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NAPOLEAN

Very idiotic Takes more time to understand studies Hiding during battles Has good leadership skills Bad speaker Commands other animals to do work, but never participates Not understanding

SNOWBALL
Very intelligent Very good in studying Goes along with other animals in battles Has good leadership skills Good speaker Commands other animals to do work, but participates as well Understanding

Boxer
The most sympathetically drawn character in the novel, Boxer epitomizes all of the best qualities of the exploited working classes: dedication, loyalty, and a huge capacity for labor. He also, however, suffers from what Orwell saw as the working classs major weaknesses: a nave trust in the good intentions of the intelligentsia and an inability to recognize even the most blatant forms of political corruption. Exploited by the pigs as much or more than he had been by Mr. Jones, Boxer represents all of the invisible labor that undergirds the political drama being carried out by the elites. Boxers pitiful death at a glue factory dramatically illustrates the extent of the pigs betrayal. It may also, however, speak to the specific significance of Boxer himself: before being carted off, he serves as the force that holds Animal Farm together.

Squealer

Throughout his career, Orwell explored how politicians manipulate language in an age of mass media. In Animal Farm, the silver-tongued pig Squealer abuses language to justify Napoleons actions and policies to the proletariat by whatever means seem necessary. By radically simplifying languageas when he teaches the sheep to bleat Four legs good, two legs better!he limits the terms of debate. By complicating language unnecessarily, he confuses and intimidates the uneducated, as when he explains that pigs, who are the brainworkers of the farm, consume milk and apples not for pleasure, but for the good of their comrades. In this latter strategy, he also employs jargon (tactics, tactics) as well as a baffling vocabulary of false and impenetrable statistics, engendering in the other animals both selfdoubt and a sense of hopelessness about ever accessing the truth without the pigs mediation. Squealers lack of conscience and unwavering loyalty to his leader, alongside his rhetorical skills, make him the perfect propagandist for any tyranny. Squealers name also fits him well: squealing, of course, refers to a pigs typical form of vocalization, and Squealers speech defines him. At the same time, to squeal also means to betray, aptly evoking Squealers behavior with regard to his fellow animals.

Chapter 1 (animal farm):


Mr. Jones is drunk. Again. He owns Manor Farm, by the way. Also, the animals talk. Work with it. "Old Major" is a sort of revered, older, wiser boar-pig-dude on the farm. He has a dream, and the others, acknowledging his age, wisdom, and all around general superiority, gather around (campfire-style) to listen. The cast of characters is introduced. Youve got Jessie, Bluebell, and Pincher (three dogs), Boxer and Clover (horses, male and female respectively), Muriel (a goat), Benjamin (an old and cynical donkey, good friends with Boxer), Mollie (a silly mare), Moses (a raven), chickens, hens, ducks, two turtledoves and a partridge in a pear tree. Old Major suggests that they have an uprising against the lazy, resource-sucking humans and run the farm themselves. He introduces some rules for the animals regarding loyalty, alcohol, money, trade, and specifies that no animal may kill any other animal. Keep an eye on those rules they tend to change as the story goes on. They all sing "Beasts of England," a lovely tune eliciting warm and fuzzy feelings of togetherness.

Chapter 2 (animal farm):


Old Major dies, which would have been all jarring and climax-esque if he hadnt predicted it before he gave his speech. We are told that the pigs, particularly Snowball and Napoleon, are more intelligent than everyone else. Theyre pigsthey need to get something in the way of attributes. Oh, and theres also Squealer, who is sort of like a used car salesman. The pigs start running the show. The animals found "Animalism," a system of thought summarizing Old Majors teachings. No points for creativity. Moses, the crow, speaks of a paradise-like place called Sugarcandy Mountain, much to everyones annoyance. Turns out Boxer and Clover are stupid, but trusting and hard working. Mr. Jones gets drunk. Again. After he neglects the animals, they choose the opportune moment of being a) underfed and b) really pissed off as the time to uprise. They do. Uprise that is. Successfully. They make more rules: no clothes (including ribbons...brutal) and no sleeping in the house. They also rename Manor Farm, calling it Animal Farm instead. The pigs, who miraculously read and write, come up with Seven Commandments. What are these commandments, you might ask. Good question. We suggest you open your book. The pigs steal all the fresh milk from the cows. The less intelligent animals dont seem to notice.

Chapter 3 (animal farm):


The animals start the great task of running the farm. The pigs supervise. Things seem to be going well. This, of course, is foreshadowing for disaster. Boxer, it turns out, is a huge asset. Hes big, and not particularly smart, but he works harder than everyone else. In fact, to emphasize this point, he walks around all day repeating, "I will work harder" over and over. Like we said...not too smart. Mollie (the mare, remember?) is extraordinarily lazy. She also has this odd predilection for ribbons. Benjamin, we see, is this really cool, cryptic, apathetic guy. And by guy we mean donkey. He has this one interesting line...better check out your book. OK, fine, well give you this one. But dont get used to it. When asked his opinion on the Rebellion, Benjamin says, "Donkeys live a long time. None of you has ever seen a dead donkey." The pigs try to educate the farm animals, only to find that their pupils resemble ignorant creatures of hard labor. To make things easier, the Seven Commandments get condensed to a single maxim: "Four legs good, two legs bad." Napoleon (the pig, remember?) sequesters nine newborn puppies. Keep an eye out for those suckers. The pigs seem to be taking the milk and apples every day, but explain that this is only because it is their responsibility to maintain their health. They dont even like milk and apples, they explain. At this point, Orwell is rolling on the floor laughing and wiping tears of hilarity off of his typewriter.

Chapter 4 (animal farm):


We are introduced to Mr. Pilkington and Mr. Frederick. Each owns one of the neighboring farms. In short, the animals are working on their public image. PR, etc. Snowball, a tactics extraordinaire, prepares the animals for the impending invasion of the humans. Sounds Jules Verneish, doesnt it? Blood! Battle! Exclamation Points! Read your book! There are some minor casualties (animals that dont really matter, like sheep) and Snowball is wounded. Boxer kills a man and then feels guilty about it. Snowball gets a prize. Rather, he gives himself a prize: "Animal Hero, First Class."

Chapter 5 (animal farm):


Something is rotten in the state of the Animal Farm. And its not the dead sheep from the battle. Its the fact that Mollie has been cavorting (talking, really, we just like the word "cavort") with one of the men on the neighboring farms in return for such frivolities as sugar and ribbons. Then she abandons the farm altogether. Snowball and Napoleon start fighting with each other like two bullies on a playground, each insisting that he is bigger than the other and should get to pick teams for dodge ball. Snowballs speeches are better, but Napoleon does this clever campaigning business in the downtime between animal votes. Snowball makes plans for a windmill for the farm. Napoleon pees on them. No, literally, he actually pees on the plans. Or "urinates", as Orwell so delicately puts it. Were not kidding. But in case you were doubting us, you should read your book. Benjamin pops back up again to say that life sucks either way, windmill or no windmill. Such a Pollyanna, that Benjamin. Snowball and Napoleon give speeches about the windmill; Snowballs is superior. But before the vote, Napoleon brings in the pups from before (we told you to look out for them) which are now all grown-up and tooth-baring and vicious and they chase Snowball out of the farm. Napoleon wins by default. Or by brute force, depending on your point of view. Napoleon abolishes the meetings. Squealer makes him seem like a god by "explaining" things to the dumber animals. Napoleon decides to build the windmill after all. Whats that saying? Oh, yes how fickle is pig.

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