CAUTION - While the text is widely accepted as an allegorical tale of the Russian

Revolution, for literature, it must not ONLY be used as a fictional mirror of this
historical event. It must be assessed for the other issues Orwell addresses, among
which are: “the struggle against tyranny, the evil of totalitarian leaders, and the
importance of a free press.[] The characters in the book represent real people. Each of the
characters is an example of a real historical figure. As you read the book, identify a quote or
excerpt that you think represents the ideas associated with this character.” [ Words in black
extracted verbatim from the History Project]

Darlington Refraction: As Allegorical texts create Characters to represent real persons AND to represent
qualities: virtues/vices, it is more accurate to note that SOME of the characters represent real individual people
and SOME represent STOCK characters who reflect QUALITIES or are Symbolic of groups of people to be
found in any society.

This Table is from the History Project. The rows about Squealer and the other characters
have been added by Darlington for students to complete using the information
gathered from the Cliffnotes link here posted:
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/a/animal-farm/critical-essays/the-russian-revolution

Historical Figure Character Description Quote

Karl Marx—Founder of Old Major is the Example: Is it not

Communism originator of the crystal clear, then,
idea that becomes comrades, that all
the basis of the the evils of this life of
animal ours spring from the
rebellion-Animalism tyranny of human
. However, like beings? Only get rid
Marx, the ideals of Man, and the
behind it are soon produce of our
forgotten. labour would be our
own. (pg. 30)

Old Major Like Lenin, Old

Major calls for
rebellion and his
words and ideas are
inspirational for the
 overthrow of the old
Vladimir Lenin—Leader order (the Czar/
of the Bolsheviks and Farmer Jones).
first leader of the USSR

Czar Nicholas II Farmer Jones Old Major describes

Mr. Jones and
humans as the only
animals who
consume without
producing. Under
the czarist regime,
elite landowners
produced nothing,
and collected rent
and goods from the
peasantry.

Leon Trotsky Snowball Trotsky was the

leader of the Red
Army who organized
committees of
workers. Trotsky
escaped from the
Soviet Union after
losing a power
struggle with Stalin.
Trotsky went into
exile in Mexico,
where he was later
murdered by Stalin’s
agents.
Joseph Stalin Napoleon Napoleon is an
example of the
tyranny that
overtakes all
humans when they
gain too much
power. His greed for
more power and
wealth overtakes
any ideals he may
have initially had-
much as it did with
Stalin, who
ultimately was
responsible for the
deaths of millions of
Soviet citizens.

The Proletariat—the Boxer Boxer is an example

working class of the peasants and
other members of
the working class
who do not have
enough information
or education to
understand the
effects of the
decisions made by
their bosses or
leaders. Boxer
believes Napoleon,
and his refusal to
question what
doesn’t seem right
ultimately costs him
his life. Orwell saw
this as parallel to the
fate of much of the
working class under
communism.
Squealer

Benjamin

Clover
 The dogs

The sheep

Frederick

Pilkington

Mollie

Another very useful link with information about Animal Farm

:https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zw26hyc/revision/1