Animal Farm: Characters, Plot, and Symbolism Analysis
Animal Farm: Characters, Plot, and Symbolism
Key Characters in Animal Farm
Mr. Jones
Mr. Jones is the often-drunk farmer who runs the Manor Farm before the animals stage their Rebellion and transform it into Animal Farm. He is a horrible master who indulges himself while his animals lack food. He represents Tsar Nicholas II, whom the Russian Revolution overthrew.
Napoleon
Napoleon is the pig who becomes the leader of Animal Farm after the Rebellion. Representing Stalin, Napoleon uses military force (his nine loyal attack dogs) to intimidate the other animals into obeying him and maintaining his power.
Snowball
Snowball is the pig who challenges Napoleon for control of Animal Farm after the Rebellion. He represents Trotsky in the Russian Revolution. Snowball is intelligent, passionate, eloquent, and less subtle and devious than his counterpart, Napoleon. Snowball initially wins the loyalty of the other animals.
Squealer
Squealer is the pig who spreads Napoleon’s propaganda among the other animals. Squealer justifies the pigs’ monopolization of resources and spreads false statements that highlight the farm’s supposed success.
Boxer
Boxer is 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 naively trusts the pigs to make all his decisions for him.
Mollie
Mollie is the vain and not-so-smart mare who pulls Mr. Jones’ carriage. She loves the attention of human beings and being groomed and pampered. She has a difficult time with her new life on Animal Farm and misses wearing ribbons and eating sugar cubes.
Symbolism in Animal Farm
Animal Farm, known at the beginning and the end of the novel as the Manor Farm, symbolizes Russia and the Soviet Union under Communist Party rule. More generally, Animal Farm represents any human society, be it capitalist, socialist, fascist, or communist. It possesses the internal structure of a nation, with a government (the pigs), a police force or army (the dogs), a working class (the other animals), and state holidays and rituals. Its location amid a number of hostile neighboring farms supports its symbolism as a political entity with diplomatic concerns.
Plot Summary of Animal Farm
The animals of the Manor Farm live in a miserable situation because of their farmer. One day, Old Major called a meeting of all the animals and told them about a dream that he had had the previous night. He had dreamed about an old song called “Beasts of England” that started a resistance against the human beings. Everyone was very excited about rebelling. Old Major died a few days later, and two young pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, started leading the preparations for the Rebellion. About three months later, they revolted against Mr. Jones and took over the farm. The purpose of the revolution was to create a fair society made only by animals. Snowball and Napoleon started to fight for leadership.
Mr. Jones planned to attack to get the farm back, but the animals won the battle called “The Battle of the Cowshed.” If something went wrong (like when the windmill they’d worked so hard on was wrecked), Napoleon blamed it on Snowball. When Boxer lost his strength, Napoleon sent him to be slaughtered. In the end, the pigs became just like the human beings they had initially rebelled against.