When reading a book about an evil pig that takes over a farm, one would assume it is unarguably the most important character, but in Animal Farm a hard-working horse named Boxer gives good reason to doubt this assumption. Boxer was a very big, strong horse whose strength was equal to the strength of every other animal on the farm combined. Boxer was not the brightest and couldn’t even learn the alphabet beyond the letter D. Two of the only things Boxer could remember were his sayings, “I will work harder” and “Napoleon is always right.” Boxer had high influence over the farm animals. This seemed to make Napoleon feel threatened, and eventually led to Boxer’s death. The three main reasons Boxer is such an important character are the role he plays on the farm, Napoleon being threatened by him, and how his betrayal seems like an alternative climax. …show more content…
Early in the story, Boxer shows a blind faith in Napoleon. “And from then on he adopted the maximum, ‘Napoleon is always right,’ in addition to his private motto of ‘I will work harder,’” (56). These sayings Boxer adopted are a very clear showing of his devotion to Napoleon and working hard on the farm. When things continually get tougher around the farm, Boxer starts getting up earlier and earlier to get a head start on the days work. “He had made arrangements with the cockerel to call him three-quarters of an hour earlier in the mornings instead of half an hour,” (61). Waking up earlier each time there is a setback is one of the best examples of Boxer’s dedication to work. These things not only contribute to the making of Boxer’s role in the story, but also contribute to the influence Boxer on the
Boxer is a fictional horse in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, which is a satire of the Russian Revolution. Many characters allude to different groups or important people from this era, and this applies to Boxer as well. Boxer is a representation of the working class because of his qualities, personality, his role in the novel and his motto. Orwell expresses much criticism towards the character of Boxer because he lets Napoleon think for him.
On Animal Farm all animals are equal and all try to pull their weight, but some animals are more equal than others. And many other animals don’t work and some work more than others. Boxer is a hard working horse who is kind but he is very persuaded with the ideas of Napoleon. The sheep of Animal Farm are stupid and blind in following the pigs and just do what the pigs ask them to do. Napoleon develops a secret police out of nine puppies he stole and those nine puppies were taught in the way of Napoleon, who wants the dogs to be loyal and enforce his ideas. All of these animals are being manipulated by Napoleon and making choices so they can help others or help themselves.
By now the responder clearly realises that the strong relationship between Boxer and Napoleon is obviously a negative one. It saddens the responder and invites their empathy to find Boxer to be so oblivious to what is going on around him and at the same time his level of incomprehension creates a feeling of slight frustration in a sympathetic type of sense. A strong feeling of dislike is formed towards Napoleon as he so easily controls Boxer, forcing him to do such tough, punishing labour as he is aware that Boxer is extremely loyal to his superiors and happily prepared to complete all set tasks. Boxer and the other animals fall victim to the pigs’ cunning ways, but besides the easily convinced sheep and Boxer, the other animals are aware of this but are too frightened or cowardly to put a stop to it, for fear of being accused of treachery and then executed.
Another motto that Boxer has is that “Napoleon is always right.” When Napoleon says something, even though it is not proper, Boxer is always the one who believes it first. Again, because of Boxer’s reputation in the farm whatever he does, the animals tend to follow and in turn it benefits the pigs’ ambitions. On the other hand, not only Boxer was the one who pressures the animals, the sheep, who was used by the pigs, also took part in pressuring the animals.
In chapter 9 Boxer dies working and he was a hard worker. Boxer believed everything that napoleon said was good so his main mottoes were “I will work harder” and “Comrade napoleon is always right.” Because these mottoes served Napoleon good, Napoleon decided to tell the animals to adapt Boxer's mottoes and they did because they wanted to be as good as Boxer was. There are more examples of propaganda used in Animal Farm and it is one of the biggest techniques used by Napoleon to gain power in the Animal Farm.
Orwell continues to represent class on the farm through the character of Boxer. Boxer represents the lower, working class who were uneducated and inferior to the nobles and government, in this case the pigs and dogs. ‘I will work harder.’ and ‘Napoleon is always right.’ his mottos show just how loyal and hard-working he was. Boxer would work and work until he was at the point of collapsing and this is just what the working class of Russia would do, slaving away their today for a better tomorrow. Boxer is key in building the windmill, which represents change, the change that Boxer wants to bring to the farm through his hard work and determination. Boxer may have had all these credits but what Orwell uses Boxer to say is that no matter how physically strong you are, it’s nothing compared to knowledge and mental strength. When Napoleon tells Boxer he is to retire after he collapsed whilst working, Boxer naively gets on the van that is not really to take him to where he will retire, but to the knackers’ yard to be killed. Even though Boxer was so driven and committed in what he did, he wasn’t able to spot that Napoleon was tricking him because he wasn’t nearly as well educated as Napoleon. So to cut a long story short, the fact that Boxer was poorly educated eventually lead to his demise.
The undeniable greed Napoleon possesses can only be fulfilled by giving the other animals the illusion of bettering themselves by not questioning his logic: “Boxer, who had now had time to think things over, voiced the general feeling by saying, ‘If Comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right.’ And from then on he adopted the maxim, ‘Napoleon is always right,’ in addition to his private motto of ‘I will work harder’” (Orwell 60). Because Animal Farm’s audience predominantly consists of working class citizens, they begin to feel sympathy for Boxer since he cannot recognize Napoleon is exploiting him exclusively for his personal goal of becoming a puissant leader; therefore, animosity towards Napoleon develops in the audience. Considering the animals promptly welcome Napoleon’s promise of a better life, they work towards exhaustion, unknowingly fueling Napoleon’s greed: "All that year the animals worked like slaves. But they were happy in their work; they grudged no effort or sacrifice, well aware that everything that they did was for the benefit of themselves and those of their kind who would come after them, and not for a pack of idle, thieving human beings" (63). Although the animals working for Napoleon are unaware he is gradually becoming more human and willfully betraying his fellow animals for his own benefit, it is evident to the audience that Napoleon is corrupt. As Napoleon cunningly achieves power, his greed continues to grow, the same as a totalitarian leader’s:
Napoleon stated that he will educate the puppies, and help build the windmill to make life easier in the farm, made the animals think that Napoleon is a hard worker and always right. He uses that advantage to create dictatorship within the farm. By having the support of the pigs by his side, he is able to convince the community that is always right. By creating propaganda of praise by the animals, he becomes a symbol of hope to the community. When Boxer stated Napoleon is always right, so did the rest of the animals since Boxer was seen as a symbol of strength for the
Boxer: A male cart-horse who is really strong and works extra hard. He trusts whatever Napoleon says and follows his orders no matter what.
Animal Farm is a prime example of devotion and the loyalty that is vital for success. Boxer is a selfless hard-working horse that displays genuine loyalty to the rebellion willing to do anything for the better of his newfound family. Boxer adopts a new personal motto of “I will work harder” static from the beginning of the novel to his death (murder). Boxer is unwavering in his devotion. Even when the windmill is destroyed and it is time for Boxer’s long waited retirement he continues to strive forward and push his body to the max showing loyalty to Napoleon time and time again, reflecting his other motto “Napoleon is always right”. The point of view used throughout the novel is third person omniscient. This allows for an overall
In this situation, Boxer is finally questioning authority and Squealer must go to great lengths to explain that Snowball is most certainly a traitor. Squealer is clearly frustrated by Boxer’s persistence and fights hard for Napoleon's reasoning. Even though he seemed to side with Snowball in the beginning of the book, Napoleon is the new source of power on the farm and Squealer is clever enough to know to stay on the good side of the animal in charge. Now that he is on Napoleon's side, he wields some of this power by acting as an extension of Napoleon's words. His annoyance and ugly glance towards Boxer shows that he is slowly becoming corrupt by his newfound authority. It also proves that he has come to subconsciously elevate himself
Because Boxer is the most powerful strength wise, and is an important asset on the farm. Napoleon is the main leader, and everyone follows him “but the other animals found more inspiration in Boxer’s strength and his never-failing cry of ‘I will work harder,’”(Orwell 74). Boxer was the workhorse who would stay up late to work on their projects and was the most demanding horse. When the animals were maintaining to the crops, Boxer was the one who would put the most effort in. The animals on the farm trusted Boxer because they all knew that he would be the one who will do his best and support them with anything. When Napoleon was accusing Snowball for being against the Animal Farm, Boxer stood up and told against it. Snowball was living at a different farm at the time and yet Boxer was still standing up for him as if he were at his side. Without Boxer, the farm would not have their work done on time and successful. There would be no one who would be confident to stand up
In Animal Farm, Napoleon gives orders to the animals, and Boxer is an excellent follower of the orders. In Oceania, Parsons becomes a joiner to show his devotion toward Big Brother. Boxer works much harder than any other animal on Animal Farm and regularly says “‘I will work harder!’” (Animal Farm 74). Later in Animal Farm, Boxer splits his hoof, but it does not stop him from working.
There are two pivotal characters in both of these works that provide the roll of the mindless followers that are in over their heads. First of all, there is Boxer in Animal Farm. Like many of the animals in this novel, Boxer treats Napoleon like royalty and thinks that everything he is “contributing” to the farm is for the good of the
In the novel Animal Farm, the writer satirizes certain characters, in an effort to depict society in a humorous way. This essay will focus on the characters of Boxer, Mollie and Napoleon.