[[Sources]] # [[Animal Farm]] --- - Creator:: [[George Orwell]] - Date:: [[1945-08-17]] - ISBN:: 9780451526342 - URL:: --- ## Summary > [!STAR]+ SUMMARY > 1. > 2. > 3. ### Plot *Animal Farm* is an allegorical novella written by English author **George Orwell**. Published mere days after the Empire of Japan declared surrender at the end of [[World War II]], the book tells the tale of the animals of **Manor Farm**, and recounts the events before, during, and after their uprising against their tyrannical master, **Mr. Jones**. Though the revolution starts off well-intentioned and relatively benign, the titular Animal Farm is quickly led to ruin once more under the leadership of a new tyrant, **Napoleon**. It is nearly impossible (not to mention meaningless) to talk about *Animal Farm* without first establishing what the book itself is meant to signify. A lifelong and outspoken [[Democratic Socialism|Democratic Socialist]], Orwell wrote *Animal Farm* as a means of criticising the then-[[Stalinism|Stalinist]] regime of the Soviet Union, whom he believed had corrupted [[Marxism|the teachings of political philosopher Karl Marx]]. As such, the plot is thinly-veiled in its representation of the Bolshevik Revolution|October 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, during which Tsar Nicholas II was removed from power over the Russian Empire by way of a [[Coup D'état]]. Led by a group of charismatic speakers-turned-politicians (namely [[Vladimir Lenin]], [[Joseph Stalin]], and [[Leon Trotsky]]), the Bolsheviks sought to bring the decrepit Russian Empire into a new age of power and prosperity by way of [[Communism]]. Eventually, however, this utopia would be morphed and mangled at the hands of dictatorial men, concerned only on furthering their chokehold on a society of millions as a means of getting what they wanted. ### Characters Within the allegory of *Animal Farm*, parallels can be drawn to a myriad of figures and events. None of these are more apparent than the characters themselves. - **Old Major** - An old prize boar. On his deathbed, Old Major describes what he sees as the utopian society. A society in which animals reign over their human adversaries, destined to live a life in peace and tranquility. Free from the torture and slaughter brought upon them by their old masters, they would work only to benefit animal kind. - **Napoleon** - The eventual leader of Animal Farm, Napoleon is "A large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar... with a reputation for getting his own way." After taking power, he quickly shows his true colours, subjecting the animals on the farm to a brutal and overwhelming regime built only to serve his interests and wishes. - **Snowball** - The original (and arguably rightful) heir to the farm after Mr. Jones' overthrow. Snowball is at near-complete philosophical odds with Napoleon, which leads first to his exile from the farm, and later to his being blamed for - **Squealer** - A small, white, fat porker who serves as Napoleon's second-in-command and minister of propaganda, holding a position similar to that of Vyacheslav Molotov - **Boxer** – A loyal, kind, dedicated, extremely strong, hard-working, and respectable cart-horse, although quite naive and gullible. Boxer does a large share of the physical labour on the farm. Though Boxer is shown to hold the belief that "Napoleon is always right", his immense strength repels the attack, worrying the pigs that their authority can be challenged. Boxer has been compared to Alexey Stakhanov, a diligent and enthusiastic role model of the Stakhanovite movement. He has been described as "faithful and strong"; he believes any problem can be solved if he works harder. When Boxer is injured, Napoleon sells him to a local knacker to buy himself whisky, and Squealer gives a moving account, falsifying Boxer's death. - **Mollie** – A self-centered, self-indulgent, and vain young white mare who quickly leaves for another farm after the revolution, in a manner similar to those who left Russia after the fall of the Tsar. She is only once mentioned again. - **Clover** – A gentle, caring mare, who shows concern especially for Boxer, who often pushes himself too hard. Clover can read all the letters of the alphabet, but cannot "put words together". She seems to catch on to the sly tricks and schemes set up by Napoleon and Squealer. - **Benjamin** – A donkey, one of the oldest, wisest animals on the farm, and one of the few who can read properly. He is sceptical, temperamental and cynical: his most frequent remark is, "Life will go on as it has always gone on – that is, badly." The academic Morris Dickstein has suggested there is "a touch of Orwell himself in this creature's timeless scepticism" and indeed, friends called Orwell "Donkey George", "after his grumbling donkey Benjamin, in _Animal Farm_." - **Moses** – A Raven, and Mr. Jones's special pet. Moses initially follows Mrs. Jones into exile, he reappears several years later and resumes his role of talking but not working. He regales Animal Farm's denizens with tales of a wondrous place beyond the clouds called "Sugarcandy Mountain, that happy country where we poor animals shall rest forever from our labours!" Orwell portrays established religion as "the black raven of priestcraft – promising pie in the sky when you die, and faithfully serving whoever happens to be in power." His preaching to the animals heartens them, and Napoleon allows Moses to reside at the farm "with an allowance of a gill of beer daily", akin to how Stalin brought back the Russian Orthodox Church during the Second World War. - **Minimus** – A poetic pig who writes the second and third national anthems of Animal Farm after the singing of "Beasts of England" is banned. Literary theorist John Rodden compares him to the poet Vladimir Mayakovsky - **Muriel** – A wise old goat who is friends with all of the animals on the farm. Similarly to Benjamin, Muriel is one of the few animals on the farm who is not a pig but can read. - **The Sheep** – They are not given individual names or personalities. They show limited understanding of Animalism and the political atmosphere of the farm, yet nonetheless they are the voice of blind conformity as they bleat their support of Napoleon's ideals with jingles during his speeches and meetings with Snowball. Their constant bleating of "four legs good, two legs bad" was used as a device to drown out any opposition or alternative views from Snowball, much as Stalin used hysterical crowds to drown out Trotsky. Towards the end of the book, Squealer (the propagandist) trains the sheep to alter their slogan to "four legs good, two legs better", which they dutifully do. - **The Hens** – Also unnamed, the hens are promised at the start of the revolution that they will get to keep their eggs, which are stolen from them under Mr. Jones. However, their eggs are soon taken from them under the premise of buying goods from outside Animal Farm. The hens are among the first to rebel, albeit unsuccessfully, against Napoleon. - **The Cows** – Also unnamed, the cows are enticed into the revolution by promises that their milk will not be stolen but can be used to raise their own calves. Their milk is then stolen by the pigs, who learn to milk them. The milk is stirred into the pigs' mash every day, while the other animals are denied such luxuries. - **The Cat** – Unnamed and never seen to carry out any work, the cat is absent for long periods, but forgiven because her excuses are so convincing. She has no interest in the politics of the farm, and the only time she is recorded as having participated in an election, she votes on both sides. - **The Puppies** – Offspring of Jessie and Bluebell, the puppies were taken away at birth by Napoleon and raised by him to serve as his powerful security force. ## Highlights: # Links -