Sheep

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The Sheep

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

5 key words

Used.
Manipulated.
Stupid.
Powerless.
Weak.

Utterly loyal

The sheep do as Napoleon and Squealer order them to, without appearing to have any of their own thoughts.
They bleat the chant when Napoleon wants them to in order to interrupt Snowball.

Don't consider consequences

They are presented as stupid and easily manipulated. They also come across as unfeeling as their actions cause and promote suffering.
They are unable to think about the consequences of their actions, this may be because they are too stupid to consider this or because they do not want to.

Stupid

When Squealer takes them off at the end of the novel it takes them a week to learn the new chant. This suggests that they are stupid, and they just do what they are told – they blindly follow orders.
However, unlike Boxer they are not loveable or even likeable.
Their stupidity is firmly proven when they chant their final chant, which puts them in a position of weakness. They do what they are told without considering the consequences for themselves or others.

Context

Stalin surrounded himself with allies, people who would support him no matter what he asked.

The Sheep - Key Quotes

Here are a few key quotes about The Sheep:

Utterly loyal

“Their usual bleating [...] put an end to the discussion”.

Easily manipulated

“Four legs good, two legs bad”.

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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