Animal Farm: Characters (Edexcel GCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
Written by: Nick Redgrove
Reviewed by: Kate Lee
Characters
It is vital that you understand that characters are often used symbolically to express ideas. Orwell uses all of his characters to symbolise various ideas prevalent in his society, and the differences between characters reflect contemporary debates. Therefore, it is very useful not only to learn about each character individually but how they compare and contrast to other characters in the novella.
It is important to consider the range of strategies used by Orwell to create and develop characters within Animal Farm. This includes:
how characters are established
how characters are presented:
physical appearance or suggestions about this
actions and motives for them
what they say and think
how they interact with others
what others say and think about them
how far the characters conform to or subvert stereotypes
their relationships between other characters
Old Major
Old Major is presented as an aged boar and is described as a “majestic-looking pig, with a wise and benevolent appearance”:
As the oldest animal on the farm, he is depicted as astute, compassionate and self-assured
Despite only being present in Chapter I, Old Major is an important minor character and Orwell positions his speech as a fundamental aspect of the narrative
As a character, he introduces the principal theories and ideas on which the revolution is to be based:
Animalism becomes the revolutionary philosophy adopted by the animals and is based on Old Major’s aspirations for a utopian society
Orwell depicts him as visionary and inspirational and he appears almost god-like when he preaches to the other animals
His commanding use of rhetoric persuades the animals to rebel:
He adeptly reduces complex philosophy to simple maxims so that all of the animals can understand
He teaches them the song “Beasts of England” which inspires, unifies and motivates the animals
From Old Major’s perspective, Man consumes without producing and he contends that the life of animals is one of “misery and slavery” due to their exploitation by man:
He appeals to the animals to “remove Man from the scene” so that “the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished forever”
Orwell uses the character of Old Major to explore ideas about power, control and inequality:
He attempts to present the animals with values in order to inspire them, for example: “All animals are equal”
He is also used to warn the animals from becoming like humans or adopting their vices, for example: “Remember also that in fighting against Man, we must not come to resemble him"
The consequences of Old Major’s speech are far-reaching:
In some ways, his speech could be viewed positively as it leads to the eviction of Jones and enables Animalism to become a reality for a short period of time
However, it also becomes the catalyst for Napoleon’s rise to power and the subsequent brutality on the farm which follows:
It could be argued that without Old Major, there would have been no rebellion
Hence, Old Major can also be viewed as a flawed character:
He places the cause of all the animals’ problems entirely on Man by declaring: “All men are enemies. All animals are comrades”
His concept that Man is simply evil and animals are simply good is too simplistic and somewhat naïve
His use of absolutist language could also be viewed as serving to drive one group against another:
Indeed, Old Major could be viewed as preparing the way for Napoleon by instilling authoritarian attitudes in the animals
Despite Old Major’s best intentions, his admirable and principled ideas are subject to corruption by others for their own benefit:
For Orwell, it is not necessarily merely the doctrine which is at fault but the individuals who occupy positions of power and authority within it
While Old Major’s vision is distilled into Seven Commandments they are continually amended and finally destroyed:
By the end of the novella, none of Old Major’s revolutionary principles remain
Napoleon
Napoleon is first presented as a “fierce-looking boar”, the “only Berkshire on the farm” and one with a “reputation for getting his own way”
His description alludes to his manipulative, ambitious, ruthless and tyrannical nature
Although present at the early meetings of the new state, Napoleon fails to contribute to its ideology or its early efforts to establish itself:
He is presented as lacking the idealism of Snowball or Old Major
Orwell portrays Napoleon as successful in attaining the support of the animals prior to Squealer’s use of propaganda and the use of his dogs
Through his powerful and highly persuasive speech, he unites the animals and causes the revolution and declares: “Man is the only real enemy we have”
However, in order to maintain his power and authority, he uses violence and propaganda as methods of control:
He resorts to using force (through his army of dogs) to silence any opposition and to protect himself
He controls information (mainly through Squealer) to discredit opponents such as Snowball and to falsify information
He is a ruthless dictator, solely concerned with his own power and will stop at nothing to gain absolute control:
His amendments to the commandments illustrate his willingness to subvert the laws for his own gain
His final act of propaganda is to rewrite the seventh commandment to: “All animals are equal but some are more equal than others”
He rules through fear and his slogan “Vote for Napoleon and the full manger” is used to instil fear into the animals, as they may starve without his leadership
As a dictator, his brutality and determination are clearly evident:
He utilises propaganda to persuade the animals that he is powerful and without fault
He perceives Snowball as a threat and a challenge to his leadership and has him removed
Napoleon is portrayed as having strong leadership skills and both him and Snowball are the natural leaders during the early part of the rebellion:
While Snowball has a much wider vision of an improved future, Napoleon is more narrow-sighted and merely thinks of short-term gains
He is astute and intelligent and knows how to exploit the weaknesses in others and is able to play on their fears, ignorance and stupidity:
Napoleon understands that knowledge is power and therefore keeps the other animals in ignorance while the pigs learn useful skills
Napoleon cleverly indoctrinates the younger groups and focuses his attention on the puppies while Snowball is more idealistic and tries to educate everyone:
It suggests Napoleon does not believe in educating the masses and his solitary teaching of the puppies also indicates that he is conspiring against potential opposition leaders
In some ways, Napoleon could be viewed as an unrealistic character as he has no redeeming features, at least not in any moral sense
Orwell depicts Napoleon as a largely silent character which could indicate he is secretive and lacks any transparency or honesty with the others
Orwell portrays Napoleon’s transformation into Jones; however, he is much crueller and more vicious:
Up until the final chapter, the animals continually fail to realise that their leader is equally as depraved as Jones and disregard all the evidence which might prove it
Snowball
Snowball is presented as “a more vivacious pig than Napoleon, quicker in speech and more inventive”
Orwell presents Snowball as an articulate orator who is skilled at putting his ideas across to the animals and a much more eloquent communicator than Napoleon
The inventiveness of his imagination is evident in both his long-term vision of a golden age and in practical details such as building a windmill, which indicate that he is inspirational and forward-thinking
Snowball is depicted as the animal most in agreement with Old Major’s philosophy:
He makes many attempts to use his knowledge to the other animals’ advantage, for example: “Snowball read it aloud for the benefit of the others”
He is fervent in his belief in equality and the philosophy of Animalism and this is demonstrated by his yearning to educate all of the animals:
Although he attempts to teach the other animals to read, his efforts are ultimately doomed as many of the animals lack the motivation to do so
His admirable efforts are also in sharp contrast to Napoleon who educates the puppies in isolation
While his numerous committees fail, his dedication to organising them further reveals his desire to improve the animals' lives:
However, ultimately his idealism leads to his downfall
He is responsible for condensing the commandments into a single maxim: "four legs good, two legs bad" so that the least intelligent can easily comprehend his message
While first depicted as a companion of Napoleon, he becomes a ferocious rival of his
He is depicted as a traitor by Napoleon and Squealer and his character is irreversibly smeared by their propaganda
Napoleon ensures that Snowball’s ideas become misappropriated and his character denigrated
In the Battle of the Cowshed, Snowball is portrayed as valiant whereas Napoleon is not, yet both earn commendations for their actions:
In this regard, Orwell could be seen to be criticising leaders who take the glory for the bravery of their populations
Indeed, the events of The Battle of the Cowshed are rewritten and Snowball’s legacy is almost entirely forgotten
Snowball is presented as a natural leader: he is intellectual, eloquent and inspirational and attempts to present a vision of the future
Orwell presents Snowball positively though he is not an idealised character and has his own flaws:
He exploits the other animals for his own gain when he fails to say anything about taking the milk and apples for the pigs, however he is still intended to be presented as a better alternative to Napoleon
Orwell may also have used his character to signify the senselessness of electing principled figures to positions of power and he serves as a reminder that it is power itself that corrupts
Squealer
Squealer is first described as “a brilliant talker, and when he was arguing some difficult point, he had a way of skipping from side to side and whisking his tale which was somehow very persuasive”
Squealer is a skilful orator and he manipulates language to oppress the other animals on the farm, for example: “The others said of Squealer that he could turn black into white”
Squealer is presented as a propagandist for the pigs
As Napoleon is not an effective or commanding orator, he uses Squealer as his principal means of communication:
He acts as Napoleon's spokesperson and his Minister of Propaganda throughout the narrative
Squealer’s function in the narrative is to spread misinformation and propaganda:
He deceptively limits the animals’ understanding of events on the farm and tries to mitigate any potential challenges to the elite’s authority
He is also used to create and maintain distance between the animals and Napoleon
As a character, Squealer is presented as one with a lack of a conscience and he manipulates information for his own selfish purposes:
The most heinous example of his vicious manipulation is when he persuades the animals that Boxer was sent to a veterinary hospital rather than the slaughter house
He is an opportunist and not only does he thrive within the new society which has been created but he also revels in it
Squealer’s language is highly persuasive and emotive:
He deliberately employs linguistic devices such as direct address, rhetorical devices, repetition and emotive language to manipulate the animals
His complex use of language is also used to confuse and intimidate the less intelligent animals
Squealer is able to convince animals that Napoleon is working in their best interests:
It could be viewed that Squealer is fundamental to Napoleon remaining in power as he can manipulate language extremely well
His steadfast loyalty to his leader makes him a very effective agent to Napoleon:
He continually rationalises Napoleon's rule and vilifies Snowball's reputation
He is adept at dealing with lies, half-truths or deliberate omissions and his propaganda is used to instil fear so that the animals conform:
He skilfully creates self-doubt and a sense of hopelessness among the animals
Squealer’s maliciousness is evident as he continues to exploit Boxer even after his death:
He uses propaganda to convince the animals that Boxer spent his final hours praising Animal Farm and Napoleon and that his only regret was not completing the windmill:
His lies are used to manipulate the other animals into completing it in Boxer’s honour
Orwell does not reveal to what extent Squealer’s propaganda is his own work or that of Napoleon and the other pigs
Boxer
Boxer is presented as the strongest animal on the farm and is described as “an enormous beast … and as strong as any two ordinary horses put together”
His presence encourages the majority of the other animals to work hard and he is presented as being “universally respected for his steadiness of character and tremendous powers of work”
He is governed by a simple philosophy of labour and as a strong horse, his role on the farm is pivotal to its success
He is fully committed to the principles of Animalism and believes he can improve the lives of others simply through hard work:
His determination and resilience are demonstrated through his motto: “I must work harder”
Boxer can be viewed as representative of the decent, ordinary, working-class worker majority, as he is dedicated, faithful and industrious:
However, Orwell uses his character to demonstrate the working-classes’ flaw in their inability to comprehend evident forms of corruption
Boxer is committed, generous and self-sacrificing though his lack of intelligence means he is inevitably exploited by the totalitarian regime:
He becomes one of Napoleon’s and Snowball’s most devoted followers and his blind allegiance to Napoleon means that he fails to understand that the ideals of the revolution are being corrupted
This is evident through his repeated phrase that “Napoleon is always right”
Orwell presents Boxer as the most sympathetic character in the novella:
His tragic demise and death at a glue factory creates both shock and pathos
His death exposes the truth of life on Animal Farm by demonstrating that the animals will never retire
Despite his enormity, Boxer fails to comprehend how his strength could be used to effect change:
He unintentionally contributes to the exploitation of the other animals due to his lack of any critical viewpoint
Minor Characters
Benjamin
Benjamin is presented as the oldest and most stubborn character in the novella: he is described as the “oldest animal on the farm, and the worst tempered. He seldom talked, … usually to make some cynical remark”
From the outset Orwell depicts the two sides of his character: his devotion to Boxer and also his bitter cynicism:
He is suspicious of anything new and could be viewed as having a very realistic view of human nature
He is the only animal who does not either support or oppose the rebellion: “Benjamin was the only animal who did not side with either faction”
He is also the only other character on the farm, besides the pigs, who can read and write, however he fails to utilise his skills as he “never exercised his faculty. So far as he knew, he said, there was nothing worth reading”
He is the only animal to understand that Boxer was sold to the glue factory, but he realises this too late to change it:
His frantic attempts to save Boxer demonstrate his loyalty towards him
He appears oblivious and indifferent towards the situation on the farm and is ineffective and unwilling to do anything to effect change:
When the animals urge him to read the amended commandments to them, he simply refuses to “interfere in such matters”
It is only at the final collapse of Animalism that Benjamin agrees to read the commandments to the others
Benjamin is depicted as the uninvolved intellectual who despite his wisdom, offers nothing:
Orwell uses Benjamin as symbolic of those who are aware of oppressive rules but to choose to ignore them
Clover
Clover is presented as a caring and loyal figure and exhibits more sympathy and kindness than any of the other characters:
She is shocked and distressed by the atrocities that occur on the farm
As a character, Clover is presented in many ways as the female equivalent of Boxer and Orwell states that “these two had great difficulty in thinking anything for themselves”
Clover and Boxer are not intelligent enough to examine debates in detail and once they have accepted the pigs as leaders, they both give them their blind obedience
Like Boxer, she represents the unthinking working class, who are so easily led by corrupt leaders
Boxer's physical prowess, as well as Clover's maternal and caring character, make them both powerful in other ways
Mr Jones
Mr Jones is immediately characterised as irresponsible and self-indulgent and “too drunk to remember to shut the pop-holes”:
His fondness of alcohol also signifies his weakness which ultimately enables the animals to drive him off his farm
Jones is the cause of the revolution and his neglect and brutality towards his animals is unpardonable
He is sharply contrasted with Old Major who commands great respect among the animals
Orwell uses Jones to demonstrate how leaders become irrelevant once removed from their position of authority
Mollie
Mollie is presented described as a “Foolish, pretty white mare” which reflects her immaturity and naivety
She is indolent, vain and obsessed with material possessions and reflects the conceit and self-centredness of some members of society
She represents the class who is selfishly interested only in privileges like sugar and ribbons
She is used to represent the middle classes who fail to recognise the necessity for revolution
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In the exam, the idea of character as a conscious construct should be evident throughout your response. You should demonstrate a firm understanding that Orwell has deliberately created these characters to perform certain functions within his text.
For instance, you could begin to consider why Orwell has chosen to present the character of Napoleon in the way that he does. Orwell chose to depict Napoleon as a character with no redeeming features. Try to explore reasons as to why Orwell may have chosen to do this.
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