The role of the pigs in the novel "Animal Farm" by George Orwell.

Essay by LereenaHigh School, 10th gradeA, September 2006

download word file, 3 pages 3.0

Downloaded 7255 times

The pigs are perhaps the most interesting characters in the novel, "Animal Farm", written by George Orwell. They bring conflict and perceive as the most important animals in their Animal Revolution and most important people involved in Russian history. Throughout this fairytale, they become what they had hoped to destroy.

The role of the pigs in this story is that they are true leaders. They represent the Bolsheviks of Russia. They are the highest in the animal society structure and highest in the level of intelligence. The pigs led all animalism activities such as planning how to do away with Mr. Jones, and strategic ways to fight in wars and defeat any invaders. They make all choices about animal life, despite calling for majority votes. Due to lack of intelligence and mentally persuaded minds, the other animals did abide by the rules of all the pigs. Pigs were the ones who built this revolution, and turned out to be the ones who would destroy everything they fought against.

However, all the pigs weren't exactly the "bad guys," as what they appear to be.

The most important pigs in this novel are Old Major, Napoleon, Snowball, and Squealer. Old Major is a very important character in which that the revolution took place because of his desires, and his virtue making other animals feel comfortable under his rule. He taught and preached Animalism and the greatness of freedom to the common animals. He showed this when he recalled this song from a dream, Beasts of England. It gave the common animals a feeling that they were being treated poorly and they deserved better than what they got. It was truly important because what he told the common animals came from his heart and was the truth. A true follower of Major became of Snowball. Snowball was a young and smart motivational speaker. He was a character that really wanted to make life better for the animals in an exact way that Old Major wanted. Snowball was the better pig that was in a power struggle with Napoleon to run the Animal Revolution.

Napoleon and Squealer is a totally different pair. Napoleon is power crazy and is very egotistic. He is cruel, brutal, selfish, and devious. He kills for his own benefit. He plays a great part in the creation of this revolution, but an even bigger factor for destroying it. Napoleon was a terrible pig that eventually would go against everything that all the common animals wanted. He would not have gotten far however, if it wasn't his acquaintance, Squealer. Squealer was a propagandist for Napoleon, even if he believed in otherwise against Napoleon. Squealer benefited from this harsh treatment. Together, they made the perfect, evil, couple. They are against all values and what is right.

The pig's role of leadership is incoherently fading. They go from being a leader of the people to a silent rude awakening of the common animals. They changed dramatically throughout, being not positive about even just one of there choices that they make as a leader. They were wobbly and uncertain about everything. What brought about this change was their own conscience. At first they wanted to do what was better for the civilization. After realizing that the power was in their hand, they became greedy by self inflicted power crazy schemes. They realized everything that the human race took advantage of, they could too. It got to a point in which they were going to realize this, because a leader is someone who is in charge, but sometimes that leader can get out of hand with leading. They lead to a point where there is nothing left to do for their economy for a while, and it is at that moment that they realize the power they control.

Orwell emphasizes human characteristics through the ways of the pigs. He tells the reader that humans can corrupt just like everything else in this world. The human mind is world of total sickness. Humans will take stuff to new levels just to benefit themselves. When backed up, humans can go way too far over petty issues. These pigs are power crazy, egotistical maniacs. Aren't we all sometimes?

The pigs in this book serve a moral purpose and lesson in learning about our civilization and the way people are. Orwell tries to tell all of us today, how to avoid situations where bad things can happen through the means of this novel. Everything changes. People must control over bad starts before they actually occur. The animals in Animal Farm however, didn't.