Question

What animal continues to work hardest on the farm?

• A. Napoleon
• B. Boxer
• C. Clover
• D. Mosses

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Boxer

Understanding Boxer's Role in Animal Farm

• Boxer is one of the most prominent and sympathetic characters in George Orwell's allegorical novella, Animal Farm.
• He is depicted as an incredibly strong and hardworking carthorse, whose personal mottos are "I will work harder" and "Napoleon is always right."
• Boxer represents the dedicated, loyal, and often exploited working class or proletariat in the Soviet Union under Stalin's rule. His immense physical strength and unwavering commitment are crucial to the farm's productivity, particularly during the construction of the windmill.
• Despite his tireless efforts and loyalty, Boxer is ultimately betrayed by the pigs, who sell him to a knacker (horse slaughterer) for profit when he becomes too old and ill to work. This tragic event highlights the ultimate ruthlessness and cynicism of the totalitarian regime.

Key Facts about Animal Farm for Competitive Exams

• Author and Publication:

  • Animal Farm: A Fairy Story was written by George Orwell (pseudonym of Eric Arthur Blair).
  • It was first published in England on August 17, 1945.

• Genre and Literary Significance:

  • The novel is an allegorical novella and a dystopian fable.
  • It serves as a scathing satire of the Russian Revolution and the subsequent rise of Stalinism in the Soviet Union.
  • Orwell, a democratic socialist, wrote the book to expose the corruption of socialist ideals under totalitarian regimes.

• Allegorical Characters and Their Real-World Equivalents:

  • Old Major: Represents Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin, the founders of communism.
  • Napoleon: Symbolizes Joseph Stalin, the tyrannical dictator of the Soviet Union.
  • Snowball: Represents Leon Trotsky, a revolutionary leader expelled by Stalin.
  • Squealer: Personifies the propaganda machine of the Soviet government (e.g., Pravda newspaper).
  • The Dogs: Represent the KGB (secret police) or military used to enforce loyalty and suppress dissent.
  • Mollie: Symbolizes the self-interested, materialistic upper-middle class who fled Russia after the revolution.
  • Benjamin: A cynical donkey who represents the intellectual class that saw through the totalitarian lies but did nothing to resist.

• Themes Explored:

  • The corruption of socialist ideals.
  • The dangers of totalitarianism and propaganda.
  • The exploitation of the working class.
  • The power of language and its manipulation.

• Orwell's Intent:

  • Orwell stated that his primary aim in writing Animal Farm was to combine political purpose and artistic purpose into one whole. He wanted to highlight how political revolutions, though starting with noble intentions, can often devolve into new forms of oppression.