Class

A social grouping distinguished by its position in society, especially its access to wealth, work and power.

A social grouping distinguished by its access to wealth, power and status. Animal Farm develops a division between privileged rulers and animals whose labour supports them.

A class system exists when one group has lasting advantages in wealth, power and status over another. Orwell traces how the pigs turn their initial role as organisers into membership of a new ruling class. The animals remove their human master, but eventually support another privileged group.

Analyse a precise word or structural contrast, then explain what it reveals about class and Orwell’s purpose.

Class concerns the divisions between groups with different levels of wealth and power. The Rebellion removes the human owner, but Orwell asks whether changing the rulers actually changes these relationships.

A social group distinguished by its economic position, resources and relationship to work and power.

A ruling class is a group that controls a society’s power and resources. The Rebellion removes the human ruling class, but Orwell gradually shows the pigs becoming a new one.

Definition

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AQA GCSE English Literature · 8702

Edexcel GCSE English Literature · 1ET0

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OCR GCSE English Literature · J352