George Orwell who was a socialist and was opposed to dictatorship (rule by one person). In particular, he did not like the communist government of Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union. In 1936 and 1937, Orwell fought in the Spanish Civil War. He had watched as democratic left-wing rebels were pushed out by pro-Soviet communist rebels. In the introduction to the 1947 Ukrainian translation of "Animal Farm", Orwell said he wrote it because he wished to destroy what he called the "Soviet myth".
Orwell said he got the idea from seeing a young boy whipping a large cart horse. He explained, "It struck me that if only such animals became aware of (knew) their strength we should have no power over them, and that men exploit (badly use) animals in much the same way as the rich exploit the proletariat (the poor, the lower class)".
There are many characters in the book who are based on real people. They are grouped into pigs, horses, humans and other animals.
It also features Bobbin the 3 legged spider who appears before the revolution occurs.
Animal-ism is a system of beliefs shared by the farm animals of Manor Farm. The purpose is to ensure the farm animals behave like actual animals and not follow the footsteps of humans beings. Therefore, any human behavior is considered contrary to the spirit of Animalism.
"Beasts of England" is a song that is featured in the story. The tune as said to be "a cross between La Cucaracha and Oh, My Darling Clementine". Old Major teaches the song to the animals in an early scene, and it becomes very popular. It becomes the first national anthem of Animal Farm. Later on, Napoleon orders a new anthem to be written, with words that praise him.
These are the original commandments laid down by the pigs.
For the sheep, who are said to be stupid, they are instead taught the chant "Four legs good, two legs bad." Napoleon sometimes gets the sheep to chant this when he wants the animals to stop talking.
As the story goes on, the pigs start changing the commandments. For example, "No animal shall drink alcohol" becomes "No animal shall drink alcohol "to excess"". By the end of the story, all the commandments have been erased apart from "All animals are equal", which has been changed to "All Animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others." Meanwhile, the sheep chant has been changed to "Four legs good, two legs "better"."
Miso
Miso (味噌 or みそ) is a thick or solid paste. It is a traditional Japanese seasoning.
Miso is similar to the Korean "doenjang". It is made by fermenting soy beans with sea salt or salt and "kōji". Kōji is the product of fermenting rice, barley, or soybeans with a mold culture, "Kōji-kin" (Aspergillus oryzae). Often, grains such as barley or rice, and sometimes other ingredients, are added. Miso is high in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals. Miso tastes salty and, depending on the grains used and fermentation time, may also be sweet. Miso is used to make miso soup.
Miso is a very important part of Japanese food. There are different kinds of miso. "Kome miso" (米味噌) is made from rice and beans. "Mame miso" (豆味噌) is made from beans. "Mugi miso" (麦味噌) is made from barley and beans. Awase miso (合せ味噌) is a mix of these misos.
Miso first came to Japan from China or the Korean peninsula. Ancient Chinese "jan" (醤) is the origin of miso. "Jan" is an ancient fermented seasoning. According to classical scholars, "jan" was called "hishio" or "kuki" in the Edo era. In China, "jan" was written about in the "Shurai".
Miso existed in the Jomon era in Japan. "Jan" is the Japanese original seasoning. In the Nara era, "jan" was found in Nishi city, Heiankyo. Miso was used for seasoning porridge made of rice and vegetables. In the Sengoku period, Miso was important to preserved food.
Many Japanese used to make miso in their own homes. This was called "Temae-miso". In the Muromachi era, it was used as a food preservative and as a seasoning. Miso was an important source of nutrients for soldiers. In the Edo era, industrial mass production method of miso began. "Temae-miso" became less common. "Temae-miso" nowadays also used when a person is proud of something.
There are many different flavors of miso. It depends on regions. "Shiromiso" (白味噌) is popular in the western Kansai region, especially in Kyoto. A"kamiso" is popular in the eastern Kantō region or northern region. Shinshumiso (信州味噌) is generally popular after the second world war, because it is mass produced in factories and sold in supermarkets in over Japan.
Miso soup
Wakame
Wakame (Japanese: わかめ or 若布) is a type of kelp. People eat it. Its scientific name is "Undaria pinnatifida".
It is sold either dried or salted. It is often used in miso soup and salads. In Korea it is called miyeok. It is used in salads, or as the main ingredient in miyeok soup. In China it is called qundaicai. Chinese production is concentrated around Dalian.
In New Zealand "Undaria pinnatifida" is a very serious weed, and is one of the 100 worst invasive species in the world. It was first seen in Wellington Harbour in 1987. It probably arrived accidentally in the late 1980s, on ships from Asia, in ballast water. It is native to cold temperate coastal areas of Japan, Korea and China, but recently it has also spread to France, Britain, Spain, Italy, Argentina and Australia.
"Undaria" is now found around much of south-eastern New Zealand, and as far north as Auckland. It spreads in two ways. Naturally, through the millions of microscopic spores released by each fertile plant; and attached to vessel hulls and marine farming equipment.
"Undaria" is a highly successful and fertile species, which makes it a serious invader.
Kelp
Kelp is a type of marine seaweed. It is a brown algae. There are many different kinds of kelp. Kelp grow in large forests, usually near the surface of the water. It grows in nutrient rich saltwater. Some kelps grow very fast (up to 30 cm a day). Kelp can reach a length of up to 60 metres. The blades are kept afloat by gas-filled bladders.
Kelp plays an important role as food and habitat for fish and other forms. It may be eaten as a vegetable.
Kelp is found in many places. People put it in aquariums. In the Monterey Aquarium there is a large forest of kelp.
In some parts of the Pacific Ocean, sea urchins have eaten so much kelp that the kelp forests become urchin barrens.
Tofu
Tofu (豆腐), sometimes also called doufu (usually used in Chinese recipes) or bean curd (literal translation), is a food made from soybeans. In fact, it is a very complex process. Tofu is made by coagulating soy milk, and then pressing the resulting curds into blocks. The making of tofu from soy milk is similar to the technique of making cheese from milk. Wheat gluten, or seitan, in its steamed and fried forms, is often mistakenly called "tofu" in Asian or vegetarian dishes.
China has more kinds of tofu than Japan and various tofu foods.
In Japan, tofu is a common food, used often in miso soup or as a hot dish. People in Japan has created various kinds of tofu. One of them is 絹こし豆腐 (or soft tofu), 木綿豆腐 (or firm tofu, or solid tofu) and "凍み豆腐" (or dried tofu). It is said that the way to make tofu from soybeans was taught by the Chinese a several hundreds years ago. you can find its very first history in a diary of 奈良春日大社 in 1183 of the Heian period.
In the United States, tofu is becoming more popular. Today, Americans buy tofu at the grocery store. The word “tofu” takes root in common use.
In South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar and Indonesia, tofu is daily food.
Tofu is rich in textured vegetable protein and is relatively low in calories. Dietary fiber is a little for process. More and more Americans and Europeans use it as health food.
Soy milk
Soy milk (also called soymilk, soya milk, soybean milk, soy bean milk, soy drink, or soy beverage) is a milk-like product made from soybeans.