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Animal Farm: the characters and the allegory
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Animal Farm is an allegory: a story in which characters and events stand for something else, here the Russian Revolution and Stalin's rule.
The pigs
Old Major stands for the ideas of Marx and Lenin.
Napoleon stands for Stalin: a ruthless dictator who rules through fear.
Snowball stands for Trotsky: clever and energetic, driven into exile.
Squealer represents propaganda, twisting facts to support Napoleon.
Napoleon stands for Stalin: a ruthless dictator who rules through fear.
Snowball stands for Trotsky: clever and energetic, driven into exile.
Squealer represents propaganda, twisting facts to support Napoleon.
The other animals
Boxer the horse represents loyal, hard-working labourers who trust their leaders.
Benjamin the donkey is cynical and sees what is happening but does little.
The dogs are like Stalin's secret police.
The sheep repeat slogans without thinking.
Moses the raven talks of Sugarcandy Mountain, representing religion.
Benjamin the donkey is cynical and sees what is happening but does little.
The dogs are like Stalin's secret police.
The sheep repeat slogans without thinking.
Moses the raven talks of Sugarcandy Mountain, representing religion.
The humans
Mr Jones stands for the Tsar, Nicholas II.
Mr Frederick is often linked with Hitler, and Mr Pilkington with the Western powers such as Britain.
Mr Frederick is often linked with Hitler, and Mr Pilkington with the Western powers such as Britain.
How does Boxer represent the working class?
- He is strong and works harder than anyone.
- He trusts the leaders completely.
- He is exploited and then sold when he can no longer work.
Answer: He shows how loyal workers were exploited and discarded by the Soviet leadership.
An allegory of the Russian Revolution: Old Major (Marx and Lenin), Napoleon (Stalin), Snowball (Trotsky), Squealer (propaganda), Boxer (workers), dogs (secret police), Jones (the Tsar).
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