Katy Reads Animal Farm (ch 1-2)
Do you want to impress your friends with your knowledge of classic literature without actually having to read classic literature? Well, you're in luck. Welcome back to installment number 2 of Katy Reads the Classics so You Don't Have to. And this time we are taking on Animal Farm.
This introductory episode will dive into my personal relationship with this book, so if you hard do not care—then check the time stamps below. However, I'd LOVE to hear your relationship with the boo kin the comments.
From there we'll touch on some context for the life of George Orwell. Not a full bio, but what I think knowing may enhance your listening experience. Just your basics: hated fascism, ha-a-a-ated Joseph Stalin.
And then we'll dive into the first 2 chapters, the parallels of the characters with those of the Russian Revolution, and I promise to only sing once (I think). #theyscallinuspigs
Timestamps:
00:00 Why I love Animal Farm
01:37 Why This Book Is Assigned to Teenagers Everywhere
02:41 Animal Farm: Allegory, Not Just Talking Animals
07:08 George Orwell: A Short Bio
13:51 Chapter 1 : Old Major's Dream of a Revolution
20:54 Chapter 1's Analysis and who's who in the Russian Revolution
27:05 Intro Chapter 2 | Napoleon vs Snowball: The Power Struggle Begins
30:10 Mollie, Sugar Cubes, and the Bourgeois Question
33:15 Moses and the Lie of Sugarcandy Mountain
42:19 Animalism: The Rules, The Ideals, The Red Flags
44:34 Who Drank the Milk? (A Mystery Solved Immediately)
45:34 Final Thoughts, Existential Dread, and What to Read Next
Comments (13)
Hee hee! I was the nerdiest of the nerds. I read Canterbury tales in high school and liked it. Ironically, didn’t have to read Animal Farm
I am not surprised you were the nerdiest nerd and ended up here
Would love Tess of the d'Urbervilles to be one of the future books in this series.
I went to school in Arizona and we read this freshman year of highschool. They had us read it in sections and then analyze each section before moving on... which is the dumbest way to get kids interested in literature but sure... as a result, I just remember it feeling really disjointed and everyone antsy to move on! I'm actually pretty excited to revisit it since I think I stopped paying attention halfway through the worksheets!
well, hopefully you enjoy this way better but also I'm sorry if I am also disjointed because I'm kinda mad at the government right now and it might come through
My heartstrings are already being pulled at with some of these sweet animals and I feel like something bad is going to happen!. I never read this. Public school in Florida attempted A Tale of Two Cities though. AP English had Canterbury Tales but it was a really good teacher and I think that can make such a difference.
Yes a good teacher makes a huge difference! And yes I'm sorry to say thoughts and prayers for all the animals
I went to school in Ohio and we did not read this.
We did read Canterbury Tales. Ugh. I know that I would've preferred Animal Farm. I wonder if the reason why we didn't read Animal Farm is that I was in school during part of the Reagan Administration and my school district was very conservative and anti-communist "tear down this wall".
I went to school in Pennsylvania and we did not read it in class. My older brother did though so at some point it was removed from our curriculum for whatever reason lol.
Oh I wonder why! And I wonder what they swapped it out for
RIP old major! A true comrade! And I have vivid flashbacks of reading this book in Mr. Kent Johnstons 8th grade literature class in Indiana. VIVID.
Oh 8th grade! Ok they gave it to y'all even younger than us.