Animal Farm: A discussion on key characters

This presentation critically navigates each of the characters of the famous book written by George Orwell, Animal Farm

1. Animal Farm by George Orwell

2. About the author His ideas and beliefs Characters Themes Style, Tone and Figurative language Presentation title 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS

3. Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. Blair was born in Motihari, Bengal Presidency in British India, and raised and educated in England. After school he became an Imperial policeman in Burma, before returning to Suffolk, England, where he began his writing career as George Orwell—a name inspired by a favorite location, the River Orwell. He lived from occasional pieces of journalism, and also worked as a teacher or bookseller whilst living in London. 3 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

4. HIS IDEAS & BELIEFS He was a democratic socialist. His work is often read and interpreted as an argument against totalitarianism, communism, and anything related to either, including socialism. He was an active member of the Independent Labour Party(ILP) which was established in 1893 which worked for the equalization of the economic landscape, which was crucial for lasting peace and prosperity. He was a noted novelist and critic and a well known political and cultural commentator. 20XX 4

5. CHARACTERS George Orwell has crafted his characters in ‘Animal Farm‘ based on an individual or a set of people closely connected with the Soviet Revolution and what followed after. He has established his strong ideas through the light characters, which consist mostly the farm animals and a few human characters. 5

6. CHARACTERS OLD MAJOR Old Major, also called Willingdon Beauty, is a prize-winning boar, is one of the major characters in the novel. He is revered by the animals on the farm and proposes a solution to the animals’ desperate plight on Manor Farm. At the beginning of the novel, he gathers all the animals together and inspires them with his thoughts of rebellion. He proposes humans as their one true enemy, as shares his dream of a world where animals are free without humans. He is the one who teaches them the song “Beast of England”. In the novel, his character represents the view of Karl Marx. Three days after their meeting he dies and taken to the slaughterer 6

7. CHARACTERS NAPOLEON is an imaginary character created by George Orwell based on ‘Joseph Stalin.’ The initial description says him as “a large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar” who is “not much of a talker” and has “a reputation for getting his own way”. He is the primary antagonist of the novel. In the beginning, he seems to be a sincere follower of Old Major’s ideology of Animalism, along with Snowball. But soon when the revolution is successful we see much sly activity of him, and soon he assumes himself as the leader of the Farm when he drives and defames Snowball as a traitor. Like Stalin, Napoleon uses military force (his nine loyal attack dogs) to control other animals and to consolidate his power. He continues to change the Seven Commandments according to his convenience and convinces other animals that it’s all for their good. But, his final act of changing the Seventh Commandment to “ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL / BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS” and the Farm’s name to ‘Manor Farm’ shows him as a dictator than a socialist leader. 7

8. CHARACTERS FARMER JONES He is a drunkard and the owner of the Manor Farm is modeled after Tsar Nicholas II. He is represented as an unsympathetic master who makes the animals work but never takes care of their need, especially, food and shelter. Like the Tsar, he was outcast by the animals out of Farm. 20XX 8

9. CHARACTERS SNOWBALL Snowball’s character in the novel is largely based on Leon Trotsky. Trotsky was a political theorist, revolutionary, and leader of the Red Army, which was led against Joseph Stalin. After the Revolution, he was involved in Russian foreign affairs and policymaking, but forced into exile from the Soviet Union by Stalin. Like Trotsky, Snowball too conjures up many good ideas that would help the working animals to get more free time from work, which they can spend in reading and conversing. He is a visionary, who took the teachings of Old Major and turned them into a way of thinking called ‘Animalism’ with the support of other pigs. Also, he is a brave fighter, who organized the animals during ‘The Battle of the Cowshed’ and went straight for Jones “He himself dashed straight for Jones. Jones saw him coming, raised his gun, and fired. The pellets scored bloody streaks along Snowball’s back…” Compared to Napoleon he is a good speaker. But, when he was turned away from the farm by Napoleon as a scapegoat – anything that goes wrong on the farm is blamed on him. 9

10. CHARACTERS SQUEALER Squealer is another of the three most important pigs, serves as second-in-command to Napoleon. Like Snowball, he is clever and a good orator. He is excellent at persuading other animals, thus, ends up being Napoleon’s spokesperson. Orwell has set Squealer’s character in the representation of the ‘Pravda’ in the Russian Revolution. BOXER Boxer is described as a hardworking, but naive and ignorant cart horse in the novel. He is shown as the farm’s most dedicated and loyal laborer. If observed closely, he is the strongest animal and could easily fight off the pigs and dogs, but he never does or thinks so, for he is too used to taking orders. In works very hard with his favorite sayings: ‘Napoleon is always right’ and ‘I will work harder. 10

11. CHARACTERS 11 MR PILKINGTON is the owner of Foxwood, a nearby Farm. In the novel, he is pictured as “an easy-going gentleman farmer” who is more interested in doing what he enjoys like “fishing or hunting according to the season” than “running his farm.” CLOVER symbolizes the women of the Revolution, who took care of the destitute and desolate children during the revolution. When the novel ends, Clover is 14 years old, still has not retired from work. Although she believed in Napoleon, she was suspicious at times and questioned his power silently. A shock awaits Clover when she discovers that the pigs were walking on their hind legs like humans. MOSES is a tame raven and Mr Jones’s special pet, which spreads stories of Sugarcandy Mountain. The animals dislike him because he doesn’t work, but many of them do believe his stories about the paradise to which animals supposedly go when they die. Orwell uses Moses to represent organized religion, particularly the Russian Orthodox Church. Moses’ character symbolizes how communism exploits religion as something with which to pacify the oppressed.

12. Animal Farm: Orwell’s Neglected Commentary 20XX 12 IN THE LAST SCENE OF GEORGE ORWELL’S Animal Farm, the humbler animals peer through a window of the farmhouse to observe a horrible sight: the pigs who rule over them have grown indistinguishable from their temporary allies, the human farmers, whom they originally fought to overthrow. Animal Farm deals with the Russian revolution through the animals in the manor farm who protests against their human masters’ tyranny. Unfortunately, when they feel like they have attained freedom, they become the victims of a power-hungry pig, Napoleon. He becomes a totalitarian dictator and rephrases the ideology of Animalism from “All are Equal” to “All Animals Are Equal / But Some Are More Equal Than Others” oppression. Animal Farm aims to parody the betrayal of Socialist ideals by the Socialist regime.

13. THEMES 1. TOTALITARIANISM Orwell’s use of Totalitarianism as the theme demonstrates, without education and true empowerment of the lower classes, any revolution led would only be led into oppression and tyranny. Initially, the results of the revolution look promising, as the animals get the direct benefit of their labour. Soon the pigs adopt human ways and make business deals with farmers that benefit them alone. This results in negative changes in the lives of the other animals and they continue to work as their leader Napoleon bid them. In the end, the revolutionary leaders become as corrupt and incompetent as the government they overthrew. 13

14. THEMES 2. POWER OF LANGUAGE In Animal Farm, Orwell excellently depicts the power of language through the pigs, only animals with a strong command of language. In the beginning, singing “Beasts of England”, taught by the Old Major, infuses the emotional response. Also, Snowball compiles the philosophy of Animalism and with his eloquent speech persuades his fellow animals on the farm to follow it. Similarly, Squealer with his adept skill of oration controls the animals on the farm and adoption of slogans like “Napoleon is always right” or “Four legs good, two legs bad” depicts their lack of understanding and fickle nature. 14

15. THEMES 3. CLASS STRUCTURES From time immemorial class division seems to be a major issue of human society. Orwell comments on the same through the class division in ‘Animal Farm’ before and after the revolution. He ironically presents the human tendency to have class structures even though they speak of total equality. This is evident with human beings being on top of every animal as the rulers of Manor Farm. Orwell points out how pigs assume the role of leaders and start controlling other animals and depicts the threat class division imposes on the society. 15

16. THEMES 4. POWER LEADING TO CORRUPTION Many of the characters, predominantly the pigs after the humans demonstrate this theme in the novel. Initially, humans exploit their power over animals. Later following the revolt, the pigs start to fill the gap created by the eviction of man and they manipulate their position of leadership to exploit other animals. Though Napoleon is presented as the villain of the novel, neither Snowball nor the Old Major is immune to corruption. Snowball took advantage of other animals by keeping the milk and apples away from them and the old Major who brings forth the idea “all animals are equal”, lecturing from a raised platform symbolically presents an idea of him being above all the other animals on the farm. 16

17. THEMES 5. FAILURE OF INTELLECT Orwell presents a sceptical view on intellect that doesn’t produce anything of importance. In the novel, the pigs, identified as the most intelligent animals, use it to exploit other animals rather than making their lives better. Similarly, Benjamin, who is good, acts indifferent towards the knowledge and speaks philosophically of moral values. Also, the dogs, equally intelligent like the pigs, don’t use their knowledge except to read “the Seven Commandments”. Thus the intelligence is often being unused or ill-used. 17

18. THEMES 6. EXPLOITATION OF THE WORKING CLASS ‘Animal Farm’ more than being an allegory of the ways humans exploit and oppress one another, throws light upon how they exploit and oppress animals. In the first chapter, through the Old Major’s speech, we get a detailed picture of how humans exploit the animals and rob them of their productions. Also, in the second chapter, when the animals break open the harness-room at the end of the stables, they see “the bits, the nose-rings, the dog-chains, the cruel knives” which Mr Jones extracted cruelty on the animals. 18

19. Style,tone and figurative language 19

20. STYLE, TONE AND FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE ALLEGORY ‘ Animal Farm ,’ being an allegorical novel, alludes to Russian Revolution, through its settings and characters. The character of the Old Major, Snowball, and Napoleon, alludes respectively to Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, and Stalin. Also, the events following the revolution: Battle of the Cowshed, Snowball being chased off the Farm, and the slaughter of the hens allude to Trotsky’s exile and the Moscow trials of 1936-38.  Though, the character of Napoleon is an allusion to Joseph Stalin, Russia’s totalitarian dictator, his name attributes to Napoleon Bonaparte, the French world conqueror. SATIRE Orwell satires the false notion or belief the Russian Revolution of 1917 created among the people. They believed that Russia was stepping towards socialism for millions of poor and oppressed Russians, but he felt that the U.S.S.R. was progressing towards the opposite: the totalitarianism 20

21. STYLE, TONE AND FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE IRONY It is described as a fairy tale as if it is a light-hearted fable with a magical view and happy ending. In the book, the classic quote of meet the new boss is very ironic. The new boss has the same characteristics as the old boss! The animals overthrew the humans for a new revolution. They expected things to get better when they rule their own, by upholding their commitment to work together for the common good. This doesn’t happen. Napoleon’s hunger for power forces all the animals to work harder than they ever did in their previous farm. The pigs who were pretending to work hard became the new human supervisors. The idea of true revolution is thus satirized. Orwell relies on the difference between what the animals understand and what the audience can conclude about the situation in the Animal Farm. 21

22. Thank you! 22