Animal Farm Literary Terms to Know

Allegory

A story in which the characters and events are symbols that stand for ideas about human life or for political or historical situations. Animal Farm is an allegory forthe Russian Revolution.

Allusion

A reference toa famousperson, place, thing, or event from history,mythology,literature, the Bible, etc.

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knowsmore than a character does.

Credibility

The quality of beingbelievable. When youare truthful and can support your opinion or ideas, you gain credibility.

Dystopia

The opposite of a Utopia (an ideal place).It is an imagined placewhere everything is unpleasant or bad. Typically, it is due to environment or totalitarian government

Propaganda

Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.

Rhetoric

The art of effective persuasivespeaking or writing.

Ethos

The persuasive appeal based on the character or credibilityof the speaker, narrator, or image.

Logos

The persuasive appeal that uses logic throughfacts, figures, and data.

Pathos

The most powerful persuasiveappeal, pathos appeals to the audience’s emotions.

Pseudonym

A fictitious name, esp. that of an author.

Fable

A short story featuring non-humancharacters who have beenpersonified, and ends with a moral lesson.

Satire

The use of humor, irony, orexaggeration to ridicule orcriticize people’s weaknessesor vices, esp. about politicaland social issues.