Mia Pakola June 23, 2018
English 10H Teacher…
Animal Farm
Characters/Character Traits:
Mr. Jones is the (previous) owner of the Manor farm. Mr. Jones was an incompetent farmer and never took care of his farm or the animals. He is lazy, mean and cares more about himself than others. Lazy individuals never go far in life and tend to lean on destructive activities to compensate for their loss in happiness because they feel like failures; Mr. Jones was a drunk. This character represents Tzar Nicholas II, the incompetent leader of Russia. I don’t like this character, but I admire his firm beliefs and how strongly he believes in them despite shared hatred towards them. I dislike this character because he is lazy and didn’t care for his farm and the animals. This character is a static character because he started out as selfish and an animal hater and at the end of the book he didn’t change.
Mr. Fredrick is the owner of the neighboring farm Pinchfield. Mr. Fredrick is mean and selfish like Mr. Jones. However, he isn’t a drunk and is constantly involved in lawsuits and drives hard bargains. Unlike Mr. Jones, he works hard to keep his farm in check and his farm animals never rebel. This character represents Adolf Hitler, the horrific ruler of Nazi Germany. Mr. Fredrick is very untrustworthy like Adolf Hitler because Mr. Frederick (Hitler) gave Napoleon (Stalin) a fake bank note for timber, like when Hitler broke his pact with Stalin. I don’t like this character, but I admire his intelligence and ability to trick people for his advantage. I dislike this character because he is mean, untrustworthy, and harsh towards the people that go against his ways. Mr. Fredrick is a dynamic character because he starts as an animal hater, but later eventually befriends the pigs.
Mr. Pilkington is the owner of the neighborhood farm Foxwood. Mr. Pilkington is easy-going and sometimes tends to neglect his own farm because he enjoys fishing and hunting. He fears the animal’s rebellion and spreads propaganda and lies about the animal farm. Eventually, Mr. Pilkington comes to accept animal rule and decides to do business with Napoleon. This character represents the Western powers, the United States and the United Kingdom. I like this character because he is easygoing and laidback unlike the other human characters. I dislike this character because he sometimes ignores his farm for personal pleasures. Mr. Pilkington is a dynamic character because he starts as an animal hater, but later eventually accepts them and does business with them.
Mr. Whymper is a sly-looking man and is described as sharp. He is a business man and the first human the pigs allow to communicate with to spread information to other humans. He was a solicitor hired by Napoleon to mediate trade with other farms. Mr. Whymper represents the Westerners who had interest in the Soviet Union. I don’t like this character, but I admire his courage to work with the animals when most people feared their ways. I dislike this character because is loyal to Napoleon, a cruel leader. Mr. Whymper is a static character because he starts out trading with Napoleon and stays loyal.
The Sheep are easily influenced, dumb, and are easily manipulated. They are easily swayed by propaganda and the pigs use it to their advantage. The sheep represent the people who are blindly convinced by anything their government says. I don’t like these characters, but I admire how trusting they are and loyal to their government. I dislike these characters because they are not intelligent and represent people who don’t understand the situation and would rather just follow the crowd. The Sheep are static characters because they constantly believe anything they are told.
The Puppies are fierce, dangerous, and loyal to the pigs. Napoleon took these 9 puppies, hid them, and turned them into mean security dogs that also act as executioners. The puppies represent Stalin’s brutal police force. I don’t like these characters, but I admire their ferocity and loyalty towards Napoleon. I dislike these characters because they are cruel and heartless towards the people who disagree with Napoleon. The Puppies are static characters because they consistently are loyal to Napoleon.
Benjamin, the donkey, is grumpy, intelligent, and the oldest animal and Manor Farm. He rarely laughs and is highly pessimistic towards life and change. Some say that this character represents the older population of Russia. I like this character because he is intelligent and helps the animals by reading out loud. I dislike this character because he is stubborn and has a pessimistic outlook on life and change. Benjamin is a static character because he consistently believes that the world will always be bad despite the change that takes place in it.
Boxer, the horse, is loyal, strong, and dumb. He doesn’t think for himself, so he relies on the pigs to think for him. One of his quotes is that, “Napoleon is always right.” Boxer represents the working class of Russia. I like this character because he always wants to help and is loyal to those he trusts. I dislike this character because he is naive and stupid to allow others to think for him. Boxer is a dynamic character because in the beginning he always wanted to work and help out, but by the end he wants to retire and loses his innocence.
Clover, the horse, is kind, observant, and a mother figure for the other animals. Despite her negative realizations on the pigs and Animal Farm, she isn’t defiant enough or well spoken enough to say anything. Clover represents the women of the Russian Revolution. I dislike this character because she’s too weak to speak up on what she views as issues, and tries to convince herself that her views are wrong. I like this character because she acts as a mother figure for Boxer, and is intelligent enough to notice the problems with their society. Clover is a dynamic character because she starts off supporting Animal Farm, but by the end she notices that it isn’t a good society and that it comes with many issues.
Minimus, the pig, is intelligent, loyal to Napoleon and a poet. His role under Napoleon was to compose songs and poems that were used as propaganda for Animal Farm. Minimus represents the art and phrases that were created for propaganda used to show the “benefits” of communism. I like this character because he is intelligent and used his skills to gain the trust of other animals. I dislike this character because he never complains as being used as a puppet and he creates misleading propaganda. Minimus is a static character because he is constantly loyal to Napoleon and creates poems and art for him.
Mollie, the horse, is spoiled, materialistic, and cowardly. She enjoys wearing pretty ribbons, consuming sugar cubes, and loves getting attention from humans. Mollie represents the rich who were oblivious to the situation of their country and tried to ignore it. I like this character because she appreciates human affection and wants to ignore the problems within society. I dislike this character because she is naive and would rather be spoiled by humans than fight for a cause. Mollie is a static character because she always accepted humans and never really cared about the Animal Farm revolution.
Muriel, the goat, is intelligent, old, and literate. She helps the other animals by reading and deciphering the changes made to the Commandments. Muriel represents the educated middle class citizens of Russia. I like this character because she is intelligent and realized the issues with Animal Farm. I dislike this character because she isn’t brave enough to make changes within her society. Muriel is a dynamic character because at first she thought that Animal Farm would be better than Mr. Jones’ control of the farm, but by the end she was on the fence of what was better.
Napoleon, the pig, is selfish, cruel, and a leader. He used fearful animals to gain control of the farm and killed anyone who disobeyed him. Napoleon only cared about the amount of power he had and never seemed to care about the ideals of the revolution. He used manipulation tactics and changed laws to benefit him and the pigs. Napoleon represents Stalin. I dislike this character because he is selfish and only cared about the power he gained. I like this character because he is ambitious and didn’t let any humans or animals get in his way. Napoleon is a static character because he was selfish and cruel throughout the whole novel.
Old Major, the boar, was wise, well-liked, and old. Many animals looked up to him because he was old and believed in Animalism; he inspired the revolution. Old Major represents Karl Marx, the father of Marxism. I like this character because he was respected and intelligent. I dislike this character because he is cynical of humans. Old Major was a static character because he hated humans and he took that to the grave.
Snowball, the pig, is intelligent, a good speaker, and unfortunate. But, because he sometimes cared more about societal improvements and less about power, Napoleon turned him into a symbol for evil and traitors. Snowball represents Trotsky, Stalin’s rival during the revolution. Snowball represents the the people who didn’t support communism or had other ideas better than it. I like this character because he cared about improving society and was intelligent. I dislike this character because he was at times selfish. Snowball was a dynamic character because in the beginning he liked Napoleon, but by the end he doesn’t.
Squealer, the pig, is intelligent, persuasive, and very loyal to Napoleon. He convinced all of the animals that Napoleon’s intentions were good with his “brilliant” speaking skills. Squealer represents the propaganda and false information that was used to manipulate people into believing Stalin. I like this character because he was a good speaker and had the ability to persuade animals to believe in Napoleon. I dislike this character because he is manipulative and lies to gain support for Napoleon. Squealer was a static because throughout the book he was loyal to Napoleon.
The external conflicts:
The Animals against Mr. Jones – The animals were angered at Mr. Jones’ laziness and cruelty towards the animals. The animals revolted and pushed Jones out of his own farm. Mr. Jones tried to recapture the farm in the Battle of Cowshed, but failed once again. The animals take his gun as a symbol of their victory.
Snowball against Napoleon – In the beginning, Snowball and Napoleon saw eye to eye because they both supported Animalism. However, after a while they both began fighting for power and when Snowball had an idea for a windmill Napoleon opposed it strongly. Snowball gave a good speech to the animals to convince them to build a windmill, but lost his influence over the animals because Napoleon ordered his attack dogs to chase him out of the farm. Napoleon then declared that he and the pigs would make the decisions for the farm and took control. He manipulates the animals to believe that Snowball is a villain and traitor.
The Animals against the Pigs – The pigs manipulate the other animals into believing anything the pigs want them to believe and into doing tasks for the pigs. All of the animals pitched in to build the windmill, the idea that caused Napoleon to chase Snowball out of Animal Farm, because Napoleon changed his mind about it and saw the value in building one. Eventually, Napoleon begins to act more like a selfish human and this leads the animals to live poorly because they are tired and hungry. Boxer gets badly injured fighting for the pigs, and Napoleon disloyalty gives him to a glue-making company to get money for whiskey rather than to a doctor. The pigs are cruel, selfish, and if anyone tried to defy them they would kill them.
The Animals against the Humans – The Animals, with the exception of the pigs, throughout most of the novel saw humans as selfish and evil. Mr. Jones was the cause of their hatred towards humans. There was two major battles against the humans: the Battle of Cowshed and the Battle of the Windmill. The animals technically won both battles, but the Battle of the Windmill lead to Boxer’s death and the animals bleeding and hurt. The novel ends with the pigs becoming friends with the humans and the other animals trying to find the differences between them.
The internal conflicts:
The Animals against the Pigs – The pigs manipulated all of the animals to trust Napoleon and this allowed Napoleon to take control of the entire farm. When the pigs break the rules stated in the Seven Commandments, the animals are conflicted because they know it’s against the rules but the pigs change the words to justify their actions. When animals are killed because they rebelled against Napoleon, some of the animals like Clover notice the problems with the pigs but don’t have the intelligence to carry out a rebellion against the pigs.
Important/Interesting quotes
Identify quotes that you feel are important or interesting. Cite page numbers.
“All animals are equal
Literary Style and Technique
What do you notice about the author’s style and/or use of literary elements? (Foreshadowing, irony, imagery, symbolism, metaphor, etc.) How do they add to the meaning of the text?
The author foreshadowed the rebellion and the pig’s future actions with Old Major’s speech in the first chapter. Old Major says that a rebellion will come in the future and riles the animals up with how they have been treated unfairly by the humans. But, by the end of the novel, the pigs act like the humans and therefore become evil because according to Old Major, anything humans do is evil.
Old Major also foreshadows Boxer’s death because he reminds him that he is disposable and one day he won’t be as strong as he used to be. And once Boxer proves to be no longer useful further into the novel, Napoleon sends him off to a glue-making company to be killed.
The author used dramatic irony when Boxer was badly injured in of the Battle of Windmill. Napoleon told the animals that he sent Boxer to a hospital where he sadly died from his injuries, when he was really sent off to a glue-making factory to be made into glue. The readers know of the pig’s evil act, but the animals are oblivious.
The author used imagery to show how the pigs became more and more like humans because by the end, the other animals can’t differentiate between the two. The pigs walk on two feet, drink, play cards, and want to conduct business with the humans. Napoleon even changes the name of the farm back to Manor Farm, rather than Animal Farm, because he thinks it’s the rightful name which shows how he relates more to the humans than the other animals.
All of the main characters are allegories for real people or groups of people during the russian revolution: Napoleon represents Joseph Stalin, Snowball represents Leon Trotsky, Mr. Jones represents Tzar Nicholas II, Old Major represents Karl Marx, Mr. Frederick represents Adolf Hitler, Mr. Pilkington represents the Western powers, and the other characters represent groups of people in Russia like the working class.
The author used symbolism to represent society with Animal Farm, the windmill to represent the pig’s manipulation towards the other animals, and the commandments also represent the pig’s manipulation.
The author uses human activities, such as alcohol, as a metaphor for corruption in the government. One of the original laws for the animals was to never consume alcohol because it was a human activity, and by the end of the novels (even before the end) the pigs are drinking with humans.
Themes
What themes can you identify? What was the author’s purpose in writing the book?
Corruption in the government: The author showed this theme by using the pigs to demonstrate how people in power can abuse the influence they have over people under their power. While the animals were growing hungrier and continuing to work on the windmill tirelessly, the pigs were growing fatter and chose to consume and splurge on alcohol rather than feed the hungry animals. The rules are constantly changed to benefit the pigs, such as the rule on alcohol. When Napoleon felt sick from the alcohol he made a law decreeing that consuming alcohol would be punishable by death, however, soon after that he changed the rule so he and the pigs could drink alcohol again. Napoleon steals apples and the milk, but defends himself with the lie that the pigs need the nutrients to live and to “preserve their health.” The other animals believe their lies and tolerate their manipulation as a result, the pigs are so unrecognizable and drunk with power, that they are indistinguishable from the humans.
Dangers of not speaking out: The animals that were intelligent enough to notice the problems with their society but didn’t try and make a difference, added to Napoleon’s power over the other animals. An example of this is when Muriel notices the changes made to the Commandments, but convinces herself that she’s incorrect and continues to trust the pigs. Another character that kept her negative thoughts about Animal Farm to herself, although she wasn’t as intelligent as Muriel, was Clover. When Napoleon started to kill the other animals, Clover’s eyes flooded with tears and she couldn’t find the words to say because she couldn’t verbalize her thoughts, although she knew it was wrong. Napoleon continued to manipulate and kill other animals because no one had the intelligence or bravery to speak out.
Unquestioning authority and being naive leads to oppression: The pigs took advantage of the fact that most of the animals couldn’t read and didn’t do much thinking of their own. Boxer is a good example of a character whose naivety lead to his or her downfall. Boxer fully trusted the pigs and worked hard and long for the pigs while they gorged themselves on food they didn’t share with the other animals. Boxer was always a strong supporter of Napoleon and often said phrases like, “Napoleon is always right.” Boxer However, once Boxer proved to be no longer useful to the pigs, they sold him to a glue-making factory to be killed. Although his death is at the fault of Napoleon’s evil plans, he should also be blamed for trusting a tyrant and suffering because of it. The other animals are also fooled by Napoleon’s lies and Squealer’s manipulation, and I
Questions
Answer the questions for each text as listed below.
What questions do you have as you read?