SparkNotes: Animal Farm: Character List Character List Plot Overview Analysis of Major Characters Napoleon - The pig who emerges as the leader of Animal Farm after the Rebellion. Based on Joseph Stalin, Napoleon uses military force (his nine loyal attack dogs) to intimidate the other animals and consolidate his power. In his supreme craftiness, Napoleon proves more treacherous than his counterpart, Snowball. Read an in-depth analysis of Napoleon. Snowball - The pig who challenges Napoleon for control of Animal Farm after the Rebellion. Based on Leon Trotsky, Snowball is intelligent, passionate, eloquent, and less subtle and devious than his counterpart, Napoleon. Snowball seems to win the loyalty of the other animals and cement his power. Read an in-depth analysis of Snowball. Boxer - The cart-horse whose incredible strength, dedication, and loyalty play a key role in the early prosperity of Animal Farm and the later completion of the windmill. Quick to help but rather slow-witted, Boxer shows much devotion to Animal Farm’s ideals but little ability to think about them independently. He naïvely trusts the pigs to make all his decisions for him.

His two mottoes are “I will work harder” and “Napoleon is always right.” Read an in-depth analysis of Boxer. Squealer - The pig who spreads Napoleon’s propaganda among the other animals. Squealer justifies the pigs’ monopolization of resources and spreads false statistics pointing to the farm’s success. Orwell uses Squealer to explore the ways in which those in power often use rhetoric and language to twist the truth and gain and maintain social and political control. Read an in-depth analysis of Squealer. Old Major - The prize-winning boar whose vision of a socialist utopia serves as the inspiration for the Rebellion. Three days after describing the vision and teaching the animals the song “Beasts of England,” Major dies, leaving Snowball and Napoleon to struggle for control of his legacy. Orwell based Major on both the German political economist Karl Marx and the Russian revolutionary leader Vladimir Ilych Lenin. Read an in-depth analysis of Old Major. Clover - A good-hearted female cart-horse and Boxer’s close friend. Clover often suspects the pigs of violating one or another of the Seven Commandments, but she repeatedly blames herself for misremembering the commandments.

Moses - The tame raven who spreads stories of Sugarcandy Mountain, the paradise to which animals supposedly go when they die. Moses plays only a small role in Animal Farm, but Orwell uses him to explore how communism exploits religion as something with which to pacify the oppressed. Mollie - The vain, flighty mare who pulls Mr. Jones’s carriage. Mollie craves the attention of human beings and loves being groomed and pampered. She has a difficult time with her new life on Animal Farm, as she misses wearing ribbons in her mane and eating sugar cubes. She represents the petit bourgeoisie that fled from Russia a few years after the Russian Revolution. Benjamin - The long-lived donkey who refuses to feel inspired by the Rebellion. Benjamin firmly believes that life will remain unpleasant no matter who is in charge. Of all of the animals on the farm, he alone comprehends the changes that take place, but he seems either unwilling or unable to oppose the pigs. Muriel - The white goat who reads the Seven Commandments to Clover whenever Clover suspects the pigs of violating their prohibitions. Mr. Jones - The often drunk farmer who runs the Manor Farm before the animals stage their Rebellion and establish Animal Farm. Mr.

Jones is an unkind master who indulges himself while his animals lack food; he thus represents Tsar Nicholas II, whom the Russian Revolution ousted. Mr. Frederick - The tough, shrewd operator of Pinchfield, a neighboring farm. Based on Adolf Hitler, the ruler of Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, Mr. Frederick proves an untrustworthy neighbor. Mr. Pilkington - The easygoing gentleman farmer who runs Foxwood, a neighboring farm. Mr. Frederick’s bitter enemy, Mr. Pilkington represents the capitalist governments of England and the United States. Mr. Whymper - The human solicitor whom Napoleon hires to represent Animal Farm in human society. Mr. Whymper’s entry into the Animal Farm community initiates contact between Animal Farm and human society, alarming the common animals. Jessie and Bluebell - Two dogs, each of whom gives birth early in the novel. Napoleon takes the puppies in order to “educate” them.

Minimus - The poet pig who writes verse about Napoleon and pens the banal patriotic song “Animal Farm, Animal Farm” to replace the earlier idealistic hymn “Beasts of England,” which Old Major passes on to the others. Why did Orwell chose to name the lead pig Napoleon?What is the signifigance of his name? Prove your ideas.Thanks! | eNotes Why did Orwell chose to name the lead pig Napoleon?What is the signifigance of his name? Prove your ideas.Thanks! pirateteacher | High School Teacher | (Level 3) Associate Educator Posted on November 20, 2011 at 3:52 AM After running Snowball off the farm, Napoleon becomes the leader. At the end of the book, Napoleon becomes a corrupted leader and, standing on two legs just like the formerly hated humans, reverts the name of the farm back to Manor Farm. Napoleon was named after French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte. Because of his rise to power and subsequent ruling styles, the name Napoleon has become synonymous with dictators and the idea the power can corrupt.

This is fitting in the case of Animal Farm where this Napoleon raises to power after making secret deals with neighbors and kills numerous friends who confess to chasing Snowball off the farm, when in fact it was he who drove off his former friend. George Orwell and the Politics of Animal Farm George Orwell and the Politics of Animal Farm Introduction At the age of eight, George Orwell, then known as "Eric Blair," was sent to a preparatory boarding school on the South Coast of England. He called this school "Crossgates" in his autobiographical essay Such, Such Were the Joys...; Crossgates, an expensive and snobbish school, was presided over by a husband-and-wife team of schoolmasters, nicknamed Sim and Bingo, respectively. Though Such, Such Were the Joys... is by no means a political piece of writing, it nevertheless contains references to victims, oppressors, and a highly systematized form of tyranny. [1] In this atmosphere of constant taunting and endless competition for scholarships, Orwell developed a contempt for any type of authority. Not yet twenty years old, Orwell enlisted in the Indian Imperial Police and served in Burma for five years.

During these years, Orwell witnessed Imperialism at its worst; saw hangings, floggings, and filthy prisons, and he "was forced to assert a superiority over the Burmese which he never really felt." [2] Little economic or cultural progress was made and Orwell left this situation with the conviction that Imperialism was too evil to risk one's life for. In 1936, Orwell joined the Republican side and fought in the Spanish Civil War. Through first-hand experience, Orwell saw propaganda and the perversion of history used for the first time as instruments of war. The deliberate distortion of facts by both Left and Right seemed to Orwell to be even more terrible than "the roar of bombs." Orwell believed the unchecked distortion of objective truth would create far worse situations for mankind than any ideological war ever could. For power, Orwell realized, had become an end in itself. Animal Farm The first of Orwell's great cries of despair was Animal Farm [3] , his satirical beast fable, often heralded as his lightest, gayest work.

Though it resembles the Russian Revolution and the rise of Stalin, it is more meaningfully an anatomy of all political revolutions, where the revolutionary ideals of justice, equality, and fraternity shatter in the event. [4] Orwell paints a grim picture of the political 20th century, a time he believed marked the end of the very concept of human freedom. Animal Farm is constructed on a circular basis to illustrate the futility of the revolution. [5] The novel is a series of dramatic repudiations of the Seven Commandments, and a return to the tyranny and irresponsibility of the beginning. The only change will be in the identity of the masters, and ironically, that will be only partially changed. Animal Farm begins by introducing Mr. Jones, the master of the farm, who is too drunk to shut the popholes in the henhouse. The owner of Manor Farm also forgets to milk the cows, a biologically-serious omission, and is irresponsible toward the rest of his animals. (Later yet, the pigs will also forget the milking, an ironic parallel that reveals the subsequent corruption of the revolution.) One of the cows breaks into the store shed and Mr. Jones and his helpers try to fight off the hungry animals.

"A minute later all five of them were in full flight down the cart track that led to the main road, with the animals pursuing them in triumph." Then, "almost before they knew what was happening, the Rebellion had been successfully carried through - Jones was expelled, and the Manor Farm was theirs." Yet with the revolution secured, there are graver dangers than the threat of invasion and counter-revolution. The ultimate corruption of the revolution is presaged immediately: "They raced back to the farm building to wipe out the last traces of Jones' hated reign... the reins, the halters, the degrading nosebags, were thrown onto the rubbish fire which was burning in the yard. So were the whips." Their reaction is understandable, but the desciption of the inevitable and immediate violence foreshadows the fate of the rebellion: reactionary cruelty, the search for the scapegoat, and the perversion of the ideals of the revolution. [6] Nevertheless, the animals are too overjoyed with their sudden success.

Snowball, one of the pig leaders (the other is Napoleon), with the assistance of Squealer, the pigs' public-relations "man," crosses out the name "Manor Farm" and climbs a ladder and writes these words on the end wall of the big barn: The Seven Commandments 1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. 2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend. 3. No animal shall wear clothes. 4. No animal shall sleep in a bed. 5. No animal shall drink alcohol. 6. No animal shall kill any other animal. 7. All animals are equal. Thus the ideals of the revolution are spelled out in writing and yet these same ideals are perverted almost immediately. With the task of harvesting the hay presenting itself to the animals, Snowball cries, "... to the hayfield! Let us make it a point of honour to get in the harvest more quickly than Jones and his men could do." All the animals proceed directly to the hayfield, but the pigs, rather than working, direct and supervise the others. "With their superior knowledge it was natural that they should assume the leadership." The pigs' managerial role foreshadow the perversion of the Seventh Commandment.

In this period of bliss, there are brewing far more horrible situations for the animals of Animal Farm. While Snowball is organizing "The Egg Production Committee" for the hens and the "Clean Tails League" for the cows, Napoleon, the sinister pig tyrant, is carefully educating a few puppies for his own evil purposes. Mr. Pilkington and Mr. Frederick, the owners of the farms adjoining Animal Farm, spread rumors of cannibalism, torture with red-hot horseshoes, and poligamy. On the other hand, there are rumors of a "wonderful farm, where the human beings had been turned out and the animals managed their own affairs" - in short, a paradise. Neither set of rumors is true - for is not the social situations of conflicting ideologies that Orwell concerns himself with, but the misrepresentation, the falsification, and the distortion of fact which leads unfortunately to disaster and misery. [7] The way fact is distorted and misrepresented is graphically portrayed in the rivalry between Snowball and Napoleon over the construction of a windmill.

During a meeting, Snowball has almost swayed the animals to his side, that is, for the construction of the windmill, when suddenly nine huge dogs, the product of Napoleon's evil efforts, chase Snowball off the farm. Snowball becomes the scapegoat in Napoleon's plans, and everything that comes to harm Napoleon's regime will be blamed on Snowball. The remainder of Animal Farm is a chronicle of the consolidation of Napoleon's power through clever politics, propaganda, and terror. On the third Sunday after Snowball's expulsion, the animals hear that Napoleon wants the windwill to be built after all: "The evening Squealer explained privately to the other animals that Napoleon had never in reality been opposed to the windmill. On the contrary, it was he who had advocated it in the beginning, and the plan which Snowball had drawn on the floor of the incubator shed had actually been stolen from among Napoleon's papers... He had seemed to oppose the windmill, simply as a maneuver to get rid of Snowball, who was a dangerous character and a bad influence." The animals are not sure of Squealer's explanation but a few of Napoleon's dogs growl so threateningly that the animals accept it without question.

This developing state of tyranny and oppression will ultimately transform the "unalterable" Seven Commandments into Napoleon's own laws. The windmill soon becomes the means by which Napoleon exerts control. He uses it to direct the animals' attention away from the growing shortages and inadequacies on the farm, and the animals ignorantly concentrate all their efforts on building the windmill. The symbolic nature of the windmill is itself important - it suggests an empty concentration, a meaningless, unheroic effort, for the idea is literally misguided. [8] It is about this time that the rest of the animals notice that the pigs have taken residence in the farmhouse, and contrary to what they believe has been ruled against, the pigs have begun to sleep in beds. Clover the horse is doubtful, but she reads the Fourth Commandment on the barn wall, and concludes that she was mistaken after all: "No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets." Beginning with this small but significant change in the unalterable Laws of Animalism, there will be an even greater and more profound change - the blatant alteration of history. Half-finished, the windmill is suddenly destroyed, at the hands, so says Napoleon, of the traitor, Snowball.

Work on the windmill resumes, this time with less rations for the animals. Almost "sure" of Snowball's secret collaboration with some of the animals, Napoleon calls together the entire population of the farm. "Napoleon stood sternly surveying his audience; then he uttered a high-pitched whimper. Immediately the dogs bounded forward, seized four of the pigs by the ear and dragged them squealing with pain and terror, to Napoleon's feet... When they had finished their confession, the dogs promptly tore their throats out, and in a terrible voice Napoleon demanded whether any other animal had anything to confess." Before long, there is a pile of corpses lying before Napoleon's feet and the air is heavy with the smell of blood. Even so, the terror and senseless death are both shattering experiences, but they are at least comprehensible; far more terrifying is the overt alteration of consciousness which follows the slaughter, the blatent misrepresentation of the past, which goes unchallenged. [9] Lacking the right words to express her thoughts after the slaughter, Clover begins to sing Beasts of England, the patriotic song of the Rebellion.

Squealer stops her and tells her that Beasts of England is of no use anymore, because the better society portrayed in the song has already been achieved. The irony in this statement is almost absurd, yet the animals have failed to grasp its meaning. Rebuilt completely, the windmill is once again destroyed, this time by Frederick and his followers who try to retake Animal Farm, but are defeated, inflicting many casualties on both sides. To celebrate their victory, the pigs get drunk off a case of whiskey found in the cellar of the farmhouse. A few days later, the animals realize that they have remembered another Commandment incorrectly. It now read: "No animal shall drink alcohol to excess." With so little opposition to this outright alteration of fact, nothing stands in the way of the pigs. Boxer, the strongest and hardest-working animal, falls ill. Though the van in which the dying Boxer is taken away has the words "Horse Slaughterer" painted on the sides, Squealer assures the other animals that the veterinary surgeon had just recently bought it, and did not have time to paint the old name out.

Boxer, devoting his unceasing labor to the pigs, outlives his usefulness, and is rewarded by being sent to the glue factory. Years pass, and most of the animals involved in the Rebellion have been forgotten. The only Commandment left on the barn wall is this: All Animals are Equal But some animals are more equal than others. The name "Animal Farm" is changed back to "Manor Farm." A deputation of neighboring farmers meet the pigs and tours the farm. Toasting each other's prosperity, Pig and Human alike proceed to play a game of cards. Suddenly: "Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which." This scene illustrates the essential horror of the human condition - there have been, are, and always will be pigs in every society, and they will always grab for power. [10] It is the "human nature" of the animals that defeats them. [11] Conclusion Animal Farm is the story of a revolution gone sour.

Animalism, Communism, and Fascism are all illusions which are used by the pigs as a means of satisfying their greed and lust for power. As Lord Acton wrote: "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely." So long as the animals cannot remember the past, because it is being continually altered, they will have no control over the present and hence over the future. Notes Symbolism of Pigs in Animal Farm by George Orwell :: George Orwell Animal Farm Symbolism of Pigs in Animal Farm by George Orwell Length: 1073 words (3.1 double-spaced pages) Rating: Excellent Open Document Symbolism of Pigs in Animal Farm by George Orwell In Orwell's Animal Farm, the animals revolt against the cruel human leaders and set up a better method of farm management where all animals are equal. As time passes, the new leaders become greedy and corrupt, and the other animals realize conditions are just as miserable as before. There is a major connection between Animal Farm and Russian communism. The pigs are one of the most significant of these connections, representing the communist rulers of Russia, like Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky. Their traits, personalities, and actions are similar to the actual men in power.

In the novel Animal Farm, the pigs represent the communist leaders of Russia in the early 1900s. Old Major, the creator of animalism, represents both the original revolutionary, Vladimir Lenin, and the founder of communism, Karl Marx. Like these Russians, Old Major wants all individuals to be equal. Old Major is symbolic of Marx because, like Marx, he has a dream about the revolution. He says, "'That is my message for you, comrades: Rebellion! And among us animals let there be perfect unity, perfect comradeship, in the struggle. All men are enemies. All animals are comrades'" (Orwell 4). Also, neither of the two live to see the revolution put into effect ("Animal" 1). Old Major is also symbolic of Lenin because while he introduces the idea of a revolution, Lenin introduces the New Economy Plan to Russia (Urban 1). How to Cite this Page MLA Citation: Sort By: Animals view Old Major's skull prior to meetings because he inspired them to revolt; similarly, people of Russia view Lenin's glass coffin because he originally led them to overthrow the czars' reign. In addition, Napoleon, the ruthless commander of Animal Farm, is symbolic of communist Joseph Stalin.

Both characters can be described as "cruel, corrupt, and selfish" ("Animal" 1). Napoleon rids himself of Snowball and takes control, and Stalin removes Trotsky and names himself "political heir" ("Joseph" 1). Neither Napoleon nor Stalin had any compassion; they "ruled with an iron fist and killed all those who opposed [them]" ("Animal" 1). While Napoleon reigns with his dogs and Squealer at his side, Stalin uses his KGB and propaganda to control the people (1). Both leaders purge their nations of suspected traitors and, in Napoleon's case, Snowball loyalists (Urban 2). Napoleon, like Stalin, traded with other neighboring areas for materials even though it was initially decided there would be no interactions. Under Napoleon and Stalin's rule, there is "productivity and economy growth but at great cost" ("Joseph" 1). Even though the economy grows more diverse, animals and humans are dying both physically and mentally. In Animal Farm, Snowball, the brilliant leader, represents revolutionary Leon Trotsky. Both are intelligent, efficient, and inventive. They are smart, young speakers that want a better life for all individuals ("Animal" 1).

Snowball is run out of Animal Farm by Napoleon; likewise, Trotsky is killed at the hands of Stalin (1). Snowball is considered an "enemy of the farm," and Trotsky is considered an "enemy of the people" (Urban 2). Both were "repeatedly denounced as traitor[s] by [their] native countr[ies], and wild lies were invented to discredit [them]" ("Animal" 1). Rumors spread about the leaders being in neighboring areas, and whenever something goes wrong, they are blamed. Like Stalin and Trotsky in reality, Napoleon and Snowball go head to head on many controversial topics, like building the windmill and education. Orwell says, "At meetings, Snowball often won over the majority by his brilliant speeches, but Napoleon was better at canvassing support for himself in between times" (63). To set up a positive method of communism, Snowball and Trotsky use their writing skills and intelligence to sway the public (Buch 2). Meanwhile, Napoleon and Trotsky find ways to gain popularity without giving speeches and displaying their knowledge. In the novel, Squealer the pig is symbolic of propaganda in Russia.

Squealer, like propaganda, is persuasive and can "turn black to white" ("Animal" 1). Squealer convinces the animals that Napoleon is smart and Snowball is wicked, while propaganda convinces people that Stalin is a good leader and Trotsky is a traitor. Squealer refers to reductions in rations as "readjustments;" this is symbolic of the new language invented to confuse people in the Soviet Union. Both assure the public that conditions are better now than before communism. Orwell states, "[Squealer] repeated a number of times, 'Tactics, comrades, tactics!' skipping round and round whisking his tail with a merry laugh. The animals were not certain what the word meant, but Squealer spoke so persuasively, and the three dogs who happened to be with him growled so threateningly, that they accepted his explanation without further questions" (72). Like Russian propaganda, Squealer answers questions indirectly and convinces the public by instilling fear in them. In general, the pigs of Animal Farm represent the Communist Party loyalists. When communism is established, both are concerned with the welfare of the public.

As time progresses, these original revolutionary ideas are altered and changed for the worse ("Animal" 1). The pigs and the loyalists take advantage of their roles as leaders. In the end, the pigs, like the loyalists, finally reach the height of their corruption and become as cruel as the previous rulers; Orwell says, "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" (139). Even though the revolution starts out with positive goals and intentions, the leaders become careless with their power and end up no better than their predecessors. Overall, there is a clear connection between the pigs of Animal Farm and the Russian communist leaders. Every action made by the pigs is symbolic of an actual event in history. In the end, the pigs, like the communist rulers, neglect the revolution goals and are almost indistinguishable from the previous leaders. Works Cited "Animal Farm Symbolism/Interpretation." TNT Learning. 1999. (30 April 2007). Buch, Fred. "Leon Trotsky." Fbuch.com. n.d. (1 May 2007).

"Joseph Stalin (1879-1953)." BBC History. n.d. (1 May 2007). Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York: Signet, 1996. Urban, Joan Barth. "Communism." World Book Encyclopedia. 2004 ed. SparkNotes: Animal Farm: Analysis of Major Characters Analysis of Major Characters Themes, Motifs & Symbols Napoleon From the very beginning of the novella, Napoleon emerges as an utterly corrupt opportunist. Though always present at the early meetings of the new state, Napoleon never makes a single contribution to the revolution—not to the formulation of its ideology, not to the bloody struggle that it necessitates, not to the new society’s initial attempts to establish itself. He never shows interest in the strength of Animal Farm itself, only in the strength of his power over it. Thus, the only project he undertakes with enthusiasm is the training of a litter of puppies. He doesn’t educate them for their own good or for the good of all, however, but rather for his own good: they become his own private army or secret police, a violent means by which he imposes his will on others.

Although he is most directly modeled on the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, Napoleon represents, in a more general sense, the political tyrants that have emerged throughout human history and with particular frequency during the twentieth century. His namesake is not any communist leader but the early-eighteenth-century French general Napoleon, who betrayed the democratic principles on which he rode to power, arguably becoming as great a despot as the aristocrats whom he supplanted. It is a testament to Orwell’s acute political intelligence and to the universality of his fable that Napoleon can easily stand for any of the great dictators and political schemers in world history, even those who arose after Animal Farm was written. In the behavior of Napoleon and his henchmen, one can detect the lying and bullying tactics of totalitarian leaders such as Josip Tito, Mao Tse-tung, Pol Pot, Augusto Pinochet, and Slobodan Milosevic treated in sharply critical terms. Snowball Orwell’s stint in a Trotskyist battalion in the Spanish Civil War—during which he first began plans for a critique of totalitarian communism—influenced his relatively positive portrayal of Snowball.

As a parallel for Leon Trotsky, Snowball emerges as a fervent ideologue who throws himself heart and soul into the attempt to spread Animalism worldwide and to improve Animal Farm’s infrastructure. His idealism, however, leads to his downfall. Relying only on the force of his own logic and rhetorical skill to gain his influence, he proves no match for Napoleon’s show of brute force. Although Orwell depicts Snowball in a relatively appealing light, he refrains from idealizing his character, making sure to endow him with certain moral flaws. For example, Snowball basically accepts the superiority of the pigs over the rest of the animals. Moreover, his fervent, single-minded enthusiasm for grand projects such as the windmill might have erupted into full-blown megalomaniac despotism had he not been chased from Animal Farm. Indeed, Orwell suggests that we cannot eliminate government corruption by electing principled individuals to roles of power; he reminds us throughout the novella that it is power itself that corrupts. Boxer The most sympathetically drawn character in the novel, Boxer epitomizes all of the best qualities of the exploited working classes: dedication, loyalty, and a huge capacity for labor.

He also, however, suffers from what Orwell saw as the working class’s major weaknesses: a naïve trust in the good intentions of the intelligentsia and an inability to recognize even the most blatant forms of political corruption. Exploited by the pigs as much or more than he had been by Mr. Jones, Boxer represents all of the invisible labor that undergirds the political drama being carried out by the elites. Boxer’s pitiful death at a glue factory dramatically illustrates the extent of the pigs’ betrayal. It may also, however, speak to the specific significance of Boxer himself: before being carted off, he serves as the force that holds Animal Farm together. Squealer Throughout his career, Orwell explored how politicians manipulate language in an age of mass media. In Animal Farm, the silver-tongued pig Squealer abuses language to justify Napoleon’s actions and policies to the proletariat by whatever means seem necessary. By radically simplifying language—as when he teaches the sheep to bleat “Four legs good, two legs better!”—he limits the terms of debate.

By complicating language unnecessarily, he confuses and intimidates the uneducated, as when he explains that pigs, who are the “brainworkers” of the farm, consume milk and apples not for pleasure, but for the good of their comrades. In this latter strategy, he also employs jargon (“tactics, tactics”) as well as a baffling vocabulary of false and impenetrable statistics, engendering in the other animals both self-doubt and a sense of hopelessness about ever accessing the truth without the pigs’ mediation. Squealer’s lack of conscience and unwavering loyalty to his leader, alongside his rhetorical skills, make him the perfect propagandist for any tyranny. Squealer’s name also fits him well: squealing, of course, refers to a pig’s typical form of vocalization, and Squealer’s speech defines him. At the same time, to squeal also means to betray, aptly evoking Squealer’s behavior with regard to his fellow animals. Old Major As a democratic socialist, Orwell had a great deal of respect for Karl Marx, the German political economist, and even for Vladimir Ilych Lenin, the Russian revolutionary leader.

His critique of Animal Farm has little to do with the Marxist ideology underlying the Rebellion but rather with the perversion of that ideology by later leaders. Major, who represents both Marx and Lenin, serves as the source of the ideals that the animals continue to uphold even after their pig leaders have betrayed them. Though his portrayal of Old Major is largely positive, Orwell does include a few small ironies that allow the reader to question the venerable pig’s motives. For instance, in the midst of his long litany of complaints about how the animals have been treated by human beings, Old Major is forced to concede that his own life has been long, full, and free from the terrors he has vividly sketched for his rapt audience. He seems to have claimed a false brotherhood with the other animals in order to garner their support for his vision. George Orwell's Animal Farm Summary :: George Orwell Animal Farm George Orwell's Animal Farm Summary Length: 1012 words (2.9 double-spaced pages) Rating: Excellent Open Document George orwell is a writer who was born in Bengal India in 1903. Actually, George orwell was a pseudonym for Eric Blair which is his real name.

Before Blair was a writer, he was a Police Officer, and he loved to writhe Political stories of his own time. Having a passionate love hate relationship with Totalitarianism, Blair served in the loyalist forces in the Spanish civil war. Blair died at the age of 47 although his work still lives on. One of Blairs greatest works of art is Animal Farm. One late night on Manor Farm Mr. Jones drunk as usual locked up the hens and went to sleep. Old Major a pig gathers all the barn animals to tell them about an animal rebellion. three days later Old Major died. About three months later in June the animals finally rebelled after months of planing and a day of being united. the animals are under the leadership of pigs Napoleon and Snowball. Each animal had orders, and with the help of the learn how to spell books from Mr. Jones’s house most animals learned how to read and write. The pigs took some paint and painted the sign that had previously read Manor Farm to read Animal Farm . Napoleon found some puppies and took care of them, while snowball would tend to some business. The pigs made the seven commandments of Animalism. “1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.

2 Whatever goes upon four legs, or wings, is a friend. 3. No animal shall wear clothes. 4. No animal shall sleep in a bed. 5. No animal shall drink alcohol. 6. No animal shall kill any other animal. 7. All animals are equal.”(Orwell,33) The local farmers did not want their animals to find out about the takeover at Animal Farm so a group of men attacked the animals which was known as the battle of cowshed. Snowball had an idea to build a windmill to give the animals electricity. Napoleon did not think that was a good idea. One day the animals were having a meeting and some dogs came in and attacked snowball who ran away and nobody saw him their again. Then Napoleon was the leader and he built the wind mill, then a storm knocked the wind mill down. The animals just built in bigger and thicker. Napoleon had a meeting with the animals to talk about the traitor snowball and some animals confessed to plot with snowball, they were killed by the dogs. The pigs start sleeping in the beds in the house. How to Cite this Page MLA Citation: Napoleon cuts down the rations of all the animals except the pigs.

Napoleon sells some wood to a neighboring farm only to find that the bank statements were forged. The men attack the farm again. the windmill was destroyed and some of the animals were killed. that battle was named the battle of the windmill. The pigs were looking through the house and found some whiskey so they started drinking it later walking on two legs and gambling with the humans and could no longer see the difference between man and animal. Snowball is a spirited pig creative and quick in speech, but is not considered as 'deep' as Napoleon. Had the original idea for the windmill. After he is expelled from the farm, Napoleon and Squealer identify him as the 'enemy' and blame him for everything that goes wrong. The theme that I see form this story that Mr. Orwell was trying to give us is that you will always have some sort of tyranny. In the beginning of the novel Mr. Jones the owner of Manor farm was the firs tyrant. ‘Let us face it: Our lives are miserable, laborious, and short.

we are born, we are givin just so much food as will keep the breath in our bodies, and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength.” (Orwell, 18) After the rebellion the new tyrants were the pigs. “Sometimes the work was hard; the implements had been designed for human beings and not for animals, and it was a great drawback that no animal was able to use any tool that involved standing on his hind legs. but the pigs were so clever that they could think of a way round every difficulty. as for the horses, they knew every inch of the field, and in fact understood the business of mowing and raking far better than Jones and his men had ever done. The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others.” (Orwell,35) After a while the main tyrant of the pigs was Napoleon. The pigs had not only a lighter work load but also got more food. “The mystery of where the mild went to was soon cleared up. It was mixed everyday with the pigs’ mash.

the early apples were now ripening, and the grass of the orchard was littered with windfalls the animals thought that the apples would be split up evenly but the pigs get all of the apples.” (Orwell,41-42) The animals were under tyranny with Mr. Jones and now after the rebellion in the world they thought was so perfect their was still tyranny. Napoleon was based on Joseph Stalin, who ruled the Soviet Union for nearly 30 years. From the start, Napoleon was looked at as a evil character. As Napoleon fights along the side of snowball to turn Manor farm in to Animal Farm, only to turn on his former comrade and seize control of the farm; this mirrors the relationship between Stalin and .Leon Trotsky who supported a permanent Revolution If I were to change the story I would bring snowball back with some friends to over through napoleon or have one of the other farms rebel also and have the two farm run together. I thought that the story was very good and with the changes I have suggested would make it even better. It is hard to say that the story could use come critiques because it is such a popular book.

George Orwell - Animal Farm George Orwell Buchbesprechung von Melanie Konzett About the author George Orwell, whose real name was Eric Arthur Blair, was born on June 26, 1903 in India. During his life he worked in lots of different professions. Most of them referred to writing or reporting. His first novel, Burmese Days, was published in 1934. In 1937 he went to Spain to fight on the side of the Republicans in the Civil War. During World War II he worked for the BBC. His most popular books are Animal Farm, which was first published in 1945 by Martin Secker & Warburg Ltd. and 1984, which was written in 1949. He died on January 21, 1950, in London. About the book The story takes place on a farm in England in the first half of the 20th century. On this farm the animals chase away Mr. Jones, the farmer, and establish their own society, based on the rights and the equality of all animals.

But after a while the system changes more and more, so that in the end it is different from the one they had wanted to establish at first. The Main Characters the owner of Manor Farm, which later becomes Animal Farm Old Major the old pig, which gives the animals the idea of the rebellion and the basics of Animalism Snowball one of the two leading pigs, later driven away by Napoleon and his dogs Napoleon the other leading pig, which becomes the totalitarian leader at the end of the story Squealer a very clever pig, which always tells the other animals everything Napoleon wants him to tell Mr. Pilkington, Mr. Frederick farmers who live next to Animal Farm Plot Summary One evening the pig Old Major gives a speech to all the other animals from Manor Farm. He tells the animals about his attitude towards men and his vision of the future, he dies a little time later. Later, after the leading animals have developed the basic ideas, called Animalism, for a new society of animals they chase away Mr. Jones and create a new society. This is based on seven commandments: Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend. No animal shall wear clothes.

No animal shall sleep in a bed. No animal shall drink alcohol. No animal shall kill another animal. All animals are equal. The pigs are more intelligent than the other animals and so they do the thinking part. The pigs try to teach all the animals to read, but they are not very successful. And so the pigs are later able to change the commandments without the knowledge of the other animals. At this time the animals live and work together peacefully. After some time they attack the farmers (Mr. Jones, Mr. Pilkington, Mr. Frederick and their men). This and some other events lead to a feeling of brotherhood among the animals. Then Napoleon drives away Snowball with the help of some big dogs. Now the situation changes, the society becomes focussed on Napoleon. He organises the farm by giving orders and decrees to the other animals. Squealer "explains" the new things to the other animals, which are not so intelligent, so that they think everything Napoleon says or does is right. To achieve this the ruling pig also changes the seven commandments. Napoleon and his followers change more and more. They twist the basic ideas of the rebellion and in the end they are just like men.

They walk on two legs and oppress the other animals. ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS. My opinion I think, this story shows us a lot about our life. In the beginning the rebells have common goals and ideals, but after some time this changes. This book also tells the story of the Russian Revolution of 1918. There the same development took place in the years after the initial changes. At first, I was very happy to read this book, because I wanted to know the story. I have read another book of George Orwell, 1984, which I liked very much, but this book is different. It touched me in a strange way. I am afraid that this will happen once more, that some intelligent, bad people will triumph. Quotes The ordinary man is passive. Within a narrow circle (home life, and perhaps the trade unions or local politics) he feels himself master of his fate, but against major events he is as helpless as against the elements. So far from endeavoring to influence the future, he simply lies down and lets things happen to him.

Not to expose your true feelings to an adult seems to be instinctive from the age of seven or eight onwards. Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them. Men can only be happy when they do not assume that the object of life is happiness. No one can look back on his schooldays and say with truth that they were altogether unhappy. Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence: in other words it is war minus the shooting. Men are only as good as their technical development allows them to be. All writers are vain, selfish and lazy, and at the very bottom of their motives lies a mystery. Writing a book is a long, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.

George Orwell’s ‘1984’ and ‘Animal Farm’ | Southern Pacific Review George Orwell’s ‘1984’ and ‘Animal Farm’ Books slider — 03 May 2012 by Julia Hones ‘1984’ is a dystopian novel about a country called “Oceania” that is constantly at war, but its citizens do not know why it is at war. They do support it, though, because anybody who is not a supporter is considered a traitor. Hatred and rage fuel the support of this endless war. Anyone who dares to oppose the dictator’s principles or think differently is vilified and will disappear. Those who work for the party are instructed to manipulate the truth as needed. In fact, nobody really knows the truth and nobody should care to reflect on it because their lives would be at stake if they did. Physical movements and facial expressions are closely monitored by telescreens in people’s homes, political prisoners are treated worse than criminals and love does not exist; hatred and fear condition everybody’s behavior. Blind obedience to Big Brother is what matters. Torture and starvation await anybody who dares to challenge the system in any way.

Another strategy of the ruling Party is to destroy words. “We’re cutting the language down to the bone. Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought?” “There will be no thought as we understand it now. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.” Winston is a thirty-nine year-old man who works for the Ministry of Truth. He helps to change the historical facts but, in reality, he is a free thinking person who would like to sabotage Big Brother’s dictatorship. He falls in love with a woman, Julia, and they both challenge the system by loving each other and having secret encounters that they must plan in advance. When Winston becomes a political prisoner a member of the inner Party confesses to him, “Our civilization is founded upon hatred. In our world there will be no emotions except fear, rage, triumph, and self-abasement. Everything else we shall destroy–everything. Already we have destroyed the habits of thought which have survived from before the Revolution. We have cut the links between child and parent, and between man and man, and between man and woman. No one dares trust a wife or a child or a friend any longer. But in the future there will be no wives and no friends.

Children will be taken from their mothers at birth, as one takes eggs from a hen. The sex instinct will be eradicated. Procreation will be an annual formality like the renewal of a ration card. We shall abolish the orgasm. Our neurologists are at work upon it now. There will be no loyalty, except loyalty toward the party. There will be no love, except the love of Big Brother. There will be no laughter, except the laugh of triumph over a defeated enemy. There will be no art, no literature, no science. “The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power. “We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power”. Animal Farm ‘Animal Farm’ is a satire about a group of farm animals that is oppressed by their owner, Mr. Jones.

They work long hours, are ill-treated, and when they no longer serve their master’s purpose they are slaughtered. The critical situation in which they live is followed by a revolution organized by the pigs to set all the animals free and lead a peaceful existence in which everybody gets their fair share as a result of their work. Pig Napoleon and Snowball lead the revolution. Eventually, however, there is a conflict between these two leaders and Napoleon wins the battle. At the beginning everybody enjoys the outcome of the revolution, but the benefits of it do not last long. Paradoxically, when Napoleon takes over the farm the animals become oppressed once again: they work long hours and get very little in return, while the powerful pigs enjoy unique privileges that are not allowed to the rest of the animals. This time, however, all the animals accept their situation and do not confront Napoleon who is considered to be “always right”. The truth is distorted to meet the leader’s interests, and conformity becomes the rule. Both ‘Animal Farm’ and ‘1984’ are grounded on conformist societies that are designed to disregard critical thinking and to believe blindly in their infallible leaders.

In both cases lies become systematized and statistical data are falsified to keep the leader in power. The authority is not to be questioned, and those who dare do it are punished and labeled as “traitors”. George Orwell portrays the dynamics of these societies with striking details. Their political leaders’ strategies are characterized by: -Fanaticism -Use of songs and ceremonies to venerate the leaders. -Patriotism. Another interesting similarity between the two stories is that the dictators always project the collective anger on a specific enemy in order to distract the masses and become more powerful themselves. The enemy is used as a “scapegoat” by the political leader. In ‘Animal Farm’, Mr Jones is always mentioned when pig Napoleon needs support to violate the rules that were set as part of the revolution and, subsequently, Snowball and other neighboring farms become the enemies to be despised and attacked. In ‘1984’ Goldstein is the enemy who wants to sabotage the system created by Big Brother, and Oceania is always at war with either Eastasia or Eurasia. In both stories the past is mutable.

It only exists in the minds of the citizens, and the government can manipulate their minds by rewriting the historical facts and changing the data to keep the dictator in power. The omnipotence of the dictator can only be preserved through lies. In Oceania the proletarians–also called “the proles”- are the majority of the population. The Party claimed to have liberated the proles from bondage. Before the Revolution they had been hideously oppressed by the capitalists, they had been starved and flogged, women had been forced to work in the coal mines, (women still did work in the coal mines) children had been sold into the factories at the age of six. But Big Brother taught the proles that they were inferior beings who must be kept in subjection. It was not necessary to learn much about the proles. “So long as they continued to work and breed, their other activities were without importance. Left to themselves, like cattle turned loose upon the plains of Argentina, they had reverted to a style of life that appeared to be natural to them, a sort of ancestral pattern”. “All that was required of them was a primitive patriotism which could be appealed to whenever it was necessary to make them accept longer working hours or shorter rations”.

Contradictions and ambiguity are at the heart of these stories. In ‘1984’ the Ministry of Peace concerns itself with war, the Ministry of Truth with lies, the Ministry of Love with torture, and the Ministry of Plenty with starvation. In ‘Animal Farm’ the seven commandments that made up the foundation of the revolution were all violated by pig Napoleon. Even though Orwell carried the features of these societies to the extreme, the reader may find them familiar. The question that lingers in my mind is whether these totalitarian leaders succeed because of the ignorance of the masses or the conformism of the intellectuals. I think it is a combination of both. As Albert Einstein said, “Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.” Related News Animal Farm & Stalin - Animal Farm Animal Farm Propaganda Animal farm and russian revolution Napoleon was developed to share personality traits and characteristics with Joseph Stalin. They were both brutal oppressors, who employed cunning, devious and forceful methods to achieve their purpose.

They abused propaganda to manipulate their subjects, and used the secret police as a means to eliminate their opponents: in Animal Farm, Napoleon used The Dogs to chase away Snowball, whereas Stalin used The KGB to infiltrate and destroy Trotskyist groups. The dictators also adopted some of their opponents’ ideas and claimed them as their own: Napoleon ordered the construction of the windmill, while Stalin inaugurated the Five-Year Plans to achieve rapid industrialization, both ideas which they vigorously opposed when first brought up by their opponents. The close similarities between the two revolutionary leaders mark George Orwell’s successful characterization [CliffNotes, n.d.]. Napoleon in Animal Farm INterpretation "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” It is human nature to seek power, and many may go as far as exploiting those who are weaker than them or disregard what is right and wrong in order to rise to the top. In Animal Farm, George Orwell effectively uses Napoleon’s character to illustrate that many dictators employ cunning and unfair methods to gain and maintain power. Throughout the novel, Napoleon works behind the scenes and canvasses support for himself in a secretive and devious manner, which the animals do not recognize.

For instance, he teaches the sheep to bleat out the slogan, "Four legs good, two legs bad" [p31] whenever Snowball is about to score a point against him. By silencing his enemy, Napoleon makes himself the only viable leadership option. He also uses the dogs to drive his opponent away, proclaiming himself as the new leader of the animals. These examples parallel to Stalin during the Russian Revolution, as he also used deceit and his secret police to pass an order of banishment against his rival Trotsky. Through his satirical writing, Orwell indirectly criticizes the Russian Revolution. He uses mockery, ridicule, and other humorous techniques to emphasize dictators’ absurd, yet effective use of power. In this way, he draws attention to the wrongful means through which dictators desire, gain, and maintain power [Naeem, 2010]. Unfortunately, the subjects under both Revolutions do not realize their dictators are using unfair methods to gain power. In Animal Farm, Napoleon justifies the changes made in the Seven Commandments and fabricates lies about their opponents to make it seem rational to the animals. As a result, they accept his leadership, but are unaware he is becoming a manipulative dictator.

Similarly, Stalin also adopted the method of falsifying facts in order to gain the population’s support. This illustrates how dictators are devious animals who keep their subjects in the dark, fooled and blinded without knowing they are being taken advantage of. corruption of ideals George Orwell conveys the message that power can never be divided equally, but can only be corrupted. Under Napoleon’s rule, Old Major’s dream of a classless society where everybody would be equal and free shatters; the reality is the terror and poverty of dictatorship in which some individuals are "more equal". Throughout the novel, Napoleon pretends to implement Old Major’s ideals, but is clearly corrupting them, as shown through the change of commandment from “All animals are equal” to “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” [p90]. Though the idea of “more equal” is completely absurd, the pigs do not question its inherent contradiction, but continue to envision themselves as this privileged “some”. Orwell created Napoleon to address not only the corruption of the revolution by its leaders, but also how ignorance, greed and myopia destroy any possibility of an utopia. Orwell’s characterization of Napoleon is intended to degrade Stalin in our eyes.

The author wrote in such detail to open the eyes of his readers to the truth about Stalin and expose how dictators corrupt power and pervert ideals. Through mockery, ridicule, and clever writing, Orwell successfully achieved his objective. Name Napoleon, “President of Animal Farm,” is the main antagonist of the novel. His name originates from the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, whom George Orwell considered to be an “oppressive power seeker and dictator” [CliffNotes, n.d.]. Napoleon Bonaparte was a military and political leader, who rose to prominence during the latter stages of the French Revolution. By corresponding Napoleon’s name with Napoleon Bonaparte’s, Orwell hints the character’s tyrannical and oppressing attitudes towards his subjects. This technique also reinforces the idea that Napoleon not only resembles Joseph Stalin, but many dictators in history - this clever and accessible novel is aimed to attack dictatorial governments and totalitarian regimes in general. Stereotypes of pigs In Animal Farm, George Orwell represents Joseph Stalin through an allegorical image of a pig. Through the existing stereotypes of this animal in popular culture, he intends to portray the greed, laziness and viciousness of this tyrannical ruler of the Soviet Union.

Pigs are stereotyped as “dirty”, as their sties are usually covered in mud and feces, which they do not seem to mind at all - they are still “as happy as pigs”. Their filthy qualities parallel Stalin’s “unclean” methods before and after his rise of power. He manipulates deceit to control those under him, and corrupts power in order to maintain his leadership status. Their “greedy” behavior is also seen from the way they devour food put in front of them. This stereotypical behavior of pigs represent Stalin’s hunger for power. Establishing authority and possessing control was his main priority during the Russian Revolution, which led him to murder millions of his own subjects when they presented the slightest pretext of disloyalty. Orwell’s use of stereotypical traits of pigs allow the reader to easily recognize the characteristics which Stalin and Napoleon share. He warns us about the dangers of dictators, which he has successfully accomplished through the “beastly” image of a pig. In this sense, he is both educating the reader and writing to future generations. citations

Question: What was the name of the pig leader in George Orwell's Animal Farm?
Answer: Napoleon