Character Study of Animal Farm

Character Study of Napoleon and Snowball. (Compare and Contrast) Both Napoleon and Snowball play pivotal roles in Animal Farm after the rebellion.

They are both highly regarded by the animals and are seen as leaders of Animal Farm. However, both Napoleon and Snowball are very different in their personalities and leadership styles. Napoleon prefers to work behind the scenes to build his power through manipulation and deal-making, while Snowball devotes himself to winning popular support through his ideas, passionate speeches, and success in debates with his opponent.This can be seen clearly in the earlier chapters whereby Snowball is described as ‘quicker in speech’.

He is able to convince the birds that ‘a bird’s wing is an organ of propulsion’ unlike man’s hand, which is ‘the instrument with which he does all his mischief’. On the other hand, the novel depicts Napoleon as a pig with ‘a reputation for getting his own way’. His training of the puppies secretly and grooming them into vicious bodyguards as well as the scheming manner in which he traded with both Pilkington and Frederick illustrates his character clearly.In addition, Snowball seems to work within the system, while Napoleon willingly circumvents it.

Napoleon, for instance, understands the role of force in political control, as is made clear by his use of the attack dogs to expel Snowball from the farm. In the later chapters of the book, Napoleon also uses the power of fear to terrorise the animals in the farm into total submission. This point is clearly exemplified in the execution of the pigs and hens who showed signs of rebellion.Despite Napoleon’s clearly bullying tactics, Orwell’s text does not allow us to perceive Snowball as a preferable alternative. Snowball does nothing to prevent the consolidation of power in the hands of the pigs, nor does he stop the unequal distribution of goods in the pigs’ favor—he may even, in fact, be complicit in it early on. Although it is not explicit in the text, Snowball is a partaker of the milk and apples together with the other pigs.

This very act hints that perhaps if given the power to rise, Snowball, may not be the impartial and perfect leader, the animals deem him to be. Furthermore, the ideals of Animal Farm hinges on democracy and equality with all of the animals deciding how their collective action should be undertaken. For any one animal to rise to greater power than any other would violate that ideal and essentially render Animal Farm indistinguishable from a human farm. Hence, by constantly vying with each other for power, both Napoleon and Snowball have already demonstrated that all animals are NOT equal.Finally, though their motives for power may be quite different—Napoleon seems to have a powerful, egocentric lust for control, while Snowball seems to think himself a genius who should be the one to guide the farm toward success—each represents a potential dictator. Neither pig has the other animals’ interests at heart, and thus neither represents the ideals of Animal Farm.

1(b) In your opinion, who makes a better leader? [4] Both Snowball and Napoleon have very different leadership styles. Snowball, as a leader, seems to be genuinely concern with the welfare of Animal Farm.After the rebellion, he takes the effort to set up committees and classes for the animals. During the short period that he was in control of the farm, he did not show that he was a tyrant like Napoleon. He shows himself to be an advocator and true follower of Animalism.

Also, as compared to Napoleon, Snowball is more innovative and creativity. He is the actual mastermind that designed the windmill which Napoleon claimed as his own design later on in the novel. Snowball is also an excellent strategist. He is the one who executed the war plan and led the animals to victory in the Battle of the Cowshed.He proves himself to be a worthy leader when he takes the bullet courageously during the battle unlike Napoleon who was nowhere to be found during all the battles which the animals fought in.

Or Although he is cruel and selfish, Napoleon demonstrates very strong leadership qualities. Unlike Snowball who tries to educate everyone in Animal Farm without thoughts of whether the animals are able to do well, Napoleon chooses to educate only the young. His selective training of the puppies pays off when they show unwavering loyalty throughout the novel.Napoleon also proves himself to be popular with the Humans.

During his rule, the humans shows respect for Animal Farm and even does trading with Animal Farm. They also accepted the change in name of the farm from Manor Farm to Animal Farm. Napoleon is a shrewd leader as well. When he realises that the rumours about the animals starving in Animal Farm, he arranges for the animals to put up a show for Mr Whymper when he is invited to visit the farm.

In doing so, he manages to counter the rumours that the animals in Animal Farm is facing starvation.