Animal Farm George Orwell

Character/theme Analysis Research Paper Graphic Organizer

Complete each sentence prompt to build the elements of a complete character analysis.
You must include the following in your essay:
1. Five to seven vocabulary words from your various lists
2. Several of all types of syntax sentence structure: simple, compound, complex and compound-complex.
3. Lead-ins and parenthetical documentation for every quote from the primary and secondary text.
Thesis Statement

You cant begin a quality essay without establishing a guiding statement from which all ideas extend.
Within the statement name the character, his beginning personality and/or behaviors, changes and ending traits in broad terms. Those
three things will be the foundation of your body paragraphs.

You MUST use phrases and key words from the prompt or assignment.
Thesis
Claim
Statement /

George Orwell illustrates the effect that Napoleons forceful exile of Snowball and how it led to
Napoleons total dictatorship over Animal Farm.

Your response in each row should contain ONE SENTENCE. You will combine the sentences later to create a
cohesive analytical paragraph.

Introduction
1. Make a general
comment about the
subject matter of your
thesis stmt / claim

Use key words from the

prompt or topic.
2. Relate your general
subject matter to what
the author addresses in
the literature.
You must include the
authors name and the title
of the literary work here.
3. Brief description of the
character you are
analyzing and who they
are, what happens to
them in life in general
terms. Explain some
part or his or her life that
relates to the first three
sentences of this
introduction. .

4. Explain why it is
essential that this
character be analyzed
along with this theme.
Psychological, emotional,
physical results, etc. Be
broad but specific to your
chosen character

Leaders often abuse government power and steal that power from the citizens.

George Orwell, a British novelist, reveals the effects of power through his two main
characters in his novella Animal Farm.

Snowball attempts to educate the hand-working animals and create a leadership for the
people by the people whereas Napoleon uses his power to his personal advantage while
breaking Animal Farms commandments.

Because Napoleons convincing schemes turns the animals against Snowball, Napoleon
takes full control, brainwashing the animals to follow his corrupt leadership.

5. What happens to this

character in the literature
that relates to the theme
you have chosen?

Power when used ineffectively can damage a society, and Napoleon proves that effect
through his actions and behaviors.

What point are you trying to

make?
Connect all of the previous
information to what it is you
want the reader to see in
your character.

George Orwell illustrates the effect that Napoleons forceful exile of Snowball and how it
led to Napoleons total dictatorship over Animal Farm.
6. Thesis Statement / Claim

Body Paragraph 1 Character/Theme Analysis

1.

Topic Sentence
Make a statement
about what this
paragraph will
contain.

2.

Expand on the topic

sentence with a
description of the
character in general
terms but more
specific than in the
introduction

3.

Include a primary
source quote to
support your analysis

4.

Describe what your

primary source quote
does to support your
analysis. Why is it
important for the
reader to understand
your analysis?
5. Include a quote from
your secondary
source the
research.
This quote should
support your analysis
and back up your
primary source quote.

Snowball struggles between the farms bookworm and the pressure to lead his fellow
animals against their enemies.

Snowball one of the smartest and cleverest animals and one of the few animals Old Major
taught his tactics to.

Snowball knows plenty about battles and defense mechanisms because he studied an old
book of Julius Caesars campaigns which helps the animals with the battle against the
humans (n. pag.).

Do not begin with this quote shows

Snowball studies the books that he finds proving just how intelligent Snowball is and how
capable of a leader he could have been.
Include a lead-in and proper parenthetical documentation.

Snowball displays great leadership abilities, Snowball is at first the leader in organizing
them into various committees and in attempting to educate them (May n. pag.).

6. Why is this
statement important
to include in your
analysis? What
further insight does it
provide? How does it
relate to your topic?

7. Describe /

summarize the
characters
personality,
behaviors, etc. as
you have analyzed it
from the first several
chapters of the
novel.

Do not begin with this quote relates to my topic because

Snowball knows the qualities of an effective leader but before he could exercise his
knowledge Napoleon unfairly won his way to leadership.
Snowballs approach toward leadership would have been the most effective.

Body Paragraph 2 Character/Theme Analysis

8.

Topic Sentence
Make a statement
about what this
paragraph will
contain.

9.

Napoleons pressing dictatorship brainwashes the animals and leads to a tyranny on Animal
Farm.

Expand on the topic

sentence with a
description of the
character in general
terms but more
specific than in the
introduction
10. Include a primary
source quote to
support your analysis

Napoleon authoritative personality strives to be not only the most followed leader of
Animal Farm but the only leader.

11. Describe what your

primary source quote
does to support your
analysis. Why is it
important for the
reader to understand
your analysis?
12. Include a quote from
your secondary
source the
research.

Do not begin with this quote shows

This quote should

support your analysis
and back up your
primary source quote.
13. Why is this
statement important
to include in your
analysis? What
further insight does it
provide? How does it
relate to your topic?

Include a lead-in and proper parenthetical documentation.

Napoleon begins the brainwashing of the hard working animals by developing his two
slogans, I will work harder and Napoleon is always right, which was said to be the
answers to every problem that occurred on the farm (Orwell n. pag.).
Napoleon uses his wicked ways to work his way up the ladder of leadership and before the
animals could realize it or even stop it, Napoleon was granted dictatorship.
Include a lead-in and proper parenthetical documentation.

Napoleon wants to prove his dictatorship, Napoleon uses his personal bodyguard of nine
vicious dogs to attack Snowball, and Snowball barely escapes from Animal Farm with his
life and then endorses Snowballs ideas as his own to convince the animals to believe that
he is superior (Brockington n. pag.).
Do not begin with this quote relates to my topic because
Napoleon manipulate the animals and he will not stop at any extreme to rule Animal Farm
and potentially all the neighboring farms and humans as well.

14. Describe /

summarize the
characters
personality,
behaviors, etc. as
you have analyzed it
from the first several
chapters of the
novel.

Napoleon demonstrates his brutality, malicious intents and most of all, his devious
personality as he tramples his way to dictator.

Conclusion
Napoleons unjust leadership leads to the spiteful banishment of Snowball and a creation
of a society that is nearly unbearable to live in.

1.

Restate the thesis

statement/claim
See the first
sentence of the
sample essay.

2.

Include a secondary
source quote to
support your overall
ideas of character
development and
change within the
novel.

Include a lead-in and proper parenthetical documentation.

Write one sentence

that summarizes the
analysis in your body
paragraph.

Snowball and Napoleon fluctuate in numerous ways when it comes to leadership, for
Napoleon the thought of power governed his actions and Snowballs educated approach
lacked support from his fellow animals.

3.

4. Describe /

summarize the
characters
personality,
behaviors, etc. as
you have analyzed it
in this essay.
Describe what the
result is from the
characters transition
or changes. What
happens to him in
the end?

Author Veronica Claire Letemendia once said, one thing that never arrives is equality
and Napoleons unreasonable tyranny lacked just that (Letemendia 127)

Animal farm signifies a descriptive overlook of the ideal dream of socialism through
Snowball and Napoleon and how the act of tyranny uses its power to compellingly move
up to complete denomination.

Ideas to Consider
www.globalpost.com How to Write a College Character Analysis Essay

Defining the Role

Whether youre putting together an analysis of a main character or a minor character, it is important that your essay address the
role she plays in the story. Some roles, such as the protagonist and antagonist, may be obvious. Main characters can also serve
more complex roles than the simple protagonist definition. A lead character can be an underdog, an anti-hero, a tragic hero or
even an unwilling hero.
Discovering the purpose of a minor character often takes closer examination. Minor characters may be flat, two-dimensional
people who remain unchanged throughout the course of a story, or three-dimensional, rounded characters who experience their
own metamorphosis. These characters might serve as foils for the main characters, as older and wiser advisers, as sidekicks or
even as obstacles the main characters must overcome.

Finding Motivation
Everyone wants something, especially a character in a literary work. Whether a hero desperate to complete a quest, a villain
determined to stop him or a minor character along for the ride, each character in a story will have identifiable wants and needs.
Quite often, though, what a character wants is in direct opposition to what he really needs. For example, a man longing for the
attention of a woman out of his league might need to realize that hell only find true love when he sees his female sidekick in a
romantic light. At the college level, character analysis essays should go beyond simply identifying the wants and needs
motivating the characters; they should also address how the characters affect one another.

Addressing the Arc

While some minor characters are unchanging, most characters will be markedly different at the end of a story than they were at
the beginning. While main characters, such as the protagonist, often make the most dramatic, obvious changes, minor
characters also have a story arc. They might make only subtle changes, such as a sidekick quietly letting go to allow the hero to
find love or finish her mission alone. The arcs of unchanging characters should also be addressed, as they will most likely have
encountered situations in which theyve made the choice not to change.
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Character-Analysis

Describe the physical appearance of the character and explain what the appearance reveals about the person.
Discuss the language that the character uses throughout the work. Does the character use the same language throughout or
does his or her choice of language change from the introduction to the conclusion?
If provided, include details about the background of the character (some of these details may have to be inferred).
Where/when was the character born and raised? What kind of education does the character have? How does the character's
past experience influence what he or she does or says?
Write about the personality of the character. Does the character act on emotions or reason? What values does the character
exhibit through words or actions? Does the character have goals or ambitions?
Describe and analyze the relationships that the character has with others in the story. Does the character lead or follow
others in the story? Does the character have close friends and family?
Explain the struggle or conflict that the character faces beyond the obvious what are the internal struggles as well as the
external conflicts.
Describe the important actions of the character. What do these actions tell the reader about the character and how the
character faces the conflict?