Animal Farm Minor Characters

Mikayle Vaughan October 7, 2014 George Orwell’s Animal Farm is an allegorical novel of the failed Russian Revolution. The animals of Animal Farm live under the control of their farmer, Mr. Jones. The animals are taught to rebel against the only real enemy they have. As the novel progresses, the farm falls under the control of the pigs. The events of the story unfold as a result of the actions of characters such as Mr. Jones, Old Major and Squealer. These results would not have been possible without the blind faith of the animals. Mr. Jones plays a minor role in the events of the story. He is “Lord of the Animals.” He uses this power to oppress the other animals and belittle them. Without Mr. Jones’ harsh reign or the animals, they would not have rebelled against him. He was inhumane, going out and getting drunk, not feeding the animals for days. Old Major pointed this out to the other animals. It is crystal clear that all of the evils of this life of ours spring from the tyranny of human beings. The animals grew a sense of hate towards Mr. Jones. This is an example of how the opinion of the animals is an important factor of the rebellion. Without Mr. Jones treating them so harshly, the animals would not have needed to revolt. Old Major, a prize white boar, was highly inspiring with his speeches of equality and such, “that everyone was quite ready to lose an hours sleep to hear what he had to say.” He created the idea of animalism by putting forth the idea that “no animal must ever live in a house, sleep in a bed, wear clothes, drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, touch money or engage in trade.” Old Major blamed “man” for all their problems. These principals were taken up by most of the animals without any arguments. Without Old Major, the animals would not have had the inspiration and motivation to rebel. Squealer was also a boar, but unlike Old Major, his interest was not in helping the farm as a whole. Squealer is the go to pig