Animal Farm Characters: Who's Who and Who They Represent
Animal Farm has a small cast of animals and humans, and nearly every one of them stands for a real person or group from the history of the Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union. The pigs Napoleon, Snowball and Squealer rule, the horses Boxer and Clover do the work, and the humans Mr. Jones, Frederick and Pilkington stand outside the farm.
Below is a quick guide to who's who. The main characters have their own detailed guides.
| Character | Who they are and who they represent |
|---|---|
| Old Major | Old boar whose dream starts the rebellion; Karl Marx and Lenin |
| Napoleon | Pig who becomes dictator; Joseph Stalin |
| Snowball | Inventive pig driven out by Napoleon; Leon Trotsky |
| Squealer | Persuasive pig who spreads Napoleon's message; state propaganda |
| Boxer | Loyal, hardworking cart-horse; the working class |
| Clover | Motherly mare who senses something is wrong; loyal ordinary people |
| Benjamin | Cynical old donkey; skeptical intellectuals |
| Mollie | Vain white mare who runs away; the old privileged classes |
| Muriel | Goat who reads the Commandments aloud |
| The dogs | Napoleon's guards; the secret police |
| The sheep | Bleat slogans on cue; the easily led masses |
| Mr. Jones | Drunken farmer driven out; Tsar Nicholas II |
| Mr. Frederick | Tough neighbor who cheats and attacks; Hitler and Germany |
| Mr. Pilkington | Easygoing neighbor; Britain and the West |
| Mr. Whymper | Lawyer who trades for Napoleon; Western sympathizers |
Who are the pigs in Animal Farm?
The pigs are the cleverest animals and take charge after the rebellion. Old Major, a prize boar, inspires it all with his dream of a world without humans and dies soon after. Napoleon, a fierce Berkshire boar, seizes power with his trained dogs and becomes a dictator. Snowball, the inventive leader of the Battle of the Cowshed, is chased off the farm and blamed for everything. Squealer, a small fat pig with a gift for words, explains away every injustice. A young pig named Minimus writes songs and poems praising Napoleon.
↑ Back to the topWho are the working animals?
Boxer, the strongest horse, believes completely in the rebellion and works himself to death. Clover, his companion, is a kind mare who notices that the Commandments seem to have changed but cannot put her doubts into words. Benjamin, an old donkey, can read as well as any pig but refuses to get involved, saying life will go on badly as it always has; he acts only when Boxer is taken away. Mollie, a vain white mare who loves ribbons and sugar, leaves to work for a human. Muriel, a goat, reads the painted Commandments to the others.
↑ Back to the topWho are the dogs, sheep and hens?
The dogs are nine puppies Napoleon takes from their mothers, Jessie and Bluebell, and raises in secret as his personal guards. They chase out Snowball and later kill the animals who confess to treason. The sheep repeat whatever slogan they are taught, drowning out any debate. The hens try to resist when Napoleon sells their eggs, and nine of them die after their food is cut off.
↑ Back to the topWho are the humans?
Mr. Jones is the drunken owner of Manor Farm whom the animals drive out. Mr. Pilkington owns the neglected Foxwood farm next door and spends his time hunting and fishing. Mr. Frederick owns the small, well-kept Pinchfield farm and is known for cruelty and hard bargains; he pays Napoleon in fake banknotes and then attacks the farm. Mr. Whymper is a solicitor who acts as Napoleon's go-between with the outside world.
↑ Back to the topWhy do the characters stand for real people?
Orwell wrote Animal Farm as a fable about how the 1917 Russian Revolution turned into Stalin's dictatorship. The farm stands for Russia, the rebellion for the revolution, and each character for a person or group in that story. Reading the book with these parallels in mind shows how closely Orwell followed history, but the characters also work on their own as a timeless picture of how power is won, kept and abused.
↑ Back to the topMore about Animal Farm
This guide discusses the whole plot, including the ending.