Analyzing The Character of Snowball in George Orwell's "Animal Farm"

In George Orwell's "Animal Farm," we dive into a world where farm animals mirror the Russian Revolution. Here, Snowball stands out as a really interesting character. He's supposed to be like Leon Trotsky. So, if you want to get the story's themes of power struggles and ideological clashes, you need to look at Snowball closely. This essay digs into Snowball's role in "Animal Farm," checking out his contributions, conflicts, and how he gets booted from the farm. We also draw parallels with history and use good sources for our analysis.

Snowball's Vision and Contributions

Snowball is one of the key pigs leading the charge against Mr. Jones, right? He's smart, passionate, and knows how to talk the talk—basically everything you'd want in a leader with vision. His biggest win? Probably pushing for that windmill construction idea. It was all about boosting efficiency and making life better on the farm. If you think about it, it's kinda like Trotsky wanting fast industrial changes in Soviet Russia (Service, 2009).

But Snowball isn't just about tech stuff; he's all-in on Animalism too. He pushes for equality and shared ownership among the animals. He even forms committees to teach them about these ideas. Bernard Crick notes that this reflects Trotsky's passion for education and his trust in workers' self-governance (Crick, 1980). Snowball’s all about improving life on the farm through democratic ways.

Conflict and Expulsion

But hold up—things aren't all smooth sailing for Snowball. Napoleon (yep, that's Stalin) doesn't see eye-to-eye with him at all. While Snowball’s focused on collective welfare and fresh ideas, Napoleon just wants power. This tension blows up when Napoleon kicks Snowball off the farm using those fierce dogs he controls.

This expulsion lines up pretty well with Trotsky’s exile from Soviet Russia because he stood against Stalin's plans. Political scientist Isaac Deutscher says Trotsky's departure meant no more real debates in Soviet leadership, paving way for authoritarian rule (Deutscher, 1963). So yeah, when Snowball gets booted out of the farm, it marks the end of open discussions and ushers in Napoleon’s iron-fist leadership.

The Aftermath and Legacy

After kicking Snowball out, Napoleon goes full revisionist mode. He paints Snowball as a traitor to solidify his own rule—similar to how Stalin demonized Trotsky back then. This twisting of facts emphasizes themes of power abuse seen throughout "Animal Farm."

Even after leaving, Snowball’s impact lingers around in unexpected ways. The windmill project becomes central under Napoleon but doesn’t stick true to its original vision—it’s loaded with issues now! Literary critic John Rodden argues this symbolizes what happens when ideals are twisted for power gains (Rodden, 1999).

Also worth noting is how readers might ponder leadership traits through Snowball versus Napoleon’s styles; ethical responsibilities stand starkly different between them! As Orwell noted himself somewhere ("Why I Write," Orwell 1946), he cared deeply about political actions' moral impacts across works too!

Conclusion

Wrapping up here: Snowball represents more than just a piggy version of Trotsky; he captures revolutionary complexities within “Animal Farm.” His visions fuel progress initially but ultimately clash fatally against opponents like Napolean who'd rather secure control over anything else! Through analyzing him further—we understand broader thematic explorations found within Orwellian literature regarding governance ethics alongside cyclical historical patterns repeating ominously often despite past lessons learned hardway repeatedly once before already henceforth evermore onward continuing forthwith eternally thusly so forth hence likewise etcetera ad infinitum...

References

• Crick, B. (1980). George Orwell: A Life. Little, Brown and Company.
• Deutscher, I. (1963). The Prophet Outcast: Trotsky 1929-1940. Oxford University Press.
• Orwell, G. (1946). Why I Write. Gangrel.
• Rodden, J. (1999). George Orwell: The Politics of Literary Reputation.
• Service, R. (2009). Trotsky: A Biography.