Animal Farm Character Analysis

“Surely, comrades,” cried Squealer almost pleadingly, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail, ‘surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?” (Orwell 15) This quote indicates the first signs of manipulation that became evident since the revolution. The pigs, Snowball and Napoleon to be specific, had begun to develop human characteristics as the story went on, which could be considered ironic, considering the fact that they had just overthrown the humans, for they were abusive towards them. As the novel went on, it is stated at the end that the animals had “looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.” (Orwell 54)

The farm was initially established to ensure equal rights to all, but eventually the totalitarian rule of the pigs dictated that “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” (Orwell 134). The pigs, consumed with power, constructed the idea that they were superior to the other animals, allowing them to enact any rules that benefitted them, without considering the detrimental effects on the other animals. The thirst for power consumes the pigs to the extent at which they no longer value what prior morals they had. Any action they take simply benefits themselves; the pigs no longer have regards to the prosperity of the

Orwell shows the difference in those with absolute control and those without the ability to express themselves by describing how “the pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others. With their superior knowledge, it was natural that they should assume the leadership”(35). By including this quote within the making of the new farm, Orwell expresses how the pigs took advantage of their authorial positions so they could force the others to work, while they dominated Animal Farm with their own rules. The pigs’ power allowed them to have freedom to do anything they wanted, but caused the other animals to be restricted further in their lives, work, and individual rights. This resulted in the exploitation of the other animals, forcing them to have lose any hopes of having an equal society. Still, the other animals did not protest, and instead believed the pigs should be in power because of their intelligence. Their actions lead to the oppressive, dictatorial society shown as Animal Farm progresses. Soon, the inequity between the pigs and other animals develops to a point where “all rations were reduced, except those of the pigs and the dogs. A too rigid equality in rations, Squealer explained, would have been contrary to the principles of Animalism”

The plot of Animal Farm is made of many events. There is the initial rebellion of the animals against Farmer Jones. This rebellion begins the rest of the story and struggles that come along. The animals are left having to figure out how to run the farm themselves while also keeping law and order. The pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, step up as leaders and create the Seven Commandments which start out as: “1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. 2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend. 3. No animal shall wear clothes. 4. No animal shall sleep in a bed. 5. No animal shall drink alcohol. 6. No animal shall kill any other animal. 7. All animals are equal” (Orwell 24). Snowball’s approach to freedom was an idea of complete equality; all the animals worked for their share of the food. Napoleon

During the course of the literary piece by George Orwell makes it clear how the animals are mistreated by “Mr. Jones “, because of this treatment they are receiving; Old Major dreams about a rebellion and how after the rebellion all animals will be treated equally. He sets rules that every animal should keep, and states “what ever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend”(Orwell,11) ; rules such as : “no animal must ever live in a house, or sleep in a bed, or wear clothes, or drink alcohol, or smoke tobacco, or touch money, or engage in trade” (Orwell, 11). According to George, the rebellion occurred much earlier than the animals had planned and they were not ready to have a settled government; that is when Napoleon, Snowball, and Squealer take charge of the other animals referring to their government as animalism .When also having seven key commandments .This specific point on the literary work is the turning point of everything that Old Major had planned for his “perfect comradeship”. The pigs also taught themselves to read and write; adopting human habits. The majority of the animals work hard during the summer, while the pigs think of

The novel, Animal Farm, by George Orwell expresses the idea of self-government through the animals. The animals play the role of humans. Because the animals decide that they want to run the farm by themselves, they make up a way of living called Animalism. The Seven Commandments (Animal Farm's Constitution) under which they live are based on these major principles of Animalism. As time passes, the Seven Commandments undergoes subtle changes as the pigs rewrite it to suit their own agenda. The Seven Commandments may be said to be the key to understanding Animal Farm.

In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the farm animals were forced into slavery by the humans. The animals decided to lead a revolution, but with that came corruption. The animals were so desperate for change, that they didn't realize that the pigs had corrupted their government and their way of life; however, when confronted about the corruption, the pigs disregarded the rumors and stated that they were doing what was good for the animals. Eventually, the animals learned that the pigs were doing what was best for them and not the rest of the animals, and their true intentions were revealed. This view to their plans proves that there was never a real plan for complete equality, but for complete control, and that the pigs, despite thinking it was best for the whole farm, really did what was best for

Animal Farm is established with moral intentions. The neglected animals of the farm rise up to overthrow Jones, and imagine a society of fairness based on the experiences of old major, in which all animals will have justice and won’t be demoralized by the people anymore. Old Major quickly establishes that “Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend” (Orwell 11). He also reminds them that the ways of man are completely immoral, and they must not ever implement any of their habits. Giving the animals a shared enemy is an effective way to control the population. That is the first sign of a totalitarian state emerging in Animal Farm. Instead of the entire farm determining rules together, two pigs frame the rules of Animalism for the supposed utopian-like Animal Farm. They read:

There is the brutal “dictator”, Napoleon who always got his way. He used propaganda and terror to intimidate the animals, until they could not resist. “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others” (Orwell, 43). This was the final change to the animal’s Seven Commandments. This was the ultimate example of how the pigs were controlling the remaining animals. The first part of the quote makes it seem like all animals are equal, creating a positive view of the commandment. It is yet to be known that the end of the quote implies

This sub-theme is treated carefully and crafted well by George Orwell as after all, it is one of the most important ideas Orwell is trying to convey in the book. The 7 commandments were created by Orwell so that the reader would be able to clearly see the gradual corruption in the pigs as the got more powerful. Orwell also crafted many incidents into the story where the reader would be able to catch a glimpse of the pigs’ corruption. One example of such an incident is when the pigs steal the milk and apples. Another incident is the end scene, where there was no way the animals could tell which was pig and which was man. Also, he uses irony to convey this theme, as can be seen from the milk and apples incident and also the incident where Squealer takes the sheep somewhere to “re-educate” them when he was in fact brainwashing them into learning the new

"Four legs good, two legs better. " Animal Farm is a great book to read. Now the part that is about to be discussed will show the dictatorship and control that is shown by the pigs. While reading the novel, people find it to be bizarre that the animals agree to anything the pigs say. Now, why would that be? Almost certainly because they'll get chased off the farm. If one animal gets caught complaining about not getting enough food they will go hungry and might get assigned more tasks to do on the farm.

They were meant to keep the harmony between all animals and only discriminated against humans, stating that, “Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy; Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings is a friend”. (Orwell 43). The commandments were also created with the intent that no animal would ever act like a human, lest the animals would fall into the same hierarchy held by man, saying, “No animal shall wear clothes; No animal shall sleep in a bed; No animal shall drink alcohol; No animal shall kill any other animal.” (Orwell 43). The last commandment, “All animals are equal”(Orwell 43), arguably the most important, signifies the most basic idea of Animal-Socialism. Once this commandment is altered, there is no hope for the animals because the farm has fallen completely to totalitarianism. The Seven Commandments were meant to unify, and the animals take this to heart, causing them to remain ignorant, allowing the farm to

Throughout the book of Animal Farm the theme of leadership and corruption is continuous. The animal’s who have the biggest part in both of these major themes are the pigs. Napoleon, for example, takes over as the leader in the beginning of the book and later his leadership methods turn corruptive.

“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and and from pig to man again, but already it was impossible to say which was which.” Orwell wrote Animal Farm as an allegory based on problems resulting from the Russian Revolution. In Animal Farm, George Orwell uses tone, characterization, and stylistic elements to show that people in power use manipulation to stay in power.

In "Animal Farm,” the pigs make up the 7 commandments that all of the animals in the