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Year 11 - English

Analysing form and structure in 'Animal Farm'

Animal Farm: barriers to leadership

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils look at different types of leadership in 'Animal Farm'. They first look at Mr Jones, before analysing how education affects leadership and submission. They then practise elements of essay writing, before writing an analytical paragraph about violence and control in the novella.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain how form and structure have been used to explore Orwell's viewpoints.

Key Notes

  • Arguably, the pigs taking the milk and apples is the turning point of the novella.
  • The fable form is used to illustrate there are (many) morals to this story.
  • Orwell uses the simplistic form of a fable to help put forward his messages.
  • The main motifs are food and the military.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • Genre: This categorises texts based on conventions and themes.
  • Conventions: The features you would expect to find in a given genre.
  • Motif: A dominant or recurring idea or theme.
  • Moral: Being moral means you have high standards of what is right and wrong.
  • Accessible: Easily understood.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • That 'Animal Farm' is a simple story about leadership and power.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

Arguably, the pigs taking the milk and apples is the turning point of the novella. The fable form is used to illustrate there are (many) morals to this story.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'Genre'

This categorises texts based on conventions and themes.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: That 'Animal Farm' is a simple story about leadership and power. Correction: Stylistically it is simple, but why does Orwell do this? What does he hope to achieve by making his novella accessible?

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 11 English guide library.