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Unit 4: Animal Farm by George Orwell

had been used to do to Mr. Jones.” With the use of dogs Napoleon begins the evil use of force to Notes
maintain his power. Later, the dogs even end up killing the animals considered disloyal. Stalin
also had his own force of “helpers”. Besides followers Stalin needed a special police force to
remove his opponents. This is how Trotsky was murdered.

Mollie: Mollie is amongst Orwell’s minor characters, but she denotes something very significant.
Mollie is one of the animals who is doesn’t agree to the new government under Napoleon.
Mollie doesn’t seem to be bothered about the politics of the entire situation. All she wants to do
is to eat sugar and tie her hair with ribbons, things her social status will not allow. Lots of
animals consider Mollie to be a conspirator when she gets patted by some human being from a
neighbouring farm. Mollie is soon confronted by the “dedicated” animals, and she is forced to
leave the farm. Mollie symbolises the usual middle-class skilled worker suffering from the new
concept of communism. She will no longer get her sugar (nice salary) because she is now
considered as low as the other animals, like Clover and Boxer. Orwell uses Mollie to describe
individuals who aren’t very open to new economics and new leaders after any rebellion. They
represent those individuals who are always those resistant to change. This continues to dismiss
the belief Orwell disliked and agreeing to which all animals act in a similar manner. The naivety
of Marxism is criticised, and it is believed that socialism doesn’t work for everybody and it is not
perfect.
Moses: Moses is possibly Orwell’s most interesting character in Animal Farm. This raven, first
described as Mr. Jones’s “especial pet”, Moses is the only animal who doesn’t work. Moses is
probably the only character in the book who doesn’t listen to Old Major’s speech of rebellion.
Orwell tells, “The pigs had an even harder struggle to counteract the lies put about by Moses, the
tame raven. Moses, who was Mr. Jones’s especial pet, was a spy and a tale-bearer, but he was also
a clever talker. He claimed to know of the existence of a mysterious country called Sugarcandy
Mountain, to which all animals went when they died. It was situated somewhere up in the sky,
a little distance beyond the clouds, Moses said. In Sugarcandy Mountain it was Sunday seven
days a week, clover was in season all the year round, and lump sugar and linseed cake grew on
the hedges. The animals hated Moses because he told tales and did no work but some of them
believed in Sugarcandy Mountain, and the pigs had to argue very hard to persuade them that
there was no such place.” Orwell’s view of the Church is represented by Moses. According to
Orwell, the Church is simply a tool that dictators use to keep the working class amongst people
productive and optimistic. To keep the animals working, Mr. Jones first used Moses and he was
successful in a lot of ways before the rebellion. The pigs found it very difficult to get rid of
Moses, since the fabrications about Heaven they thought will only take animals away from the
equality of socialism. Then again Moses finds his place again as the pigs led by Napoleon
become more and more like Mr. Jones. After being away for many years, he suddenly comes
back and picks up from where he left. The pigs don’t mind this time as by now the animals have
understood that the “equality” of the rebellion is a farce. Thus Napoleon gives beer to Moses,
and the entire circle is complete. It appears that Orwell offers a very cruel and cynical view of the
Church. This shows that Animal Farm is not just an anti-communist effort meant to lead people
into Christianity and capitalism. George Orwell found many loop-holes and a lot of hypocrisy
in both the systems. It is interesting to note that the Russian government has just recently started
allowing and supporting religion again. It appears that just like the pigs, the Kremlin officials of
today are making efforts to keep their people interested, in the “old-fashioned” hope of an after-
life and not in the ideology of communism.
Muriel: Muriel is a well-informed goat who reads the orders for Clover. Muriel represents the
minority of working class individuals who are educated enough to take their own decisions and
find serious and hypocritical problems with their leaders. For other animals, Muriel is not
motivated enough to take action and go against Napoleon and his pigs.

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