ANIMAL FARM
https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/animalfarm/characters/ - for a more in-depth analysis of the characters
CHARACTERS:
Napoleon- Napoleon is a pig that is based on Joseph Stalin, a Soviet politician, political theorist and revolutionary who led
the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. Napoleon was a corrupt opportunist who never once helped in the
rebellion. He never showed interest in the farm itself and the wellbeing of his comrades; he is only interested in gaining power.
He took advantage of the ignorance of his comrades, betraying them by having them endure starvation, manipulation,
exhaustion, unjust labor etc. He is an evil and merciless animal who governed with fear and tactics who showed absolutely no
compassion, sympathy or kindness for his supposed comrades.
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 seemed to
win the loyalty of the other animals and cement his power; however, Napoleon chased him out of the farm, depriving the
animals of a great governor.
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. He manipulated the animals into
thinking that the farm was doing well and that they were fine, even though they were underfed and overworked. 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.
Boxer- The carthorse 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.” Boxer is a representation for all the Russian
laborers and workers.
Clover- A good-hearted female carthorse 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.
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.
Moses- The tame raven who spreads stories of Sugar candy 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. Fedrick- The tough, shrewd operator of Pinch field, 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.
SUMMARY:
One night, all the animals at Mr. Jones' Manor Farm assemble in a barn to hear old Major, a pig, describe a dream he
had about a world where all animals live free from the tyranny of their human masters. old Major dies soon after the
meeting, but the animals — inspired by his philosophy of Animalism — plot a rebellion against Jones. Two pigs,
Snowball and Napoleon, prove themselves important figures and planners of this dangerous enterprise. When Jones forgets
to feed the animals, the revolution occurs, and Jones and his men are chased off the farm. Manor Farm is renamed Animal
Farm, and the Seven Commandments of Animalism are painted on the barn wall.
Initially, the rebellion is a success: The animals complete the harvest and meet every Sunday to debate farm policy. The pigs,
because of their intelligence, become the supervisors of the farm. Napoleon, however, proves to be a power-hungry leader who
steals the cows' milk and a number of apples to feed himself and the other pigs. He also enlists the services of Squealer, a pig
with the ability to persuade the other animals that the pigs are always moral and correct in their decisions.
Later that fall, Jones and his men return to Animal Farm and attempt to retake it. Thanks to the tactics of Snowball, the
animals defeat Jones in what thereafter becomes known as The Battle of the Cowshed. Winter arrives, and Mollie, a vain
horse concerned only with ribbons and sugar, is lured off the farm by another human. Snowball begins drawing plans for a
windmill, which will provide electricity and thereby give the animals more leisure time, but Napoleon vehemently opposes
such a plan on the grounds that building the windmill will allow them less time for producing food. On the Sunday that the
pigs offer the windmill to the animals for a vote, Napoleon summons a pack of ferocious dogs, who chase Snowball off the
farm forever. Napoleon announces that there will be no further debates; he also tells them that the windmill will be built after
all and lies that it was his own idea, stolen by Snowball. For the rest of the novel, Napoleon uses Snowball as a scapegoat on
whom he blames all of the animals' hardships.
Much of the next year is spent building the windmill. Boxer, an incredibly strong horse, proves himself to be the most
valuable animal in this endeavor. Jones, meanwhile, forsakes the farm and moves to another part of the county. Contrary to
the principles of Animalism, Napoleon hires a solicitor and begins trading with neighboring farms. When a storm topples
the half-finished windmill, Napoleon predictably blames Snowball and orders the animals to begin rebuilding it.
Napoleon's lust for power increases to the point where he becomes a totalitarian dictator, forcing "confessions" from innocent
animals and having the dogs kill them in front of the entire farm. He and the pigs move into Jones' house and begin sleeping
in beds (which Squealer excuses with his brand of twisted logic). The animals receive less and less food, while the pigs grow
fatter. After the windmill is completed in August, Napoleon sells a pile of timber to Jones; Frederick, a neighboring farmer
who pays for it with forged banknotes. Frederick and his men attack the farm and explode the windmill but are eventually
defeated. As more of the Seven Commandments of Animalism are broken by the pigs, the language of the Commandments
is revised: For example, after the pigs become drunk one night, the Commandment, "No animals shall drink alcohol" is
changed to, "No animal shall drink alcohol to excess."
Boxer again offers his strength to help build a new windmill, but when he collapses, exhausted, Napoleon sells the devoted
horse to a knacker (a glue-boiler). Squealer tells the indignant animals that Boxer was actually taken to a veterinarian and
died a peaceful death in a hospital — a tale the animals believe.
Years pass and Animal Farm expands its boundaries after Napoleon purchases two fields from another neighboring
farmer, Pilkington. Life for all the animals (except the pigs) is harsh. Eventually, the pigs begin walking on their hind legs
and take on many other qualities of their former human oppressors. The Seven Commandments are reduced to a single law:
"All Animals Are Equal / But Some Are More Equal Than Others." The novel ends with Pilkington sharing drinks with
the pigs in Jones' house. Napoleon changes the name of the farm back to Manor Farm and quarrels with Pilkington during
a card game in which both of them try to play the ace of spades. As other animals watch the scene from outside the window,
they cannot tell the pigs from the humans.
EVENTS IN EACH CHAPTER:
Chapter 1
o 12-year-old boar, Old Major calls a meeting in the barn to talk to give the animals a speech and tell them about his
dream.
o He has a speech about the struggles and hardships that the animals have to endure because of humans. He spoke about
how man exploits and abuses animals and that if they were to get rid of man, their problems would go away.
o He tells them that in his dream, he saw an earth without humans.
o He tells the animals the things that they should not do like: living in a house, sleeping in a bed, wearing clothes, drinking
alcohol, smoking tobacco, touching money, engaging in trade, no animal must kill another animal and all animals are
equal.
o He teaches the animals the “Beast of England” song, which was meant to create a sense unity amongst the animals.
o Mr. Jones eventually wakes up because of the noise and fires his gun from his bedroom window, causing all the animals
to scatter.
LINES TO QUOTE FROM HIS SPEECH:
“Let us face it, our lives are miserable, laborious and short.”
“We are born, we are given 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.”
“Man is the only real enemy we have.”
“Remove man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished forever.”
“Man is the only creature that consumes without producing.”
NOTES:
Old Major claimed to be one of the lucky ones, he was able to live a long life and have over 400 children, unlike the other
animals whose young are stolen from them at birth.
Orwell’s manipulation of language during Old major’s speech shows that he understands how politicians use rhetoric to
manipulate crowds. Many rhetorical questions were used during his speech to stir the emotions of the animals and make
them contemplate the direction or value of their lives. These questions create a persuasive speech that in the end, makes the
animals feel that they need to rebel for a better life.
The imagery used in his speech such as “cruel knife” and the animals screaming for their “lives out at the block within a
year” strengthens his speech along with the use of slogans like “All animals are comrades” are easily understood by animals
such a boxer, who is illiterate.
Old Major’s entire speech is ironic as we see the pigs change and betray the ideals set forth by him. Though he warned the
animals to never come to resemble humans, we know that by the end of the novel, the other animals could not tell the pigs
apart from the humans.
The song” Beasts of England” creates unity amongst the animals but it is also another way in which language is used to
manipulate the animals. The song was used to stir the animal population and make them feel empowered about the idea of a
rebellion. The lyrics themselves just summaries Old Major’s feelings about man.
Chapter 2
o Old Major dies.
o Snowball and Napoleon keep the idea of the rebellion alive, they assume a leadership role because of their intelligence.
They begin educating the animals about animalism and are successful in conveying the principles of the concept.
o Mollie is concerned about the fact that she can no longer wear ribbons or eat sugar lumps.
o On Midsummer’s eve, Mr. Jones gets too drunk, neglecting his responsibility of feeding the animals and his help forgets
them as well. So, the animals, in great hunger, break into the store shed in search of food.
o Mr. Jones and his men arrive and begin whipping the animals however they are attacked and are chased off the farm.
o The animals destroy all traces of Jones, eats heartily and revel in their newfound freedom.
o Snowball changes the name of the farm from “Manor farm” to “Animal farm” and paints the seven commandments of
animalism on the walls of the barn.
o The cows give five buckets of milk, Napoleon steals them.
NOTES:
Napoleon, Snowball and Squealer are smarter, sneakier and more aggressive than the other animals, which propels them to
positions of power in the revolutionary movement.
The animals were hesitant after the introduction of the idea of a rebellion, they were saying “Mr. Jones feeds us, if he were
gone, we should starve to death.” Even though Mr. Jones treats them badly, they believe that they still need him to eat. This
symbolises their reluctance to abandon the security of their familiar forms of governance.
Mollie and Moses momentarily prove to be problematic. Mollie is shallow and materialistic, she loves being groomed by
humans and wearing ribbons, she is not willing to give that up, she does not want freedom from humans. Moses proves to be
irksome because he fills the animals with tails of sugar candy mountain. The pigs fail to realise that sugar candy mountain is
an unattainable place. Moses is an allusion of Moses from the bible, who led his people out of bondage and into the promise
land. Moses offers a story about an animal’s paradise. He represents religion.
The renaming of the farm represents the animals’ triumph over the enemy. Both acts indicate the animals’ naivety and
optimism as they assume these changes will create a world where all animals are equal.
The seven commandments of animalism are an attempt to create a code for the animals’ behavior. It is a system of morality,
censuring animal equality and reinforcing the unity of the world. It represents aspects typical of human life that the animals
would have no developed naturally, by forbidding these acts, the revolutionary leaders have turned these items into symbols if
prestige and have such created a social hierarchy, seeing as the pigs eventually adapt some of these human habits themselves.
The stealing of the cows’ milk by Napoleon foreshadows his ruthlessness and the corruption that he showcases later down in
the play. When the animals questioned the whereabouts of the milk, they were dismissed by Napoleon. This suggests his
betrayal of the seventh commandment which states that all animals are equal.
Chapter 3
o Despite having challenges with harvesting the crops because of the tools that are designed for humans, the animals got a
better result than ever before.
o Sundays are reserved for days of rest, meetings and for singing the “beasts of England.”
o Snowball forms several Animal Committees, all of which fail.
o The pigs attempt to teach the other animals to read.
o Because the animals cannot read the commandments, snowball reduces the seven commandments to “Four legs good,
two legs bad” so they can understand the principles of animalism.
o Napoleon takes nine puppies for private instruction claiming that the education of youth is more important.
o The animals learn that the apples and the cows’ milk are mixed everyday into the pigs’ mash.
o When the animals object, squealer ‘explains’ that the pigs need the milk and apples to sustain themselves as they work for
the benefit of all the other animals.
o Mollie would vanish for hours and reappear for mealtimes or evening after work was over.
LINES TO QUOTE
“Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health.”
“You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege.”
“Milk and apples contain substances absolutely necessary to the wellbeing of a pig.”
“Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed on our duty, Jones would come back.”
NOTES:
In this chapter, the reader begins to see the first unmistakable signs that the revolution will drift away from the ideologies that
the common animal upholds and its original purpose for a classless society as envisioned by Old Major.
Orwell hints that the other animals are being betrayed by the pigs. The pigs manipulated the animals into thinking that they
are not being selfish and corrupt for taking the apples and milk. Squealer lied to the animals, blackmailing them into
accepting the injustice that they were being faced with. The exclusion of the pigs from hard labour and the fact that they
stand behind the horses shouting commands suggests that they have taken the role of the animals’ new master. The pigs had
to go along with Squealer’s claims because of their fear of Mr. Jones returning.
The way that squealer manipulates the animals highlights his rhetorical skill, which will only develop as the story progresses.
He used persuasive techniques like scientific references and rhetorical questions such as “Surely there is no one among you who
wants to see Jones back?” This is the first of many times that he will use Jones’ name to persuade and manipulate the
animals. He realises early on the value of fear in persuading the animals.
This chapter also establishes a distinct difference between Napoleon and Snowball. While Snowball is a thinker of the
movement, doing things like creating a flag (symbolises solidarity and victory) and making different committees, Napoleon
does not care for the committees at all, he believes that the education of the young is most important. Though his ideals may
seem similar to Snowball’s, his actions are subtly malevolent as his seizure of the dogs will prove to be for his own benefit
because he intents to raise them to be vicious guard dogs that he will eventually use to terrorize the farm and instill fear in the
animals later down in the story.
As the story progresses, each character progresses. Mollie’s superficial nature and selfishness is highlighted in this chapter as
well as the fact that she refuses to work during the harvest. She cannot devote herself to any cause other than her own ego.
Chapter 4
o News of the rebellion spreads across other farms and the song “best of England” is being hummed and sung all over the
country.
o Jones spends all his time in a pub complaining to his neighbouring farmers Fedrick and Pilkington about his problems.
They worry about their own animals becoming disobedient.
o Mr. Jones returns with several men in October to attack the farm in attempt to recapture it but was unsuccessful due to
Snowball’s tactics and the help of the other animals.
o During the battle, Boxer accidentally killed a human.
o Medals for bravery are awarded to Snowball, Boxer and the sheep that was killed in the battle.
o Mr. Jones’ gun is set at the foot of the flagpole and will be fired on the anniversaries of the rebellion that will now be
know as “The battle of the cowshed.”
LINES TO QUOTE:
“Who will believe that I did not do this on purpose?”
“War is war, the only good human being is a dead one.”
” I have no wish to take a life, not even a human life.”
NOTES:
Although the two farmers sympathize with Jones “in principle”, Orwell states that each is secretly wondering whether he
could somehow turn Jones’ misfortune to his own advantage. The reader must note that Pilkington farm, is in a “disgraceful
condition” and that Fedrick is “Perpetually involved in lawsuits” and has a name for “driving hard bargains.” The town’s
reaction ranged from disbelief, to fear, to self-interest.
Boxer’s concern over the possible death of the stable lad reinforces his simple-mindedness and foreshadows the fact that he
will be unable to survive in a place as harsh as Animal farm. Him saying “Who will believe that I did not do this on
purpose” contrasts Snowball’s “War is war, the only good human being is a dead one.” It is clear that while Boxer feels
remorse for killing the human, Snowball is unfeeling to the deaths that happen during the rebellion. He cares little about the
regrets that his soldiers may face.
Napoleon was absent during the whole battle. His absence can only suggest that he is not truly faithful to the revolution but
to himself.
Chapter 5
o Winter came and mollie started working less. She is seen to be consorting with humans. She is more interested in
wearing ribbons and sugar lumps than in the new animal society.
o After Clover’s confrontation, Mollie flees the farm, abandoning her comrades and the rebellion.
o In January, the farm falls on hard times as the weather becomes too cold to work.
o The rivalry between Napoleon and Snowball comes to head. Most of the new schemes seem to be developed and
introduced by snowball, while Napoleon seems to be biding his time waiting for them to fail.
o Snowball proposes that the animals build a windmill to produce electric power.
o When snowball has almost convinced the animals about the windmill, Napoleon calls forth his nine dogs to chase
Snowball off the farm. Napoleon abolishes democratic discussion and assumes power over the farm.
o The weeks after Snowball’s escape, Napoleon announces that the windmill will be built.
o He sends squealer to lie to the animals and say that the windmill was his idea that Snowball stole and paints Snowball as
the villain.
NOTES:
Mollie’s abandonment establishes her as vain, materialistic and shallow. She was bribed away by ribbon and sugar lumps.
The pigeons report that she seems very happy with the humans, much happier than the animals on the farm.
The pigs begin to gain more power, before they would just “supervise” but now they make all of the decisions concerning the
farm. While Snowball uses