Animal Farm: Characters

Old Major – A pig. He creates the ideas behind Animalism and inspires the other animals to rebel. As a prize boar, Old Major has lived a relatively privileged life among the animals. This privileged life has given him the time to think about and understand fully the ways that humans exploit and enslave animals. Old Major’s ideas inspire the animals’ revolution, though Old Major dies before the revolution occurs. Old Major symbolizes both Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin, the fathers of Communism.

Napoleon – A pig. One of Old Major’s main disciples. A “fierce-looking Berkshire boar,” Napoleon prizes power over ideas, unlike Snowball, Napoleon’s other main disciple. Napoleon is cowardly, shrewd, calculating, and selfish. While he fully supports the revolution against Mr. Jones, he cares more about his own power than he does about the ideals of the revolution. His selfishness leads him to build a totalitarian government based on terror and lies that gives him more power over the other animals than Mr. Jones ever had. Napoleon symbolizes Stalin, who led the Soviet Union from 1930 until his death in 1953.

Snowball – A pig. Alongside Napoleon, one of Old Major’s main disciples. Snowball is a more lively, original, and intelligent pig than Napoleon, but he is less shrewd in the ways of power. Snowball values the ideals of the revolution more than Napoleon does, though at times Snowball does seem willing to sacrifice the principle of animal equality for his own personal comfort. In the end, despite Snowball’s bravery in supporting the revolution, his political naiveté is no match for Napoleon’s cunning. Snowball symbolizes Trotsky, a rival of Stalin exiled from Russian and assassinated on Stalin’s orders in Mexico in 1940.

Squealer – A pig. Short and fat, Squealer is a terrific speaker who prioritizes his personal comfort above all else. Whenever the pigs violate the tenets of Animalism, Squealer persuades the other animals that the pigs are actually acting in everyone’s best interest. Squealer represents the Soviet press, which Stalin controlled throughout his rule.

Minimus – A pig who writes propaganda poems and songs praising Napoleon and Animal Farm. Minimus represents the takeover of art by propaganda in a totalitarian state that aims to control what its citizens think.

Boxer – A horse. Strong and hardworking, Boxer is extremely honorable, though not so intelligent. Boxer believes deeply in the revolution, so much so that he thinks the Animal Farm leader, who also leads the revolution, must be virtuous and wise. One of Boxer’s favorite sayings is “Napoleon is always right.” Boxer has the strength to overthrow Napoleon’s dictatorship, but not the wit to realize that it is a dictatorship. Boxer devotes all his strength to supporting Napoleon, yet when that strength finally fails him, Napoleon betrays him. Boxer symbolizes the male working class and peasants of the Soviet Union.

Clover – A horse. Clover is a gentle, motherly, and powerful mare, who supports the revolution, but becomes dismayed by the direction it takes under Napoleon. Yet she has neither the will nor the personality to resist the pigs. She becomes a witness to the corruption of the revolution as it turns into a totalitarian state, though she only vaguely understands that something has gone wrong. Clover symbolizes the female working class and peasants of the Soviet Union.

Mollie – A vain horse who loves sugar and wearing pretty ribbons in her mane, Mollie never much cares about the revolution. She abandons Animal Farm and puts herself into service for another human well before totalitarianism even takes hold on the farm. Mollie symbolizes the selfish and materialistic middle-class.

Benjamin – A donkey. Guided by a skeptical philosophy that life will always be difficult and painful, Benjamin is not surprised when the pigs corrupt the revolution and transform Animal Farm into a totalitarian state. Though Benjamin’s skepticism proves to be correct, it also makes him powerless. Alone among the other animals, Benjamin seems to understand what’s going on, but he does nothing to stop it. In the end, his inaction comes back to haunt him when his dear friend Boxer is betrayed and killed. Benjamin represents those who were aware of Stalin’s unjust and oppressive policies but did nothing to try to stop them.

The Dogs – Jessie, Bluebell, Pincher, and the nine attack dogs provide the pigs with the brute force necessary to terrorize the other animals. In return, the dogs receive special privileges. The dogs don’t rule, but they live comfortably. The dogs symbolize the Soviet secret police.

Moses – A tame raven who constantly speaks about a beautiful place called Sugarcandy Mountain where all animals go when they die. Moses represents organized religion.

The Sheep – Dumb animals who believe whatever propaganda is told to them and follow orders. The sheep represent the duped citizens of a totalitarian state.

Muriel – A goat. One of the few animals other than the pigs and dogs who becomes fully literate.

Mr. Jones – The owner of Manor Farm, and once a strict and fierce master, Mr. Jones has in recent years become drunk, careless, and ineffective, though he remains as casually cruel and arrogant as ever. Mr. Jones symbolizes the Russian Tsar in the early 20th century.

Mr. Frederick – The owner of the neighboring farm of Pinchfield. A vicious, cruel, and calculating man, Frederick symbolizes the Fascist Germans.

Mr. Pilkington – The gentleman owner of the neighboring farm of Pilkington. A man who prefers recreation to farm work, Pilkington represents the Allies before World War II, particularly the British.

Mr. Whymper – The human that the pigs use as their connection to the outside world, Whymper symbolizes capitalists who got rich doing business with the USSR.