Napoleon

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Napoleon

Animal Farm is an allegory; all of the events and characters symbolise 20th century historical and political events.

5 key words

Threatening.
Obsessed with power.
Corrupt.
Deceptive.
Demands loyalty and obedience.

Threatening

Napoleon is threatening, selfish and ambitious from the very start of the novel. He uses the animals for his own benefit to get “his own way”.
He takes the puppies from their mothers so that he can train them to obey him and work for him.
Under Napoleon, the animals live in fear and are unable to speak out against his regime and policies. He creates a climate of fear to stay in control; the animals are accused, attacked by the dogs, taken to “the knacker’s” or executed without warning.

Demands loyalty

Napoleon surrounds himself by people who are loyal to him; in reality he is a weak leader who does not listen to criticism.
Napoleon’s propaganda and violence brainwash the animals into obedience and blind loyalty.

Obsessed with power

He is ruthless and violent, willing to kill and torture to gain absolute power and control over the animals.
Napoleon forces confessions from anyone who threatens or questions him and his regime. Like many tyrants, even though Napoleon gains absolute power, he always feels threatened that he will be overthrown and lose his power.
Napoleon changes the Seventh Commandment to say that “SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS”. He has created a society in which he has total power and no one can oppose him.

Corrupt

Napoleon is corrupt; he takes on Snowball’s windmill as his own, he takes the animals food and he changes the commandments to suit himself.
He gets rid of Sunday meetings and freedom of speech.
He re-writes history so that he looks like a hero and Snowball looks like a traitor, giving himself a bravery medal.
He has poems written and gives himself titles which spread the idea that his leadership is benevolent and noble.

Fearful and deceptive

Napoleon is envious of and threatened by Snowball’s popularity and heroism.
Therefore he trains the sheep to interrupt Snowball, he urinates on Snowball’s plans for the windmill and he uses his dogs to exile Snowball.
He later discredits Snowball by using him as a scapegoat for anything which goes wrong on the farm and makes the animals fear and distrust Snowball.

Context

Napoleon is an allegorical figure for Stalin.
Stalin was ruthless and corrupt; he organised violent strategies for gaining and seizing power.
Stalin used propaganda; he doctored photographs, banned criticism and he spread propaganda about his great leadership.

Napoleon - Key Quotes

Here are a few key quotes concerning Napoleon's character:

Terrorises

“A reputation for getting his own way”.

Demands loyalty

“Napoleon took them away from their mothers, saying that he would make himself responsible for their education”.

Violent ruler

“The dogs promptly tore their throats out”.

Totalitarian dictator

“There was only one candidate, Napoleon”.

Corrupt

“ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS”.
“The windmill was, in fact, Napoleon's own creation”.

1Important Plot Features

1.1Plot Summaries

1.1.1Chapters 1-2

1.1.2Chapters 3-4

1.1.3Chapters 5-6

1.1.4Chapters 7-8

1.1.5Chapters 9-10

1.1.6Keywords

1.1.7End of Topic Test - Chapters 1-5

1.1.8End of Topic Test - Chapters 6-10

2Characters & Their Links to History

2.1Key Characters

2.1.1Old Major

2.1.2Snowball

2.1.3Napoleon

2.1.4Squealer

2.1.5Boxer

2.1.6End of Topic Test - Key Characters

2.1.7AO2/3 - Key Characters

2.1.8Exam-Style Questions - Boxer

2.2Other Characters

2.2.1Mr Jones

2.2.2Clover

2.2.3Hens

2.2.4Sheep

2.2.5Mollie

2.2.6Benjamin

2.2.7Moses & Mr Frederick

2.2.8Pilkington & Mr Whymper

2.2.9End of Topic Test - Other Characters

2.2.10End of Topic Test - Other Characters 2

3Key Themes & Orwell's Purpose

3.1Key Themes

3.1.1Education

3.1.2Power & Control

3.1.3Power & Language

3.1.4Equality

3.1.5End of Topic Test - Key Themes

4Language, Form & Structure

4.1Language, Form & Structure

4.1.1Form & Structure

4.1.2Language

4.1.3Symbols

4.1.4Narrator & Allegory

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