.

So this is where the conflict is resolved and all loose ends are tied up.

So this looks like this overall.

So you can really see how that pyramid represents that journey that the story takes, and many stories can be plotted on Freytag's pyramid, and this includes "Animal Farm." Okay, just a quick check, which section is missing from the Freytag's pyramid below? Well done to everyone that noticed it's that rising action, and we can see that rise as it's plotted alongside that side of the pyramid.

So we can also use Freytag's pyramid to plot individual characters' storylines.

So in a moment, I'm going to show you some quotes that have been plotted alongside the pyramid, and I would like you to discuss what story is being told or whose story is being told.

So let's just look at the quotes and see which character they link to.

So the exposition.

"He seldom talked, and when he did, it was usually to make some cynical remark." Rising action.

"Windmill or nowhere mill, life would go on as it had always gone on, that is, badly." And then our climax at the top of that pyramid.

"Fools! Do you not see what is written on the side of the van?" And then our falling action going down that side of the pyramid.

"A time came when there was no one who remembered the days before the rebellion." And then our denouement.

"The creatures outside look from pig to man, from man to pig, but already it was impossible to say which was which." Okay, pause the video, reread those quotes, and see if you can work out who is being plotted here.

Well done, some really quick responses there.

So lots of you worked out that this plot's Benjamin's character arc.

So Orwell is really using Benjamin and his journey to comment on the dangers of apathy and cynicism.

We can see how Benjamin refusing to be part of anything that's happening leads almost to Boxer being taken away, this climatic moment where he sees his best friend being taken away.

We could also describe Benjamin's character arc like this.

So moving away from quotes, we can look at those key plot points that develop Benjamin's character.

So we have this exposition where Benjamin is established as a cynical observer.

We then get our rising action up that side of the pyramid where he shows that he understands the pig's agenda, but refuses to show any resistance.

So Benjamin's really interesting because he's intelligent, he can read, but he chooses not to get involved and he chooses not to challenge the pigs.

And then that climax at the top of the pyramid, when he chooses to read, but it's too late because Boxer has already been taken away.

And that's a really climatic moment in Benjamin's character arc and also the novella as a whole.

And then we get this falling action down that side of the pyramid where Benjamin is described as a survivor of change.

So he's one of the last animals to remember the rebellion.

So we can see this fallout of him not challenging anything that's happened on the farm.

And then finally, we get this denouement.

So it isn't really a nice fully tied up conclusion because Benjamin realised what has happened, but it's too late to challenge.

And actually, this suggests that the cycle just continues.

So Orwell doesn't offer us a resolution because he wants to show us how these cycles of a power and oppression keep on going.

And finally, Orwell uses the different character arcs to explore the impact of the totalitarian regimes and suggest an ongoing cycle of power and corruption.

Okay, so question for you.

When Benjamin reads the side of the van and recognises the fate of Boxer, this is arguably the what of the story? Well done to everyone that noticed.

It was A, the climax.

That very dramatic moment is a really important point for a lot of the characters on the farm.

Okay, so we have reached our second and final practise task.

So you'll see that I have given you five key plot points for the character of Napoleon.

And what I would like you to do is I would like you to draw your own Freytag's pyramid and position these events accordingly.

So you'll need to decide whether they're examples of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, or denouement, and then plot them on the graph.

So let's just read the plot points together.

So we have the expulsion of Snowball, the description of Napoleon as a fierce looking boar, walking on two legs and carrying a whip, show trials and executions, and the continued changing of the commandments.

You may want to put your plot points in order before you position them on your pyramid.

Pause the video so you have time to complete the task, and I look forward to feeding back our responses.

Well done, everyone.

Really, really excellent work.

So let's just see how you could have approached this task.

So we've got our exposition, which is our description of Napoleon.

So he's described as a fierce looking boar.

So in that exposition, Napoleon is established as this fierce fearsome pig, which already gives us some clues of what type of a character he is.

We then get this rising action, so that tension between Snowball and Napoleon, and the expulsion of snowball really starts to show how things are starting to get tense and out of hand.

And then at the top point, we have the climax for Napoleon where he conducts those show trials and executions.

And it's a really shocking moment in the novella where we see Napoleon becoming this fully realised tyrannical leader.

And then our falling action down the side of that pyramid are the continued changing of the commandments.

And then our denouement is obviously where we get the walking on the two legs and the carrying of the whip, where Napoleon has fully completed that cycle of oppression and he comes to look like the humans that they sought to overthrow at the start.

So that is our ending, our resolution.

So really well done today, everyone.

Thank you so much for your hard work.

I really appreciate it.

It's been a real pleasure to teach you today.

So let's just run through everything that we have learned this lesson.

So we know that Orwell uses key plot points in the novella to present his themes.

We have looked at Freytag's pyramid and how this is a useful tool for plotting character arcs and key moments, and how the characters in animal farms show the impact and development of totalitarian regimes and the individuals' involvement.

So again, very well done and I look forward to seeing you in another lesson soon.

See you then.

Goodbye.