You are viewing a free preview of this lesson.
Subscribe to unlock all 10 lessons in this course and every other course on LearningBro.
Understanding the form (what kind of text it is) and structure (how it is organised) of Animal Farm is essential for achieving top marks at GCSE. The examiner wants to see that you can analyse why Orwell made specific choices about the novel's genre, narrative voice, and chapter organisation.
Animal Farm operates in two genres simultaneously: it is both a fable and an allegory.
A fable is a short story, often featuring animals, that conveys a moral lesson.
| Feature of a fable | How Animal Farm uses it |
|---|---|
| Animal characters | All main characters are animals |
| Simple narrative | The plot is easy to follow on the surface |
| Moral lesson | The novel warns against tyranny and political apathy |
| Universal appeal | The story can be understood by readers of all ages |
| Brevity | The novel is short (approximately 30,000 words) |
An allegory is a narrative in which characters and events represent real-world counterparts.
Subscribe to continue reading
Get full access to this lesson and all 10 lessons in this course.