At first, a friend and companion of Napoleon’s. Together, Snowball and Napoleon develop the theory of Animalism from the ideas of Old Major’s speech, and later they distill these ideas down into the Seven Commandments. Snowball is responsible for generating the maxim “four legs good, two legs bad,” which he teaches to the sheep and other less intelligent animals in order to give them some version of the Seven Commandments to repeat. Despite being the generator of this maxim, in the months after, the phrase often gets used against Snowball during Sunday meetings, as the sheep often start bleating the maxim out of the blue during Snowball’s speeches. It’s implied that these interruptions are Napoleon’s work, as the two pigs develop an intense rivalry in the months after the rebellion. Snowball is somewhat of an idealistic individual; he proposes that the farm animals build a windmill in order to generate electricity, which he suggests will ultimately lead to a three-day workweek. He also comes up with a variety of other schemes and groups aimed at improving the animals’ lives and education status, and he also promotes spreading news of the rebellion far and wide. Despite his idealism, however, Snowball still shows himself to be willing to exploit the other animals for his own gain, as when he says nothing about taking the milk and apples for the pigs only. On the day that the animals vote to build the windmill, Napoleon exiles Snowball by setting his attack dogs on him. After this, Snowball disappears as a character, but Napoleon continues to invoke Snowball as a nefarious figure who conspires against Animal Farm, is in league with humans, and is intent on messing everything up on the farm. Through this, Napoleon discredits Snowball’s bravery and actions in the Battle of the Cowshed and makes it so no animal can feel any affinity for Snowball. Snowball symbolizes Trotsky, a rival of Stalin exiled from Russia and assassinated on Stalin’s orders in Mexico in 1940.
Snowball Quotes in Animal Farm
The Animal Farm quotes below are all either spoken by Snowball or refer to Snowball. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 2
Quotes
THE SEVEN COMMANDMENTS
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.
Chapter 3
Quotes
“Four legs good, two legs bad.”
Related Themes:
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Explanation and Analysis:
“Comrades!” he cried. “You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organization of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples.”
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Chapter 5
Quotes
At this there was a terrible baying sound outside, and nine enormous dogs wearing brass-studded collars came bounding into the barn. They dashed straight for Snowball, who only sprang from his place just in time to escape their snapping jaws.
Related Symbols:
Character Names, The Windmill
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Chapter 6
Quotes
“Comrades, do you know who is responsible for this? Do you know the enemy who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL!”
Chapter 7
Quotes
If a window was broken or a drain was blocked up, someone was certain to say that Snowball had come in the night and done it, and when the key of the store-shed was lost, the whole farm was convinced that Snowball had thrown it down the well. Curiously enough, they went on believing this even after the mislaid key was found under a sack of meal.
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Get the entire Animal Farm LitChart as a printable PDF.
Snowball Character Timeline in Animal Farm
The timeline below shows where the character Snowball appears in Animal Farm. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...the more intelligent animals on Manor Farm, specifically the pigs. Two young boars, Napoleon and Snowball, see that they must prepare for the promised rebellion. With a small fat pig named...
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...after the rebellion and if she’ll still be able to wear ribbons in her mane. Snowball patiently tries to impress upon her that she doesn’t need sugar and that the ribbons...
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...throw bits, dog chains, and knives down the well, and they burn halters and whips. Snowball even throws the horses’ mane and tail ribbons into the fire, insisting that ribbons are...
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...upon the farm. They inspect every building and pasture, ending with the farmhouse. Napoleon and Snowball lead the animals into the house for a tour. They’re in awe of the luxury...
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...explain that they’ve come up with the Seven Commandments, which convey the ideals of Animalism. Snowball climbs a ladder and paints the rules on the side of the barn. They read...
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Chapter 3
...there’s no work on Sundays. After a late breakfast, the animals hoist a flag that Snowball painted with a white hoof and horn on a green field. The animals then attend...
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...the harness room as their headquarters and study books from the farmhouse in the evenings. Snowball organizes committees such as the Egg Production Committee for the hens and the Whiter Wool...
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...as the sheep, learn only the letter A and struggle to memorize the Seven Commandments. Snowball reduces them to the maxim “Four legs good, two legs bad.” At first, this goes...
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Chapter 4
By late summer, half of England knows about Animal Farm. Snowball and Napoleon send out pigeons to spread the word to other animals and teach them...
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...Pinchfield are coming up the driveway to retake the farm. Mr. Jones has a gun. Snowball is prepared and sends animals to their posts. First, the pigeons and geese dive bomb...
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...animals. In the yard, however, the horses, cows, and pigs charge. Mr. Jones shoots at Snowball, but only grazes his back. Snowball flattens Mr. Jones as Boxer strikes at men with...
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...sing “Beasts of England,” and they bury the one sheep who died in the battle. Snowball gives a speech emphasizing that animals must be willing to die for Animal Farm, and...
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Chapter 5
...still get to ratify the pigs’ decisions, however. The system would be perfect, except that Snowball and Napoleon disagree on every point. Snowball is better at speaking and convincing animals at...
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Snowball speaks often about farming theory and develops complicated schemes. Napoleon comes up with no ideas...
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Snowball is upfront that building the windmill will be difficult. They’ll have to carry stone, build...
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...the Cowshed has spread. Napoleon insists they must train the animals to use firearms, while Snowball proposes they send out more pigeons to stir up revolution elsewhere. The other animals can’t...
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Snowball finishes his plans for the windmill and brings it to a vote at the Sunday...
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...other animals might make the wrong decisions. Squealer asks where they’d be if they’d followed Snowball, but someone points out that Snowball fought bravely at the Battle of the Cowshed. Squealer...
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Chapter 6
...engage in trade or use money, but that this was just a rumor started by Snowball. This is comforting for the animals to hear.
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...rushes to the site and snuffles around sharply. He suddenly stops and quietly says that Snowball came in at night and destroyed the windmill. Napoleon sentences Snowball to death and announces...
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Chapter 7
...spitefully pretend that the windmill fell because the walls were too thin, not because of Snowball. The animals know better, but they decide to build three-foot-thick walls just in case. Snow...
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Rumors circulate that Snowball is hiding at Foxwood or Pinchfield, while Napoleon’s relationships with both farms improve. Animal Farm...
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Napoleon announces an investigation into Snowball’s activities. He and his dogs tour the farm, finding evidence of Snowball’s scent everywhere. This...
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...questions this and shares his recollection of events, but Squealer insists he’s mistaken—they have, in Snowball’s own writing (which Boxer unfortunately cannot read) that Snowball was going to give them all...
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...Sunday meetings, and they confess crimes without hesitation. They say that they’ve been working with Snowball and planned to help him give Animal Farm to Mr. Frederick. They also corroborate that...
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Napoleon asks who else has something to confess. Three hens confess that in a dream, Snowball told them to disobey Napoleon. A goose confesses to stealing corn and a sheep confesses...
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Chapter 8
...that he wants to attack Animal Farm and destroy the windmill. Pinchfield supposedly still houses Snowball too, and in the summer, three hens confess that Snowball inspired them to try to...
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...Frederick.” Later in the summer, the animals discover that with the help of a goose, Snowball mixed the wheat and corn seeds with weeds. The goose commits suicide, and the animals...
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...“Death to Pilkington,” says the rumors about Mr. Frederick’s cruelty are untrue, and insists that Snowball is living in luxury at Foxwood. The pigs are thrilled, as Napoleon’s dealings made Mr....
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...is the first to emerge at nine a.m. He announces that Napoleon is dying because Snowball poisoned his food. Squealer says that Napoleon’s final pronouncement that drinking alcohol is punishable by...
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Chapter 9
...Napoleon is the only candidate and wins the election unanimously. He uncovers more documents detailing Snowball’s dealings with Mr. Jones, including some saying that Snowball led the human forces and shouted,...
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Chapter 10
...windmill is done, but they use it for milling profitable corn, not for electricity as Snowball had proposed. Napoleon insists that Animalism is about working hard and living frugally, not about...
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