Keyword Guide · character-analysis
This guide explains the major characters in Animal Farm and what each represents. Use it to review quickly, plan essays, and prepare for quizzes or discussions.
Napoleon and Snowball drive the farm’s leadership conflict. Napoleon represents authoritarian control through fear and manipulation, while Snowball stands for idealism and planning. Their rivalry helps explain how revolutions can fracture when power becomes the goal.
Squealer uses persuasive language to justify decisions and reshape memory, showing how propaganda works. The dogs function as enforcers, reminding readers that power is often maintained through intimidation rather than logic.
Boxer represents loyal labor and blind trust in authority. Clover shows quiet awareness but limited action. These characters help students analyze how good intentions can be exploited when people do not question leaders.
Benjamin’s cynicism highlights awareness without resistance. Mollie represents self-interest and avoidance of hardship. Old Major serves as the ideological spark, while Moses introduces the idea of comforting beliefs that distract from present injustice.
Napoleon is often seen as the most important because his rise to power shapes the farm’s outcome and central themes about corruption and control.
Focus on one or two traits per character, connect them to a theme, and explain how their actions affect the farm. Avoid plot summary and emphasize analysis.
The animals are symbolic to simplify complex ideas about politics, power, and society, making themes easier to analyze and discuss.
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