Jen Jebens

English 112B

Unit Plan

9 May 2007

Absolute Corruption: A Struggle for Power

As the British historian Lord Acton noted, �Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely� (Wikipedia.com). Throughout history, leaders have come into power only to fall to prejudice, greed, or naivet�. Of course, not all those in a position of power become corrupt; however, history often takes not of those who do. Literature has immortalized leaders such as Adolph Hitler, Vladimir Lenin, and Joseph Stalin, who will always be remembered for their blatant abuse of power. Although history texts can give the facts about corrupt leaders, literature has the power to go one step further, exploring issues of morality, fear, and prejudice. Moreover, it has the capability to humanize historical events by allowing readers to see the perspectives of both those in power and those who suffer because of corrupt leadership. As teachers of literature, we have an obligation to share these perspectives with our students, in hopes that by doing so we might prevent history from repeating itself once again.

This unit will focus on works that exemplify the consequences of abusing one�s power, with George Orwell�s Animal Farm as the central work. It focuses heavily on world events in the past hundred years, and should thus be taught to a class who has taken (or is taking simultaneously) a course in world history. The unit will explore ties between history, culture, and literature, asking students to relate the works they read to current events. Students will connect the abuse of power and its consequences to their personal lives and to a larger world-view; through this they will be exposed to literature at a more personal level, comparing what they read to their personal experiences and values.

Animal Farm work mirrors the Bolshevik Revolution, but takes place on a farm in England with animals, not humans, as main characters. The story begins when an old pig, Major, calls all the animals of Manor Farm together, explaining the evils of human rule. The animals realize that they are little more than slaves, and unite against the evils of humanity, which they swear to never fall prey to. When Major dies several days after this meeting, two pigs named Napoleon and Snowball assume leadership over the other animals, who then run Manor Farm�s owner, Mr. Jones, off his property. The animals begin their reign by listing commandments on the barn, the most important of which is �All animals are equal� (Orwell 23). Unfortunately, this does not hold true, as the pigs become literate and Napoleon begins to gather the dogs around him as private guards. When Mr. Jones attempts to reclaim the farm, the animals defeat him once again in �The Battle of the Cowshed.� After the animals� independence is assured, Snowball and Napoleon begin to vie for power, with Napoleon winning the struggle. Napoleon drives Snowball off the farm, and begins taking rights away from other animals while reserving certain privileges for himself and the other pigs. Here we see an important shift in the story, as the animals, especially the pigs begin to succumb to that which they had hated and feared in the past.

Once Snowball no longer poses a threat to Napoleon�s reign, the Pigs change the most important commandment of Animalism to �All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others� (Orwell 114). The animals� state is reduced to slavery, as the pigs become more man-like each passing year. Animal Farm ends with a final symbol (and perhaps a warning to the reader): �No question, now, what happened to the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but it was already impossible to say which was which� (Orwell 120).

Launching the Unit

Before your students begin reading Animal Farm, you might want to have them do at least one of the following exercises:

1. Give your students Lord Acton�s complete quote, �Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.� Have them discuss the one of the following in discussion questions or in a writing journal:

A. Do you believe Lord Acton was right? Do you think a �great� man or woman (one in a position of power) can not be corrupted by absolute power? If so, give an example of a leader (in real life or literature) who has remained uncorrupted when granted absolute power.

B. What would you do if you had absolute power over a body of people? Do you think you would abuse that power? Why?

C. Write about a situation in which you were involved in a power struggle. You or someone you know could have had the power in this situation (a teacher, a coach, a parent). How did you resolve it, and what effects do you think having power had on that person? Did they act differently because of it, or the same as they normally would?

As an alternative, simply ask your students if they agree with Lord Acton or not. Give them time to consider both sides of the argument, then divide the class into two parts. Have the class stage a debate, and record the main points on a poster. You can later bring up these main points while discussing the main text.

This exercise should help your students begin connecting the theme of the unit to their daily lives. It will give them an opportunity to voice their views and values concerning power and leadership, and allow them to see that abuse of power is not confined to certain historical periods. This is mainly an exercise in self-reflection, preparing students to make judgments about the actions of characters in Animal Farm.

2. Have your students listen to The Beatles� �Revolution,� and Eugene Pottier�s �The Internationale� (the anthem of international socialism). If you cannot find and English version of the latter, provide them with a translation.

�Revolution�

The Beatles

You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know that you can count me out
Don't you know it's gonna be all right
all right, all right

You say you got a real solution
Well, you know
We'd all love to see the plan
You ask me for a contribution
Well, you know
We're doing what we can
But when you want money
for people with minds that hate
All I can tell is brother you have to wait
Don't you know it's gonna be all right
all right, all right
Ah

ah, ah, ah, ah, ah...

You say you'll change the constitution
Well, you know
We all want to change your head
You tell me it's the institution
Well, you know
You better free you mind instead
But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao
You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow
Don't you know it's gonna be all right
all right, all right

�The Internationale�

Eugene Pottier, Lyrics obtained from Wikipedia.com

Arise, the damned of the earth,
Arise, prisoners of hunger,
Reason thunders in its crater,
It is the eruption of the end!
Let's make a blank slate of the past,
Crowds, slaves, arise, arise!
The world is going to change from its base,
We are nothing, let's be everything!

Chorus: This is the final struggle
Let us gather, and tomorrow
The Internationale
Will be mankind!

There are no supreme saviours,
Neither God, nor Caesar, nor tribune.
Producers, let's save ourselves!
Let's decree a common defense
So that the thief returns his plunder,
To pull the mind from the prison cell
Let us blow upon our furnace ourselves,
Strike the iron while it is hot!

(Chorus)

The state represses and the law cheats,
The taxes bleed the unfortunate
No responsibility is imposed on the rich
The rights of the poor is a hollow phrase
Enough of languishing in custody,
Equality needs other laws!
No rights without duty, it says,
Equally, no duties without rights.

(Chorus)

Hideous, in their glory,
The kings of the mines and rail.
Never have they done anything else,
But steal from others' work.
In the safes of this group
What we created is melted together!
In decreeing that they give it back
The people want nothing but their due.

(Chorus)

The kings intoxicate us with their fumes,
Peace among ourselves, war to the tyrants!
Let us declare strikes in the armies,
Guns in the air, break their ranks!
If they insist, those cannibals,
On making heroes of us,
They will soon know that our bullets,
Are for our own generals.

(Chorus)

Labourers, peasants, we are
The great party of workers
The earth belongs only to humans
The idle are going to live elsewhere
How much they feast on our flesh
But if the ravens and vultures
Disappear one of these days
The sun will shine forever.

Have your students do the following: The first time they listen to each song, have them write down important words or ideas. Have them note key differences between the songs, including how they are sung and the ideals they represent. The songs have completely opposite literary tones, as well; have your students write a journal entry on which lyrics give each song the tone it has. Finally, have them write a short paragraph on which set of lyrics they like better, and why.

This exercise is meant to show students two sides of one issue�both songs focus on revolution, but have opposite viewpoints about it. Students will have an opportunity to associate popular culture with the unit; using a song from a band as big as The Beatles will allow students to relate to Animal Farm to an even greater extent.

3. Divide your students into twelve groups, and assign each year a group from 1903 to 1912. Have each group research what was going on in Russia during their year, and find out any major events happening in the rest of the world. Have each group create a timeline poster for its year, and present the poster to the class. After all the presentations are finished, hang the timelines in chronological order on the wall, providing a complete timeline of the Bolshevik Revolution.

This exercise will give your students some historical perspective on what they are about to read, allowing not only better comprehension of the work as a whole, but also giving students the important perspective that the events in Animal Farm mirror real life. The more �real� the characters seem to them, the more shocking the experience of reading the book.

Reading Animal Farm

The majority of the reading should be assigned out of class, so that class time is reserved for discussion of the text. Because Animal Farm is only 10 chapters long, it is advisable to assign 2 chapters per class, and have an in depth discussion about each one. Focus should be on how the pigs accrue power, and the consequences on the other animals. Pay special attention to Snowball�s dissenting voice, and the importance of the windmill. If time permits, try to give the real life parallels of the Bolshevik Revoltion. If not, explain which animals represent Marx and Stalin, and give some background on �The Iron Curtain.� Have the students write a journal entry for each chapter, focusing especially on how the pigs manage to come to power without anyone stopping them. Have students comment on Orwell�s use of symbolism, allegory, and foreshadowing.

Have your students do an exercise in which they divide into two equal groups. One group will act as the pigs, and the other will be the other animals. You may or may not have each side choose a representative. Have them stage a debate, with the animals asking for equal rights and the pigs giving reasons that they shouldn�t have them. Some questions you might give to fuel the discussion are:

1. Who does more work? The pigs or the animals? Is mental labor equal to manual labor?

2. Should the animals have dealings with the humans?

3. Does being smarter than the other animals give the pigs more rights?

4. Do the pigs really follow their own commandments?

5. Are the other animals wrong for not standing up for themselves?

Be sure to remind your students that they are arguing on a specific side, and should not let their personal beliefs come in conflict with the points they are arguing. After having this debate, have students write a journal entry about how it felt to argue for a point they might not necessarily believe in. Have them discuss their personal answers to the above questions as well.

In addition, consider showing the 1954 animated movie Animal Farm. Have students write in their journals about the differences between the film and the book, having them elaborate by hypothesizing about why these changes were made. Have students take special note of how the film ends. Why do they think this change was made? Do they like the film�s ending or the book�s ending better? Or do they feel that the film�s ending detracts from the story�s moral?

Expanding the Unit

The following works represent dystopias in which power is out of balance. They also focus on the consequences of corruption through power, for both those in power and those without. Each of these works can be paired with Animal Farm on the basis that students can explore how different characters react to similar situations. For some, the first two exercises used to introduce the unit can also be used. For each of the following books, encourage students to examine how characters lose and gain power, and how this affects them and those around them.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

William Golding's classic tale about a group of English schoolboys who are plane-wrecked on a deserted island is just as chilling and relevant today as when it was first published in 1954. At first, the stranded boys cooperate, attempting to gather food, make shelters, and maintain signal fires. Overseeing their efforts are Ralph, "the boy with fair hair," and Piggy, Ralph's chubby, wisdom-dispensing sidekick whose thick spectacles come in handy for lighting fires. Although Ralph tries to impose order and delegate responsibility, there are many in their number who would rather swim, play, or hunt the island's wild pig population. Soon Ralph's rules are being ignored or challenged outright. His fiercest antagonist is Jack, the redheaded leader of the pig hunters, who manages to lure away many of the boys to join his band of painted savages. The situation deteriorates as the trappings of civilization continue to fall away, until Ralph discovers that instead of being hunters, he and Piggy have become the hunted. (Summary taken from Amazon.com)

Lord of the Flies is an appropriate work to pair with Animal Farm�the power struggle between Ralph and Jack parallels that of Snowball and Napoleon. In both books, as one side gains more power, the situation of all involved rapidly deteriorates, leaving those not involved in the power struggle in a state of suspended chaos. Students can write a comparative essay of the two works, focusing on the differences and similarities of the two power struggles.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Guy Montag is a book-burning fireman undergoing a crisis of faith. His wife spends all day with her television "family," imploring Montag to work harder so that they can afford a fourth TV wall. Their dull, empty life sharply contrasts with that of his next-door neighbor Clarisse, a young girl thrilled by the ideas in books, and more interested in what she can see in the world around her than in the mindless chatter of the tube. When Clarisse disappears mysteriously, Montag is moved to make some changes, and starts hiding books in his home. Eventually, his wife turns him in, and he must answer the call to burn his secret cache of books. After fleeing to avoid arrest, Montag winds up joining an outlaw band of scholars who keep the contents of books in their heads, waiting for the time society will once again need the wisdom of literature. (Summary taken from Amazon.com)

Unlike Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451 focuses on a struggle between ideals. Thus, when pairing this book with Animal Farm, one should have students pay special attention to the ideals presented in each book, how these ideals affect the characters, and whether or not ideals actually become reality. This is a good book for students who are not interested in the power struggles between characters, but what that struggle means.

Ender�s Game by Orson Scott Card

In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. Is Ender the general Earth needs? (Summary taken from Amazon.com)

Ender�s Game is a book one might want to give to students who are interested in science fiction, or who find dystopias based around our reality unsatisfying or boring. This book contains enough action and intrigue to keep students interested, but still focuses on Ender�s power struggle with the uncanny military officers that surround him.

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

Does Jerry Renault dare to disturb the universe? You wouldn't think that his refusal to sell chocolates during his school's fundraiser would create such a stir, but it does; it's as if the whole school comes apart at the seams. To some, Jerry is a hero, but to others, he becomes a scapegoat--a target for their pent-up hatred. And Jerry? He's just trying to stand up for what he believes, but perhaps there is no way for him to escape becoming a pawn in this game of control; students are pitted against other students, fighting for honor--or are they fighting for their lives? (Summary taken from Amazon.com)

This book is for students who find books like Animal Farm or Fahrenheit 451 to be a little too unrealistic. Cormier takes an ordinary setting (a high school) and an ordinary activity (a fundraiser) and turns it into a struggle for both ideals and power. One can also give this book to students who do not feel that they can relate to the previous books, hopefully teaching them that corruption through power can take place in our own lives.

The Handmaid�s Tale by Margaret Atwood

In the Republic of Gilead, formerly the United States, far-right Schlafly/Falwell-type ideals have been carried to extremes in the monotheocratic government. The resulting society is a feminist's nightmare: women are strictly controlled, unable to have jobs or money and assigned to various classes: the chaste, childless Wives; the housekeeping Marthas; and the reproductive Handmaids, who turn their offspring over to the "morally fit" Wives. The tale is told by Offred (read: "of Fred"), a Handmaid who recalls the past and tells how the chilling society came to be. (Summary taken from Amazon.com)

This work should probably be reserved to a more advanced class; 12^th grade would be ideal. Students should examine how Atwood�s world became the way it is, and the effect the imbalance of power has on the characters. This book is a good example of how power can corrupt, and writing exercises can be centered around Lord Acton�s quote.

Closing the Unit

Consider using the following to close the unit:

1. Analytical paper: Have your students write an analytical paper on one of the following:

A. Apply Lord Acton�s quote, �Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men� to Animal Farm. Explain why Acton�s statement either does or does not apply.

B. Compare/contrast Animal Farm to another work where power leads to corruption. Does corruption affect characters in each story in the same way? How is oppression the same/different in each story?

C. Compare a personal or historical experience with an event/scene in Animal Farm or another book from this unit. How well does the book�s author convey his or her story? I.e. is the author�s portrayal of corruption fit with what you have encountered in your experiences?

This exercise is designed around teaching students to think analytically about works they read while keeping a central theme in mind. It will allow students to look back on the works they have read, and possibly bring the literature into their personal lives.

2. Creative paper: Have your students write a short story in which power leads to corruption. Incorporate characters who struggle for their rights/ideals. This story can take place in any setting.

This exercise is for more creative students who feel they can show what they learned from the unit through fiction.

Works Cited

Amazon.com. 29 April 2007 <http://www.amazon.com>.

Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid�s Tale. New York: Anchor, 1998.

The Beatles. �Revolution 1.� The White Album. Capitol, 1968.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1953.

Card, Orson Scott. Ender�s Game. New York: Tor Science Fiction, 1991.

Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War. New York:Laurel Leaf, 1986.

Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Penguin, 1999.

Orwell, George. Animal Farm. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1952.

Wikipedia. 29 April 2007 <http://www.wikipedia.org>.