Animal Farm by George Orwell :: Animal Farm Essays Animal Farm by George Orwell Length: 1022 words (2.9 double-spaced pages) Rating: Excellent Animal Farm by George Orwell The novel Animal Farm is an allegorical novel which features Napoleon who opens the novel as ‘A young, rather fierce looking Berkshire Boar’ who is just and fair in his decisions. But after the revolution and the expulsion of Mr.Jones, Napoleon becomes the leader of the farm with a band of secret police; who has his nearest rival chased out and, by the conclusion of the novel Napoleon’s regime has become just as bad as that of Mr.Jones’. Napoleon represents Joseph Stalin, the communist leader of Russia and the novel is George Orwell’s representation of the Russian revolution with each character in the novel representing someone from the real life Russian revolution. A number of factors contribute to Napoleon becoming leader of Animal Farm. After the ‘Battle of the cowshed’ Napoleon and Snowball are the major leaders of the farm but they are unable to cooperate, this we know because ‘these two (Napoleon and Snowball) disagreed at every point where disagreement was possible’. This proves that they didn’t get along because they would argue whenever it was possible.

Napoleon didn’t like this because he wanted to get things his own way even if Snowball’s plans were more beneficial for the farm than his. Napoleon needed something that would get rid of his nearest rival for good; this is where the dogs or ‘Napoleon’s secret police’ come into the novel. Napoleon takes the ‘nine sturdy puppies’ as they are referred to, near the end of chapter three. He tells their mother’s, Jessie and Bluebell that ‘He will make himself responsible for their education, he took them up into a loft room which could only be reached by a ladder from the harness room and there he kept them in such seclusion, that the rest of the farm soon forgot their existence’.

The chance to remove Snowball arose when he began drawing up the plans for the windmill ‘Everyone including the chickens came to marvel at the plans’, so with no-one worrying about what he was planning, Napoleon was able to train How to Cite this Page MLA Citation: the dogs to attack on his command and finally rids himself of his nearest rival at the unveiling of Snowball’s plans for the windmill ‘Nine enormous dogs dashed straight for Snowball……he put on extra spurt and, with a few inches to spare, slipped through a hole in the hedge and was seen no more’. This is the exact moment Napoleon seizes power of Animal Farm. After Napoleon has seized control he sets about feeding the other animal’s disinformation about Snowball being a traitor. He gets his sickly, fat sidekick Squealer, who is extremely sycophantic towards him, to do his dirty work. Squealer tells the other animals that ‘The plan which Snowball had drawn on the incubator shed floor had actually been stolen from among Napoleon’s papers’.

We are aware Snowball wouldn’t have done this but the animals are forced to believe that he did steal the plans because; some of the animals are not the sharpest Knives in the drawer and believe whatever they are told, and those with the slightest amount of intelligence believe he must of stolen the plans out of spite because of his stormy relationship with Napoleon. Squealer also stated things like ‘He (Napoleon) had seemed to oppose the windmill, simply as a manoeuvre to get rid of Snowball’. Squealer told the animal’s things like this to try and make it look like Napoleon had made the windmill plans and that Napoleon was the innocent party. He made it look as though Napoleon was just extracting his revenge by having Snowball chased out of the farm. This was Napoleon’s corruption coming to the forefront. Napoleon begins his joint leadership with Snowball as being just and fair, when, after the ‘Battle of the cowshed’ he awarded himself and Snowball ‘Animal Hero, First Class’ and the dead sheep ‘Animal Hero, Second Class’.

But Napoleon shows early signs of corruption when he takes the fresh milk and apples while the other animals are at the harvest with Snowball, he tells the other animals ‘Forward comrades the hay is waiting....when they returned it was noticed that the milk and apples had disappeared’. By the end of the novel Napoleon’s regime has become just as bad as that of Mr.Jones’, for instance when Napoleon tried the animals accused of plotting secretly with Snowball the ‘traitor’. Napoleon doesn’t have the decency to give them a fair trial; he just has them taken round the back of the barn and the ‘Nine great dogs, ripped out their throats’. This is totally against one of the seven animal commandments, ‘No animal shall kill any other animal ‘, however, after the incident with Snowball and the trials of the ‘traitors’ it quickly becomes ‘No animal shall kill any other animal, without cause’. It becomes custom for Napoleon to change laws to suit his and the other pig’s lives. He and the other pigs got a taste for whiskey, so the rule ‘No animal shall drink alcohol’ is changed to ‘No animal shall drink alcohol to excess’, but not only that, another travesty happens when the pigs discover whiskey.

To get the whiskey the pigs had to engage in trade with Mr.Whymper, a local businessman who supplied them with all the luxuries they wanted. In the end Napoleon is so low because of his greed, that he immorally sells Boxer, who was ‘Worth two horses’, who literally single-handedly built the windmill and whose mottos were ‘I will work harder’ and ‘Napoleon is always right’, to Mr.Whymper’s Glue factory for more Whiskey. At the end of the novel the animals are looking through the window at a meeting between Napoleon, the pigs and the other farms, ‘The animals looked from pig to man, and man to pig, and already you couldn’t tell them apart’. The animals rebelled in the first place because of the human’s regime but the pigs and Napoleon dragged them back into a regime just like that of the humans and Napoleon had become the dictator that Mr.Jones was, the pigs had become humans. George Orwell, the author of animal farm, wrote the novel to express his Anti-Stalinist, Anti-Imperialist and Anti-Communist convictions of the Russian Revolution.

He shows his Anti-Stalinist convictions in the way he talks about Napoleon and the pigs that represent Joseph Stalin and his government, the polit Buro, Orwell makes the reader feel like you should despise Napoleon and the pigs because of what they have done. Orwell expresses his feelings for Stalin through the way the animals feel for Napoleon. Orwell believed that in the end, the communist governments had become just as bad as that of the already corrupt state governments. Orwell firmly believed that ‘All power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely’, which is what he thought, happened to Stalin and what did happen to Napoleon when they both went power mad, they were minorly corrupt when not in full control but once they got a taste of power, they wanted more and when they gained full power it went to their heads and they consequently became absolutely corrupt. In Orwell’s view Napoleon represents how leaders are corrupted and Mr.Jones represents the old guard governments that ruled before the communists and republicans took over. Orwell also believed that all leaders were selfish and two faced and shows this when Napoleon sells Boxer for whiskey. In Conclusion, Napoleon became leader of animal farm because he used thought and intelligence and was sly and cunning with that.

This affected the farm negatively and after he became sole leader it was a downhill slope for the animals, by the end of the novel Napoleon’s regime is just as bad, if not even worse than that of Mr.Jones. George Orwell was firmly against what happened in Russia, and expressed all his beliefs through the characters in this novel. 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. Animal Farm by George Orwell - Schoolbytes Animal Farm by George Orwell BACKGROUND Even though the characters in this book are animals that can talk, don’t go thinking this is like the movie "Babe," with cute piglets and stuff. This is one of those books where the characters in the story "represent" some big political thing. Orwell was into political stuff. The novel has a lot in common with the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia when the poor people were fed up with the rich people and decided to kick their ass. The first leader of the poor people was Lenin. He wanted to make everyone equal, so that there would be no poor people and no rich people. Then Lenin died, and two guys battled to take his spot: Stalin and Trotsky. Eventually Stalin won and controlled the Communist Party: poor people. The rich people lost in the end.

More than that particular historical event, Animal Farm is a warning about politics and society and greed. MAIN CHARACTERS Old Major: A wise pig whose ideas start the animal rebellion. He dies before it starts though. Napoleon: A pig who fights to be the leader after Old Major dies. Big Brother: He is not a person, and he’s not someone’s brother. He’s a mysterious person who is supposedly the leader of the party. His picture is all over the place on posters that say BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU. Nobody has seen him in person, but everyone is scared of him and obeys him. Snowball: A pig who fights to be the leader after Old Major dies. Squealer: A pig who spreads propaganda; ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person Boxer and Clover: Two horses that are pretty dumb. All they do is work. Mollie: A horse who leaves when the animals revolt. Benjamin: A donkey who doesn’t believe in the animal revolution, but does his work anyway because he is devoted to his friend Boxer. He survives in the end. Dogs: The animal police.

Moses: A raven that tells stories. The Pigeons: Messengers who travel beyond the farm to spread the word of the rebellion. Farmer Jones: The guy who owns the farm. Pilkington: A polite human. Whymper: A human go-between for the animals and the humans. PLOT Manor Farm is owned by this drunken guy named Farmer Jones. He has many animals on this farm. One night, the farmer goes to bed drunk, and the animals have a meeting. This old pig named Old Major tells the other animals that he had this dream about men making animals their slaves. They then talk about how men use animals then kill them, and how all men are evil. They form a revolutionary group and agree that animals rock and that man is the enemy. The animals also learn a song called "Beasts of England" which is like their rebel anthem. Old Major dies after this, but the animals want to continue with his plan. One night, Farmer Jones goes to bed and forgets to feed the animals. So the animals go into the barn to feed themselves. Farmer Jones finds them and whips them but the animals fight back. The men lose and they are chased off the farm.

The animals then change the name of the farm to "Animal Farm," and write up some rules to live by. The animals run the farm and do all the chores. Every Sunday they celebrate their rebellion. Then Farmer Jones and his men try to take the farm back from the animals, but the men get their asses kicked again. There’s a lot of tension between Napoleon and Snowball. Snowball wants to build a windmill but Napoleon doesn’t. So Napoleon tells his dogs to attack Snowball. Snowball survives and escapes the mean dogs. After Napoleon takes over the farm, he changes his mind and wants to build a windmill. There is a problem with the pigs, because they start to sleep in beds which violates the 4th commandment. But the pigs keep adding on stuff to the rules, so the new version reads "No animal shall sleep in a bed WITH SHEETS". A storm destroys the windmill. Napoleon blames it on Snowball. He then feels that snowball is a dirty traitor, and has been destroying lots of stuff on Animal Farm. So Napoleon gathers all the animals in the yard, then brings out some animals who he believes are traitors with Snowball.

After they admit their crime, Napoleon’s dogs rip out their throats. The farmer next door, Mr. Frederick, tries to kill the animals and take over the farm. He blows up the windmill (after it was repaired) and kills many animals. But, once again, the animals win the fight. Then begins the decline of Animal Farm. They break all of the animal rules, or change the rules so they can do certain things like drink. As years go by, many new animals come on the farm, and they slowly run out of food. To survive, the animals start to act more like humans: they walk on two legs, and wear clothes. By the end of the book, the animals have no rules anymore, and the pigs start to have business dealings with human farmers. CHAPTER BY CHAPTER CHAPTER 1 Farmer Jones comes home drunk. Old Major has a dream and gives a long speech about how Man abuses animals and treats them like crap. The pigs vote on whether all animals are their friends. They decide they are all friends. Old Major creates his rules for animals. CHAPTER 2 Whatever goes up on 2 legs is the enemy. Whatever has 4 legs or wings is a friend. No animals shall wear clothes.

No animal shall sleep in a bed. No animal shall drink alcohol. No animal shall kill any other animal. All animals are equal. CHAPTER 3 The animals are happy because they are free. And because they are happy, they work harder and when they work harder, they get a big crop harvest. The pigs become the leaders, and control everyone on the farm. The pigs abuse their power by taking all the apples and milk and eating it themselves. They say they all that stuff for their "brains." CHAPTER 4 Farmer Jones tries to get his farm back by attacking the animals. Napoleon is prepared for battle and the animals kick the crap out of Farmer Jones. Snowball and Boxer are awarded medals for their bravery. CHAPTER 5 Mollie the horse runs away to a human master. Napoleon and Snowball have a clash over power. Snowball has a plan to build a windmill to supply the farm with free electricity. At a meeting where Snowball tells the animals about the windmill, Napoleon instructs the dogs to seize Snowball. Snowball escapes. Napoleon becomes a dictator, and uses his guard dogs to scare the animals. When Napoleon takes over, he decides to build the windmill.

We learn that the plans for the windmill were originally Napoleon’s, but were stolen by Snowball. The only reason Napoleon opposed Snowball’s windmill was because of his need for power. CHAPTER 6 The windmill collapses during a storm. Napoleon blames Snowball for the accident. We learn that humans outside the farm hate the animals but respect their successful farm. The pigs start acting like humans. They sleep in a bed in the farmhouse. Napoleon believes the leader should have the best of everything, so he sleeps in the comfortable farmhouse. CHAPTER 7 Times get worse on the farm. It’s cold, and there’s no food. Napoleon forbids the "Beasts of England" song because it is a rebellion song, and they have already achieved that rebellion. They are low on grain, so Napoleon has to sell the hen’s eggs to humans to buy more grain. It is decided that Snowball is a traitor. Napoleon calls a meeting and four pigs are exposed for being traitors with snowball. The dogs rip their throats out. The dogs also attack Boxer the horse, but Boxer is strong and holds his own with the mutts. CHAPTER 8 Napoleon becomes an absolute dictator.

He names that second battle the "Battle of the Windmill." CHAPTER 9 When they rebuild the windmill, Boxer collapses. We think Boxer is being taken to a hospital, but instead a van comes to take him to get slaughtered. Napoleon makes up a lie to cover this up. The pigs order whiskey from the humans and drink it. CHAPTER 10 Years pass by, and animals come and go. Napoleon is carrying a whip these days. Only one of the original 7 rules is left on the wall and it has been changed: "ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS." Humans come to visit the farm. The pigs feel they are superior to all other animals and are on the same level with humans. The pigs drink with the humans. THINGS TO MAKE YOU LOOK SMART This book is an allegory. That means this book is not about some talking pigs on a farm. They represent or "symbolize" a historical event. The story could symbolize the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. All the characters would represent different political figures. Although the ideas starting the revolution are good, the rulers are soon corrupted by their power.

The big theme in this book is leadership and revolution. When people are not happy with their leadership, they revolt. When leaders have absolute power, they become corrupt and oppressive. A good phrase to use is: Absolute power corrupts absolutely. This is a story uses animals to reflect human issues and behavior. This book compares "types" of people to certain animals. There are sheep (followers), dogs (bullies) etc. People's behavior is like an animal’s behavior. Analysis of Characters - Animal Farm Animal Farm Post-Modern Literary Norms and Styles Main Characters Napoleon represents Joseph Stalin. Napoleon is the leader of the farm and tells the animals they are all treated the same, when they're are not. Napoleon is one of the mail villains on the farm. He slowly build up his power, then takes over the farm. Snowball was influenced by the Spanish Civil War by Leon Trotsky. Snowball is Napoleons rival in the novel, as they are always fighting for the power of the farm. Snowball is the only pig that actually is trying to help the farm, unlike the other pigs who just want power over the other animals. Boxer is the only character in the book that has all the good qualities of the working class.

But Boxer also suffers from the working class weakness, what George Orwell called a naive trust in the good intention of the leaders. Squealer's purpose was to show how easy it is to manipulate language and people. He uses statistics to convince the animals that their lives on the farm is improving now that the humans are gone, when they are actually still the very same. Old Major represents both Karl Marx and Vladimir Ilych Lenin (founders of communism), who George Orwell both respected. Old Major fuels the rebellion that goes on the the book. Create a free website Work : Summaries & Interpretations : Animal Farm // George Orwell // Symbolism / Interpretation Summary The story takes place on a farm somewhere in England. The story is told by an all-knowing narrator in the third person. The action of this novel starts when the oldest pig on the farm, Old Major, calls all animals to a secret meeting. He tells them about his dream of a revolution against the cruel Mr Jones. Three days later Major dies, but the speech gives the more intelligent animals a new outlook on life. The pigs, who are considered the most intelligent animals, instruct the other ones. During the period of preparation two pigs distinguish themselves, Napoleon and Snowball.

Napoleon is big, and although he isn't a good speaker, he can assert himself. Snowball is a better speaker, he has a lot of ideas and he is very vivid. Together with another pig called Squealer, who is a very good speaker, they work out the theory of "Animalism". The rebellion starts some months later, when Mr Jones comes home drunk one night and forgets to feed the animals. They break out of the barns and run to the house, where the food is stored. When Mr Jones sees this he takes out his shotgun, but it is too late for him; all the animals fall over him and drive him off the farm. The animals destroy all whips, nose rings, reins, and all other instruments that have been used to suppress them. The same day the animals celebrate their victory with an extra ration of food. The pigs make up the seven commandments, and they write them above the door of the big barn. They run thus: 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 animals also agree that no animal shall ever enter the farmhouse, and that no animal shall have contact with humans. This commandments are summarised in the simple phrase: "Four legs good, two legs bad". After some time, Jones comes back with some other men from the village to recapture the farm. The animals fight bravely, and they manage to defend the farm. Snowball and Boxer receive medals of honour for defending the farm so bravely. Also Napoleon, who had not fought at all, takes a medal. This is the reason why the two pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, often argue. When Snowball presents his idea to build a windmill, to produce electricity for the other animals, Napoleon calls nine strong dogs. The dogs drive Snowball from the farm, and Napoleon explains that Snowball was in fact co-operating with Mr Jones. He also explains that Snowball in reality never had a medal of honour, that Snowball was always trying to cover up that he was fighting on the side of Mr Jones. The animals then start building the windmill, and as time passes the working-time goes up, whereas the food rations decline.

Although the "common" animals have not enough food, the pigs grow fatter and fatter. They tell the other animals that they need more food, for they are managing the whole farm. Some time later, the pigs explain to the other animals that they have to trade with the neighbouring farms. The common animals are very upset, because since the revolution there has been a resolution that no animal shall trade with a human. But the pigs ensure them that there never has been such a resolution, and that this was an evil lie of Snowball. Shortly after this decision the pigs move to the farmhouse. The other animals remember that there is a commandment that forbids sleeping in beds, and so they go to the big barn to look at the commandments. When they arrive there they can't believe their eyes, the fourth commandment has been changed to: "No animal shall sleep in bed with sheets". And the other commandments have also been changed: "No animal shall kill another animal without reason", and "No animal shall drink alcohol in excess". Some months later a heavy storm destroys the windmill, which is nearly finished. Napoleon accuses Snowball of destroying the mill, and he promises a reward to the animal that gets Snowball.

The rebuilding of the mill takes two years. Again Jones attacks the farm, and although the animals defend it, the windmill is once again destroyed. The pigs decide to rebuild the mill again, and they cut down the food rations to a minimum. One day Boxer breaks down. He is sold to a butcher, but Napoleon tells the pigs that Boxer has been brought to a hospital where he has died. Three years later, the mill is finally completed. During this time Napoleon deepens the relations with the neighbouring farm, and one day Napoleon even invites the owners of this farm for an inspection. They sit inside the farmhouse and celebrate the efficiency of his farm, where the animals work very hard with a minimum of food. During this celebration, all the other animals meet at the window of the farm, and when they look inside they can't distinguish between man and animal. Symbolism/Interpretation The novel Animal Farm is a satire of the Russian revolution, and therefore full of symbolism. Generally, Orwell associates certain real characters with the characters of the book. Here is a list of the characters and things and their meaning: Mr Jones: Mr Jones is one of Orwell's major (or at least most obvious) villain in Animal Farm.

Orwell says that at one time Jones was actually a decent master to his animals. At this time the farm was thriving. But in recent years the farm had fallen on harder times and the opportunity was seen to revolt. The world-wide depression began in the United States when the stock market crashed in October of 1929. The depression spread throughout the world because American exports were so dependent on Europe. The U.S. was also a major contributor to the world market economy. Germany along with the rest of Europe was especially hard hit. The parallels between crop failure of the farm and the depression in the 1930s are clear. Only the leaders and the die-hard followers ate their fill during this time period. Mr Jones symbolises (in addition to the evils of capitalism) Czar Nicholas II, the leader before Stalin (Napoleon). Jones represents the old government, the last of the Czars. Orwell suggests that Jones was losing his "edge". In fact, he and his men had taken up the habit of drinking. Old Major reveals his feelings about Jones and his administration when he says, "Man is the only creature that consumes without producing.

He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving and the rest he keeps for himself." So Jones and the old government are successfully uprooted by the animals. Little do they know history will repeat itself with Napoleon and the pigs. Old Major: Old Major is the first major character described by Orwell in Animal Farm. This "pure-bred" of pigs is the kind, grandfatherly philosopher of change - an obvious metaphor for Karl Marx. Old Major proposes a solution to the animals� desperate plight under the Jones "administration" when he inspires a rebellion of sorts among the animals. Of course the actual time of the revolt is untold. It could be the next day or several generations down the road. But Old Major's philosophy is only an ideal. After his death, three days after the barn-yard speech, the socialism he professes is drastically altered when Napoleon and the other pigs begin to dominate. It's interesting that Orwell does not mention Napoleon or Snowball at any time during the great speech of old Major.

This shows how distant and out-of-touch they really were; the ideals Old Major proclaimed seemed to not even have been considered when they were establishing their new government after the successful revolt. It almost seems as though the pigs fed off old Major's inspiration and then used it to benefit themselves (an interesting twist of capitalism) instead of following through on the old Major's honest proposal. This could be Orwell's attempt to dig Stalin, whom many consider to be someone who totally ignored Marx's political and social theory. Using Old Major's apparent naivety, Orwell concludes that no society is perfect, no pure socialist civilisation can exist, and there is no way to escaping the evil grasp of capitalism. (More on this in the Napoleon section.) Unfortunately, when Napoleon and Squealer take over, old Major becomes more and more a distant fragment of the past in the minds of the farm animals. Napoleon: Napoleon is Orwell's chief villain in Animal Farm. The name Napoleon is very appropriate since Napoleon, the dictator of France, was thought by many to be the Anti-Christ. Napoleon, the pig, is really the central character on the farm. Obviously a metaphor for Stalin, Comrade Napoleon represents the human frailties of any revolution.

Orwell believed that although socialism is good as an ideal, it can never be successfully adopted due the to uncontrollable sins of human nature. For example, although Napoleon seems at first to be a good leader, he is eventually overcome by greed and soon becomes power-hungry. Of course, Stalin did, too, in Russia, leaving the original equality of socialism behind, giving himself all the power and living in luxury while the common peasant suffered. Thus, while his national and international status blossomed, the welfare of Russia remained unchanged. Orwell explains, "Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer--except, of course for the pigs and the dogs." The true side of Napoleon becomes evident after he slaughters so many animals for plotting against him. He even hires a pig to sample his food for him to make certain that no one is trying to poison him. Stalin, too, was a cruel dictator in Russia. After suspecting many people in his empire to be supporters of Trotsky (Orwell's Snowball), Stalin systematically murdered many. At the end of the book, Napoleon doesn't even pretend to lead a socialist state.

After renaming it a Republic and instituting his own version of the commandments and the Beasts of England, Comrade Napoleon quickly becomes more or less a dictator who of course has never even been elected by the animals. Squealer: Squealer is an intriguing character in Orwell's Animal Farm. He's first described as a manipulator and persuader. Orwell narrates, "He could turn black into white." Many critics correlate Squealer with the Pravda, the Russian newspaper of the 1930s. Propaganda was a key to many publications, and since there was no television or radio, the newspaper was the primary source of media information. So the monopoly of the Pravda was seized by Stalin and his new Bolshevik regime. In Animal Farm, Squealer, like the newspaper, is the link between Napoleon and other animals. When Squealer masks the evil intentions of the pigs, the intentions can be carried out with little resistance and without political disarray. Squealer is also thought by some to represent Goebbels, who was the minister of propaganda for Germany. This would seem inconsistent with Orwell's satire, however, which was supposed to metaphor characters in Russia.

Snowball: Orwell describes Snowball as a pig very similar to Napoleon at least in the early stages. Both pigs wanted a leadership position in the "new" economic and political system (which is actually contradictory to the whole supposed system of equality). But as time passes, both eventually realise that one of them will have to step down. Orwell says that the two were always arguing. "Snowball and Napoleon were by far the most active in the debates. But it was noticed that these two were never in agreement: whatever suggestion either of them made, the other could be counted to oppose it." Later, Orwell makes the case stronger. "These two disagreed at every point disagreement was possible." Soon the differences, like whether or not to build a windmill, become too great to deal with, so Napoleon decides that Snowball must be eliminated. It might seem that this was a spontaneous reaction, but a careful look tells otherwise. Napoleon was setting the stage for his own domination long before he really began "dishing it out" to Snowball. For example, he took the puppies away from their mothers in an effort to establish a private police force. These dogs would later be used to eliminate Snowball, his arch-rival.

Snowball represents Leo Dawidowitsch Trotsky, the arch-rival of Stalin in Russia. The parallels between Trotsky and Snowball are uncanny. Trotsky too, was exiled, not from the farm, but to Mexico, where he spoke out against Stalin. Stalin was very weary of Trotsky and feared that Trotsky supporters might try to assassinate him. The dictator of Russia tried hard to kill Trotsky, for the fear of losing leadership was very great in the crazy man's mind. Trotsky also believed in communism, but he thought he could run Russia better than Stalin. Trotsky was murdered in Mexico by the Russian internal police, the NKVD - the precursor of the KGB. Trotsky was found with a pick axe in his head at his villa in Mexico. Boxer: The name Boxer is cleverly used by Orwell as a metaphor for the Boxer Rebellion in China in the early twentieth century. It was this rebellion which signalled the beginning of communism in red China. This form of communism, much like the distorted Stalin view of socialism, is still present today in the oppressive socialist government in China. Boxer and Clover are used by Orwell to represent the proletariat, or unskilled labour class in Russian society.

This lower class is naturally drawn to Stalin (Napoleon) because it seems as though they will benefit most from his new system. Since Boxer and the other low animals are not accustomed to the "good life," they can't really compare Napoleon's government with the life they had before under the czars (Jones). Also, since usually the lowest class has the lowest intelligence, it is not difficult to persuade them into thinking they are getting a good deal. The proletariat is also quite good at convincing themselves that communism is a good idea. Orwell supports this contention when he narrates, "Their most faithful disciples were the two carthorses, Boxer and Clover. Those two had great difficulty in thinking anything out for themselves, but having once accepted the pigs as their teachers, they absorbed everything that they were told, and passed it on to the other animals by simple arguments." Later, the importance of the proletariat is shown when Boxer suddenly falls and there is suddenly a drastic decrease in work productivity. But still he is taken for granted by the pigs, who send him away in a glue truck. Truly Boxer is the biggest poster-child for gullibility. Pigs: Orwell uses the pigs to surround and support Napoleon.

They symbolise the communist party loyalists and the friends of Stalin, as well as perhaps the Duma, or Russian parliament. The pigs, unlike other animals, live in luxury and enjoy the benefits of the society they help to control. The inequality and true hypocrisy of communism is expressed here by Orwell, who criticised Marx's oversimplified view of a socialist, "utopian" society. Obviously, George Orwell doesn't believe such a society can exist. Toward the end of the book, Orwell emphasises, "Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer except, of course, the pigs and the dogs." Dogs: Orwell uses the dogs in his book, Animal Farm, to represent the KGB or perhaps more accurately, the bodyguards of Stalin. The dogs are the arch-defenders of Napoleon and the pigs, and although they don't speak, they are definitely a force the other animals have to reckon with. Orwell almost speaks of the dogs as mindless robots, so dedicated to Napoleon that they can't really speak for themselves. This contention is supported as Orwell describes Napoleon's early and suspicious removal of six puppies from their mother.

The reader is left in the dark for a while, but is later enlightened when Orwell describes the chase of Snowball. Napoleon uses his "secret dogs" for the first time here; before Snowball has a chance to stand up and give a counter-argument to Napoleon's disapproval of the windmill, the dogs viciously attack the pig, forcing him to flee, never to return again. Orwell narrates, "Silent and terrified, the animals crept back into the barn. In a moment the dogs came bounding back. At first no one had been able to imagine where these creatures came from, but the problem was soon solved: they were the puppies whom Napoleon had taken away from their mothers and reared privately. Though not yet full-grown, they were huge dogs, and as fierce-looking as wolves. They kept close to Napoleon. It was noticed that they wagged their tails to him in the same way as the other dogs had been used to do to Mr Jones." The use of the dogs begins the evil use of force which helps Napoleon maintain power.

Later, the dogs do even more dastardly things when they are instructed to kill the animals labelled "disloyal." Stalin, too, had his own special force of "helpers". Really there are followers loyal to any politician or government leader, but Stalin in particular needed a special police force to eliminate his opponents. This is how Trotsky was killed. Mollie: Mollie is one of Orwell's minor characters, but she represents something very important. Mollie is one of the animals who is most opposed to the new government under Napoleon. She doesn't care much about the politics of the whole situation; she just wants to tie her hair with ribbons and eat sugar, things her social status won't allow. Many animals consider her a traitor when she is seen being petted by a human from a neighbouring farm. Soon Mollie is confronted by the "dedicated" animals, and she quietly leaves the farm. Mollie characterises the typical middle-class skilled worker who suffers from this new communism concept. No longer will she get her sugar (nice salary) because she is now just as low as the other animals, like Boxer and Clover.

Orwell uses Mollie to characterise the people after any rebellion who aren't too receptive to new leaders and new economics. There are always those resistant to change. This continues to dispel the belief Orwell hated and according to which basically all animals act the same. The naivety of Marxism is criticised, socialism is not perfect, and it doesn't work for everyone. Moses: Moses is perhaps Orwell's most intriguing character in Animal Farm. This raven, first described as the "especial pet" of Mr Jones, is the only animal who doesn't work. He's also the only character who doesn't listen to Old Major's speech of rebellion. Orwell narrates, "The pigs had an even harder struggle to counteract the lies put about by Moses, the tame raven. Moses, who was Mr Jones's especial pet, was a spy and a tale-bearer, but he was also a clever talker. He claimed to know of the existence of a mysterious country called Sugarcandy Mountain, to which all animals went when they died. It was situated somewhere up in the sky, a little distance beyond the clouds, Moses said.

In Sugarcandy Mountain it was Sunday seven days a week, clover was in season all the year round, and lump sugar and linseed cake grew on the hedges. The animals hated Moses because he told tales and did no work but some of them believed in Sugarcandy Mountain, and the pigs had to argue very hard to persuade them that there was no such place." Moses represents Orwell's view of the Church. To Orwell, the Church is just used as a tool by dictatorships to keep the working class of people hopeful and productive. Orwell uses Moses to criticize Marx's belief that the Church will just go away after the rebellion. Jones first used Moses to keep the animals working, and he was successful in many ways before the rebellion. The pigs had a real hard time getting rid of Moses, since the lies about Heaven they thought would only lead the animals away from the equality of socialism. But as the pigs led by Napoleon become more and more like Mr Jones, Moses finds his place again. After being away for several years, he suddenly returns and picks up right where he left off. The pigs don't mind this time because the animals have already realised that the "equality" of the revolt is a farce.

So Napoleon feeds Moses with beer, and the full circle is complete. Orwell seems to offer a very cynical and harsh view of the Church. This proves that Animal Farm is not simply an anti-communist work meant to lead people into capitalism and Christianity. Really Orwell found loop-holes and much hypocrisy in both systems. It's interesting that recently in Russia the government has begun to allow and support religion again. It almost seems that like the pigs, the Kremlin officials of today are trying to keep their people motivated, not in the ideology of communism, but in the "old-fashioned" hope of an after-life. Muriel: Muriel is a knowledgeable goat who reads the commandments for Clover. Muriel represents the minority of working class people who are educated enough to decide things for themselves and find critical and hypocritical problems with their leaders. Unfortunately for the other animals, Muriel is not charismatic or inspired enough to take action and oppose Napoleon and his pigs. Old Benjamin: Old Benjamin, an elderly donkey, is one of Orwell's most elusive and intriguing characters on Animal Farm. He is described as rather unchanged since the rebellion. He still does his work the same way, never becoming too excited or too disappointed about anything that has passed.

Benjamin explains, "Donkeys live a long time. None of you has ever seen a dead donkey." Although there is no clear metaphoric relationship between Benjamin and Orwell's critique of communism, it makes sense that during any rebellion there are those who never totally embrace the revolution, those so cynical they no longer look to their leaders for help. Benjamin symbolises the older generation, the critics of any new rebellion. Really this old donkey is the only animal who seems as though he couldn't care less about Napoleon and Animal Farm. It's almost as if he can see into the future, knowing that the revolt is only a temporary change, and will flop in the end. Benjamin is the only animal who doesn't seem to have expected anything positive from the revolution. He almost seems on a whole different maturity level compared with the other animals. He is not sucked in by Napoleon's propaganda like the others. The only time he seems to care about the others at all is when Boxer is carried off in the glue truck. It's almost as if the old donkey finally comes out of his shell, his perfectly fitted demeanour, when he tries to warn the others of Boxer's fate.

And the animals do try to rescue Boxer, but it's too late. Benjamin seems to be finally confronting Napoleon and revealing his knowledge of the pigs' hypocrisy, although before he had been completely independent. After the animals have forgotten Jones and their past lives, Benjamin still remembers everything. Orwell states, "Only old Benjamin professed to remember every detail of his long life and to know that things never had been, nor ever could be much better or much worse; hunger, hardship, and disappointment being, so he said, the unalterable law of life." Rats & Rabbits: The rats and the rabbits, who are regarded as wild animals, somehow represent the socialist movement, the so-called "Menscheviki". In the very beginning of the book the animals vote if rats and rabbits should be comrades. Pigeons: The pigeons symbolise Soviet propaganda, not to Russia, but to other countries, like Germany, England, France, and even the United States. Russia had created an iron curtain even before WWII. The Communist government raved about its achievements and its advanced technology, but it never allowed experts or scientists from outside the country to check on its validity.

Orwell mentions the fact that the other farmers became suspicious and worried when their animals began to sing Beasts of England. Many Western governments have had similar problems with their people in this century. There was a huge "Red Scare" in the United States in the 1920s. In the 1950s in the United States, Joseph McCarthy was a legislative member of the government from Wisconsin. He accused hundreds of people of supporting the communist regime, from famous actors in Hollywood to middle-class ordinary people. The fear of communism became a phobia in America and anyone speaking out against the government was a suspect. Farm buildings: The farm stands for the Kremlin. In the early days of the USSR there were sightseeing tours through the Kremlin. Later it became the residence of Stalin. Windmill: The Windmill for example stands for the Russian industry, that has been built by the working-class. (Clover...) Fredericks: Stands for Hitler. There has also been an arrangement and secret deals. (Allusion to Fritz.) Foxwood: Foxwood farm represents England. Pinchfield: Pinchfield symbolises Germany. Destruction of the Windmill: This destruction is a symbol for the failure of the Five Year Plan.

This site is protected by COPYLEFT. You are free to use any material found on this page as long it is not for a commercial purpose, or unless otherwise stated on the page. However copying this page as a whole is NOT permitted. SparkNotes: Animal Farm: Plot Overview Plot Overview Context Character List Old Major, a prize-winning boar, gathers the animals of the Manor Farm for a meeting in the big barn. He tells them of a dream he has had in which all animals live together with no human beings to oppress or control them. He tells the animals that they must work toward such a paradise and teaches them a song called “Beasts of England,” in which his dream vision is lyrically described. The animals greet Major’s vision with great enthusiasm. When he dies only three nights after the meeting, three younger pigs—Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer—formulate his main principles into a philosophy called Animalism. Late one night, the animals manage to defeat the farmer Mr. Jones in a battle, running him off the land. They rename the property Animal Farm and dedicate themselves to achieving Major’s dream.

The cart-horse Boxer devotes himself to the cause with particular zeal, committing his great strength to the prosperity of the farm and adopting as a personal maxim the affirmation “I will work harder.” At first, Animal Farm prospers. Snowball works at teaching the animals to read, and Napoleon takes a group of young puppies to educate them in the principles of Animalism. When Mr. Jones reappears to take back his farm, the animals defeat him again, in what comes to be known as the Battle of the Cowshed, and take the farmer’s abandoned gun as a token of their victory. As time passes, however, Napoleon and Snowball increasingly quibble over the future of the farm, and they begin to struggle with each other for power and influence among the other animals. Snowball concocts a scheme to build an electricity-generating windmill, but Napoleon solidly opposes the plan. At the meeting to vote on whether to take up the project, Snowball gives a passionate speech. Although Napoleon gives only a brief retort, he then makes a strange noise, and nine attack dogs—the puppies that Napoleon had confiscated in order to “educate”—burst into the barn and chase Snowball from the farm.

Napoleon assumes leadership of Animal Farm and declares that there will be no more meetings. From that point on, he asserts, the pigs alone will make all of the decisions—for the good of every animal. Napoleon now quickly changes his mind about the windmill, and the animals, especially Boxer, devote their efforts to completing it. One day, after a storm, the animals find the windmill toppled. The human farmers in the area declare smugly that the animals made the walls too thin, but Napoleon claims that Snowball returned to the farm to sabotage the windmill. He stages a great purge, during which various animals who have allegedly participated in Snowball’s great conspiracy—meaning any animal who opposes Napoleon’s uncontested leadership—meet instant death at the teeth of the attack dogs. With his leadership unquestioned (Boxer has taken up a second maxim, “Napoleon is always right”), Napoleon begins expanding his powers, rewriting history to make Snowball a villain. Napoleon also begins to act more and more like a human being—sleeping in a bed, drinking whisky, and engaging in trade with neighboring farmers.

The original Animalist principles strictly forbade such activities, but Squealer, Napoleon’s propagandist, justifies every action to the other animals, convincing them that Napoleon is a great leader and is making things better for everyone—despite the fact that the common animals are cold, hungry, and overworked. Mr. Frederick, a neighboring farmer, cheats Napoleon in the purchase of some timber and then attacks the farm and dynamites the windmill, which had been rebuilt at great expense. After the demolition of the windmill, a pitched battle ensues, during which Boxer receives major wounds. The animals rout the farmers, but Boxer’s injuries weaken him. When he later falls while working on the windmill, he senses that his time has nearly come. One day, Boxer is nowhere to be found. According to Squealer, Boxer has died in peace after having been taken to the hospital, praising the Rebellion with his last breath. In actuality, Napoleon has sold his most loyal and long-suffering worker to a glue maker in order to get money for whisky. Years pass on Animal Farm, and the pigs become more and more like human beings—walking upright, carrying whips, and wearing clothes.

Eventually, the seven principles of Animalism, known as the Seven Commandments and inscribed on the side of the barn, become reduced to a single principle reading “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” Napoleon entertains a human farmer named Mr. Pilkington at a dinner and declares his intent to ally himself with the human farmers against the laboring classes of both the human and animal communities. He also changes the name of Animal Farm back to the Manor Farm, claiming that this title is the “correct” one. Looking in at the party of elites through the farmhouse window, the common animals can no longer tell which are the pigs and which are the human beings. More Help

Question: Which George Orwell novel features a character called Napoleon?
Answer: Animal Farm