Question

What is the role of the puppies in Animal Farm?

• A. They help Snowball with the windmill project
• B. They serve as Napoleon's personal guards
• C. They are raised to be loyal to Snowball
• D. None

Answer 1

Answer:

B. They serve as Napoleon's personal guards

Role of the Puppies in Animal Farm

• In George Orwell's allegorical novella Animal Farm, the puppies are crucial instruments in Napoleon's consolidation of power and the establishment of his totalitarian regime.
• Initially, nine puppies are born to Jessie and Bluebell, two of the dogs on the farm. Napoleon takes them away from their mothers soon after their birth, claiming he will be responsible for their education.
• Napoleon raises these puppies in isolation from the other animals, specifically training them to be loyal to him and to be fierce, unquestioning enforcers of his will.
• These puppies grow into powerful, menacing dogs who serve as Napoleon's personal bodyguards and secret police. Their presence instills fear among the other animals.
• Their first significant act is when they violently chase Snowball off the farm, enabling Napoleon to eliminate his main rival and seize absolute control. This act marks a turning point from a more democratic-leaning animal society to an oppressive dictatorship.
• The dogs are symbolic of the KGB or secret police under Joseph Stalin's regime in the Soviet Union, highlighting the use of brute force and intimidation to maintain dictatorial power.
• They are often seen surrounding Napoleon, wagging their tails whenever he speaks, demonstrating their absolute obedience and loyalty to him, not to the ideals of Animalism.
• Their primary function is to enforce Napoleon's decrees, suppress dissent, and execute animals accused of treason, thereby eliminating any potential opposition.
• This manipulation of the young and innocent for nefarious purposes underscores Napoleon's ruthless nature and the corrupting influence of absolute power.

Key Facts about Animal Farm for Competitive Exams

• Author: George Orwell (pseudonym of Eric Arthur Blair).
• Published: 1945.
• Genre: Allegorical novella, political satire, dystopian fiction.
• Historical Context: The novel is an allegory for the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent Stalinist era of the Soviet Union.
• Major Characters and their Allegorical Equivalents:
  • Napoleon: Joseph Stalin
  • Snowball: Leon Trotsky
  • Boxer: The loyal, hardworking proletariat (working class)
  • Squealer: Propaganda minister (e.g., Vyacheslav Molotov or Pravda, the Soviet newspaper)
  • Old Major: Karl Marx / Vladimir Lenin
  • Mr. Jones: Tsar Nicholas II
  • The Dogs: The NKVD / KGB (secret police)
• Themes: Totalitarianism, corruption of ideals, propaganda, class struggle, abuse of power.
• Famous Quote: "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." This highlights the hypocrisy and distortion of the original revolutionary ideals.