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{{Short description|Fictional character and the main antagonist in George Orwell's Animal Farm}}
'''Napoleon''' is a [[fictional]] [[pig]] from [[George Orwell]]'s ''[[Animal Farm]]''. With events on Animal Farm mirroring those in the [[Soviet Union]], Napoleon is based on the Soviet dictator [[Joseph Stalin]].
{{EngvarB|date=August 2021}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Napoleon (''Animal Farm'')}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Napoleon
| image = Adelaide champion Berkshire boar 2005.jpg
| caption = A [[Berkshire pig|Berkshire boar]], the breed that Napoleon is described as.
| first = ''Animal Farm Chapter 2''
| last = ''Animal Farm Chapter 10''
| creator = [[George Orwell]]
| voice = [[Maurice Denham]] ([[Animal Farm (1954 film)|1954 film]])<br/>[[Patrick Stewart]] ([[Animal Farm (1999 film)|1999 film]])
| species = [[Berkshire (pig)|Berkshire boar]] (Novel/1999 film) [[British Saddleback]] (1954 film)
| occupation = President (Dictator) of Animal Farm<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gradesaver.com/animal-farm/study-guide/character-list/|title=Animal Farm Characters|publisher=GradeSaver.com|access-date=6 February 2014}}</ref>
| based_on = [[Joseph Stalin]]
}}
'''Napoleon''' is a fictional character and the main [[antagonist]] of [[George Orwell]]'s 1945 novella ''[[Animal Farm]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.markedbyteachers.com/gcse/english/how-does-napoleon-take-and-maintain-control-of-animal-farm.html|title=How Does Napoleon take and maintain control of Animal Farm?|publisher=Marked By Teachers|access-date=6 February 2014}}</ref> While he is at first a common farm pig, he exiles [[Snowball (Animal Farm)|Snowball]], another pig, who is his rival for power, and then takes advantage of the animals' uprising against their masters to eventually become the tyrannical "President" of Animal Farm, which he turns into a [[dictatorship]], eventually becoming every bit as openly cruel
as its original human owner and being perceived as physically indistinguishable from a human at the very end of the story.


== Napoleon inside the allegory ==
{{spoiler}}
[[File:Spontaneous Demonstration_Flag.svg|thumb|The flag used in Napoleon's "Spontaneous Demonstrations".]]
[[File:Manor Farm Flag.svg|thumb|The flag of Manor Farm after Napoleon takes full control.]]
Napoleon was based on [[Joseph Stalin]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/animalfarm/characters.html|title=SparkNotes: Animal Farm: Napoleon|publisher=[[SparkNotes]] |access-date=6 February 2014}}</ref> who ruled the [[Soviet Union]] from 1924 to 1953. He is presumed to be named after the French emperor [[Napoleon]]. Napoleon and Snowball mirror the relationship between Stalin and [[Leon Trotsky]]. Trotsky supported [[Permanent revolution|Permanent Revolution]] (just as Snowball advocated overthrowing other farm owners), while Stalin supported [[socialism in one country]] (similar to Napoleon's idea of teaching the animals to use firearms, instead). When it seems Snowball will win the election for his plans, Napoleon calls in the dogs he has raised to chase Snowball from the farm. This is the first time the dogs have been seen since Napoleon took them in and raised them to act as his [[secret police]].


Later on, after ostracising Snowball, Napoleon orders the construction of the [[windmill]], which had been designed by Snowball and which Napoleon had opposed vigorously (just as Stalin opposed Trotsky's push for large scale [[industrialisation]], then adopted it as a policy when Trotsky was in exile), so as to show the animals that he could be just as inventive as Snowball. The other animals are told it was Napoleon's ideas and that Snowball had stolen it. When the primitive windmill collapses after a storm, due to Napoleon's poor planning (a reference to Stalin's backward approach to the [[Five-year plans of the Soviet Union|Five-Year Plans]]), Napoleon blames Snowball and starts a wave of terror (a reference to the [[Great Purge]]). During this period, he orders the execution of several of the animals after coercing their "confessions" of wrongdoing. He then commands the building of a second, stronger windmill, while severely cutting rations of the animals, except those of the pigs and dogs.
Napoleon struggled with [[Snowball (Animal Farm)|Snowball]], a fellow pig, for power after the animals took control of Manor Farm. To secure his power, Napoleon ordered his attack [[dog]]s to chase Snowball away from the farm. After this, he executed any animal who he believed was affiliated with Snowball. To prevent the animals from accusing him from breaking the Seven Commandments, [[Squealer (Animal Farm)|Squealer]] altered them, giving Napoleon even greater power. At the end of the book, Napoleon and the other pigs act just like humans, wearing clothes, [[tobacco smoking|smoking]], and even walking upright.


Napoleon later makes a deal with Frederick (similar to the [[Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact]] shortly before [[World War II]]). Frederick tricks Napoleon by paying him for a load of timber with counterfeit money and then invading the farm (much as Germany broke its pact and invaded the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet Union]]). During the Battle of the Windmill, the windmill is destroyed; although the animals win, they pay a high price. Napoleon attempts to cover the losses by stating it was a grand victory for the animals.
Instead of acting for the good of the animals, Napoleon the pig only acted for himself and eventually acted just like humans. The true side of Napoleon becomes evident after he slaughters so many animals for plotting against him. He even hires a pig to sample his food for him to make certain that no one is trying to poison him.


Although Napoleon exhorts the other animals to fight and die for the good of the farm, he himself is a coward and a lazy one at that, in contrast to Snowball, who was more concerned with the welfare of his animal friends than his power. Napoleon uses corrupt [[historical revisionism]] to portray himself as a hero, claiming responsibility for the animals' victory in the Battle of the Cowshed, when in reality it was Snowball who had performed heroic acts in this battle. Snowball's acts are denigrated through bald-faced lies about him collaborating with Jones all along and openly supporting Jones during the battle. Snowball was wounded in the back by buckshot, but it is claimed Napoleon inflicted the wounds with his teeth. Napoleon spends most of his time inside, giving his orders through other pigs, like the cunning orator [[Squealer (Animal Farm)|Squealer]], who helps spread support for him and changes the commandments. Napoleon declares the farm a republic, and a president is elected; as the only candidate, Napoleon is elected unanimously.
== Napoleon in the [[Allegory]] ==


During his time in power, he also, through Squealer, secretly changes the Seven Commandments' prohibition against killing, drinking, and sleeping in beds, allowing his followers and him to break the original commandments, because the other animals (except for [[Benjamin (Animal Farm)|Benjamin]], the cynical donkey) are not clever enough to notice, or they blame their own memories if they think they have noticed.
Napoleon was based on [[Joseph Stalin]], who ruled the Soviet Union for nearly 30 years. However, his name comes from the French general [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon Bonaparte]]. In the [[French language]] version of the book, he was renamed '''César''' ([[Caesar]]).


Ultimately, Napoleon becomes an oppressive dictator and begins to adopt many aspects of human behaviour. The pigs start walking on their hind legs, drinking alcohol, wearing clothes, and carrying whips near the end of the book. The commandments are changed to say, famously, "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." The maxim, "Four legs good, two legs bad." is changed to "Four legs good, two legs better."
Napoleon fought with [[Snowball (Animal Farm)|Snowball]] over control of Animal Farm and its activities, similar to [[Leon Trotsky]] and [[Joseph Stalin]] over control of [[Russia]]. Leon Trotsky supported [[Permanent Revolution]] (just as Snowball supported the advocation of overthrowing other farm owners), versus Stalin who supported [[Socialism in One Country]] (similar to Napoleon's idea of teaching the animals to use firearms).


The novel ends with Napoleon meeting with [[Pilkington (Animal Farm)|Pilkington]] of Foxwood Farm and other farmers, who claim the animals here work longer for less food than on other farms they have seen. Napoleon tells the other farmers that he has decided to abolish the use of "comrade" and declares that the farm shall revert to its original name of Manor Farm. Pilkington and he, just after declaring their similarities, fight after they both draw an ace of spades at a card game. The pigs have become so much like humans, both in behaviour and appearance, that the animals watching through a window from the outside cannot tell man and pig apart.<ref>Orwell, George. ''Animal Farm'', page 141, Signet Classics, 1996. {{ISBN|978-0-451-52634-2}}</ref>
Later on, after ostracizing Snowball, as Stalin did by placing Trotsky in exile, Napoleon ordered the construction of a windmill, which he had originally been against. When the windmill collapses, he places blame on Snowball, and starts a massive amount of executions in which he orders the death of several of the animals of the farm to be killed after confessing. (He changed the commandment in the [[Seven Commandments]] dealing with killing also, probably through Squealer.)


== In adaptations ==
He then makes a deal with [[Frederick (Animal Farm)|Frederick]] (similar to Russia's pact with [[Germany]] during [[World War II]]), but Frederick pays Napoleon with counterfeit money and then invaded [[Animal Farm]], perhaps out of jealousy for the windmill. (Germany breaks pact with Russia and invades Russia, in order to gain needed minerals and fuel.) During the [[Battle of the Windmill (Animal Farm)|Battle of the Windmill]], the windmill is destroyed, and the animals win, but at a high price. Napoleon, however, attempts to make up for it by stating it was a victory.ha ha
The [[Animal Farm (1954 film)|animated film version]] of ''Animal Farm'' adds a last-minute "happy ending" where the realization that Napoleon has become identical to Mr. Jones prompts the other animals to revolt and seemingly kill him.


The [[Animal Farm (1999 film)|live-action version]], meanwhile, ends with its protagonists successfully fleeing the farm after seeing a musical propaganda film portraying Napoleon as standing on two legs, and later returning after he has seemingly died and his dictatorship collapsed under vague circumstances, mirroring the real-life fall of the Soviet Union.
Note that Napoleon displays a lack of courage, unlike [[Snowball (Animal Farm)|Snowball]] does, but he still stands up when the windmill is blown up, unlike the other animals that flung themselves down to the ground (Stalin encouraging his army to fight back).


The parody sequel novel ''[[Snowball's Chance]]'' begins with Napoleon dying of natural causes, after which Snowball returns and regains control and the farm's development becomes an allegory for the modern United States instead of the Soviet Union.
[[Category:Fictional pigs|Napoleon]]

[[Category:Characters in written fiction|Napoleon]]
== References ==
[[Category:Animal Farm]]
{{reflist|30em}}

{{Animal Farm}}

[[Category:Animal Farm characters]]
[[Category:Fictional dictators]]
[[Category:Fictional farmers]]
[[Category:Fictional mass murderers]]
[[Category:Fictional pigs]]
[[Category:Anthropomorphic pigs]]
[[Category:Fictional politicians]]
[[Category:Fictional presidents]]
[[Category:Fictional revolutionaries]]
[[Category:Male literary villains]]
[[Category:Pigs in literature]]
[[Category:Male characters in literature]]
[[Category:Literary characters introduced in 1945]]
[[Category:Fictional characters based on real people]]

Latest revision as of 13:54, 3 December 2024

Napoleon
A Berkshire boar, the breed that Napoleon is described as.
First appearanceAnimal Farm Chapter 2
Last appearanceAnimal Farm Chapter 10
Created byGeorge Orwell
Based onJoseph Stalin
Voiced byMaurice Denham (1954 film)
Patrick Stewart (1999 film)
In-universe information
SpeciesBerkshire boar (Novel/1999 film) British Saddleback (1954 film)
OccupationPresident (Dictator) of Animal Farm[1]

Napoleon is a fictional character and the main antagonist of George Orwell's 1945 novella Animal Farm.[2] While he is at first a common farm pig, he exiles Snowball, another pig, who is his rival for power, and then takes advantage of the animals' uprising against their masters to eventually become the tyrannical "President" of Animal Farm, which he turns into a dictatorship, eventually becoming every bit as openly cruel as its original human owner and being perceived as physically indistinguishable from a human at the very end of the story.

Napoleon inside the allegory

[edit]
The flag used in Napoleon's "Spontaneous Demonstrations".
The flag of Manor Farm after Napoleon takes full control.

Napoleon was based on Joseph Stalin,[3] who ruled the Soviet Union from 1924 to 1953. He is presumed to be named after the French emperor Napoleon. Napoleon and Snowball mirror the relationship between Stalin and Leon Trotsky. Trotsky supported Permanent Revolution (just as Snowball advocated overthrowing other farm owners), while Stalin supported socialism in one country (similar to Napoleon's idea of teaching the animals to use firearms, instead). When it seems Snowball will win the election for his plans, Napoleon calls in the dogs he has raised to chase Snowball from the farm. This is the first time the dogs have been seen since Napoleon took them in and raised them to act as his secret police.

Later on, after ostracising Snowball, Napoleon orders the construction of the windmill, which had been designed by Snowball and which Napoleon had opposed vigorously (just as Stalin opposed Trotsky's push for large scale industrialisation, then adopted it as a policy when Trotsky was in exile), so as to show the animals that he could be just as inventive as Snowball. The other animals are told it was Napoleon's ideas and that Snowball had stolen it. When the primitive windmill collapses after a storm, due to Napoleon's poor planning (a reference to Stalin's backward approach to the Five-Year Plans), Napoleon blames Snowball and starts a wave of terror (a reference to the Great Purge). During this period, he orders the execution of several of the animals after coercing their "confessions" of wrongdoing. He then commands the building of a second, stronger windmill, while severely cutting rations of the animals, except those of the pigs and dogs.

Napoleon later makes a deal with Frederick (similar to the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact shortly before World War II). Frederick tricks Napoleon by paying him for a load of timber with counterfeit money and then invading the farm (much as Germany broke its pact and invaded the Soviet Union). During the Battle of the Windmill, the windmill is destroyed; although the animals win, they pay a high price. Napoleon attempts to cover the losses by stating it was a grand victory for the animals.

Although Napoleon exhorts the other animals to fight and die for the good of the farm, he himself is a coward and a lazy one at that, in contrast to Snowball, who was more concerned with the welfare of his animal friends than his power. Napoleon uses corrupt historical revisionism to portray himself as a hero, claiming responsibility for the animals' victory in the Battle of the Cowshed, when in reality it was Snowball who had performed heroic acts in this battle. Snowball's acts are denigrated through bald-faced lies about him collaborating with Jones all along and openly supporting Jones during the battle. Snowball was wounded in the back by buckshot, but it is claimed Napoleon inflicted the wounds with his teeth. Napoleon spends most of his time inside, giving his orders through other pigs, like the cunning orator Squealer, who helps spread support for him and changes the commandments. Napoleon declares the farm a republic, and a president is elected; as the only candidate, Napoleon is elected unanimously.

During his time in power, he also, through Squealer, secretly changes the Seven Commandments' prohibition against killing, drinking, and sleeping in beds, allowing his followers and him to break the original commandments, because the other animals (except for Benjamin, the cynical donkey) are not clever enough to notice, or they blame their own memories if they think they have noticed.

Ultimately, Napoleon becomes an oppressive dictator and begins to adopt many aspects of human behaviour. The pigs start walking on their hind legs, drinking alcohol, wearing clothes, and carrying whips near the end of the book. The commandments are changed to say, famously, "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." The maxim, "Four legs good, two legs bad." is changed to "Four legs good, two legs better."

The novel ends with Napoleon meeting with Pilkington of Foxwood Farm and other farmers, who claim the animals here work longer for less food than on other farms they have seen. Napoleon tells the other farmers that he has decided to abolish the use of "comrade" and declares that the farm shall revert to its original name of Manor Farm. Pilkington and he, just after declaring their similarities, fight after they both draw an ace of spades at a card game. The pigs have become so much like humans, both in behaviour and appearance, that the animals watching through a window from the outside cannot tell man and pig apart.[4]

In adaptations

[edit]

The animated film version of Animal Farm adds a last-minute "happy ending" where the realization that Napoleon has become identical to Mr. Jones prompts the other animals to revolt and seemingly kill him.

The live-action version, meanwhile, ends with its protagonists successfully fleeing the farm after seeing a musical propaganda film portraying Napoleon as standing on two legs, and later returning after he has seemingly died and his dictatorship collapsed under vague circumstances, mirroring the real-life fall of the Soviet Union.

The parody sequel novel Snowball's Chance begins with Napoleon dying of natural causes, after which Snowball returns and regains control and the farm's development becomes an allegory for the modern United States instead of the Soviet Union.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Animal Farm Characters". GradeSaver.com. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  2. ^ "How Does Napoleon take and maintain control of Animal Farm?". Marked By Teachers. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  3. ^ "SparkNotes: Animal Farm: Napoleon". SparkNotes. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  4. ^ Orwell, George. Animal Farm, page 141, Signet Classics, 1996. ISBN 978-0-451-52634-2