Animal Farm Benjamin Essay

Benjamin in Animal Farm
In ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell, the character of Benjamin is used to present loyalty as well as cynicism, whilst making the reader aware of Orwell’s personal opinions and criticisms. Orwell demonstrates this in the use of literary techniques such as punctuation and powerful nouns and has created Benjamin to be a representation of both himself in some aspects of his character, and a representation of those who were aware of the proletariats mistreatment, but failed to speak out, in others.
Throughout the novella, it is clear that Benjamin is not loyal towards Napoleon, despite him making his views on Napoleon’s leadership unclear, unlike his views on the actions of the other working animals (the allegorical representation of the proletariat). However, his actual opinions on events is evident in Benjamin’s actions, as ‘with an air of almost amusement, Benjamin nodded his long muzzle’ when the windmill was destroyed. In the use
This is revealed in the powerful nouns ‘hunger, hardship and disappointment’ that he believes are the ‘unalterable law of life’, which is pessimistic but seems to be true from the events that the reader is aware of in animal farm, and the circular plot line. Benjamin is shown to be more enlightened than the other characters, but he does not act upon this which shows a divide between his character and Orwell’s actions. I believe that Orwell is being critical of those in the proletariat who may have been aware of their mistreatment but didn’t act to change it, as Benjamin makes no real positive difference on the farm. For example, when Boxer (a friend of Benjamin’s) is taken to the ‘horse slaughterer and glue boiler’, Benjamin is left feeling ‘more morose and taciturn than ever’ which could indicate that he feels partially responsible and guilty as he did nothing to stop something like that from