This BOOK is about animals!!! It really, truly is.

This book contains a vast array of

other subjects, besides, but never strays from its utmost topic – animals. I do not begin my essay

like this to insinuate that I, or the reader, are a bit compromised in the mental facilities.

Rather, I

 begin with such a statement to relate, with immense enthusiasm, the sheer joy and humor that I

felt while reading this gripping novel. When the windmill toppled over for the second (or was it

the third?) time, I was nearly hysterical with laughter. Really. I was also nearly hysterical with

laughter when a little porker named Squealer used the word “comrades” for the fifth

consecutive time in the same sentence. However, the chuckles weren’t quite as enjoyable in this

instance,

 because of the fascinating sensation that had begun to seize hold of my mind, similar to gravel

ricocheting around the inside of my skull. The book that lies at the root cause of all this

nonsense goes by the name of Animal Farm.

In this earth-shattering novel, master author and craftsman George Orwell narrates the self-

proclaimed “fairy story” of a horde of mistreated livestock that rebels against its owner, the

nefarious Mr. Jones. With a dogged mindset to restore equality and

 justice to the oppressed and freedom-depleted “Animal Farm,” the beastly denizens embark on a

series of complex projects, aimed at the betterment of everyone involved. As the story reels on,

however, the readers – and the animals – come to grips with a gritty revelation – that a flawless,

utopian society is not nearly as facile to obtain as one might think. Though not immediately
obvious, Animal Farm’s sphere of influence extends far past the simple boundaries of a
“BOOK 

about animals!!!” In fact, Orwell intended his novel to be an allegory.

In other words, the novel has a “deeper meaning,” representing people and events beyond its
literal storyline, and the author’s views on these subjects. In this case, Orwell records the toll of

devastation brought about by the Russian Revolution. In the process, he relays, to his audience,

the caution and suspicion that ought to surround the volatile government types of socialism,

communism, and
tolitarianism. Besides creating characters that metaphorically simulate actual, historical

figures, Orwell utilizes the symbolism of several literary archetypes.

An archetype, in literature, is defined as, “an image, story-pattern, or character that recurs

frequently and evokes strong, often unconscious, associations in the reader.” Though there are

countless archetypes to be found in Animal Farm, three of the most important and influential

are the Scapegoat, the Platonic Ideal, and the Fall.

One immensely significant archetype in Animal Farm is the Scapegoat, defined as “an

animal, or more usually a human, whose death in a public ceremony expiates some taint or sin

that has been visited upon a community – their death often makes them a more powerful force

in the society than when they lived.” In this novel, the Scapegoat takes the form of Snowball the

 pig – who also is representative of Leon Trotsky, an early leader during the Russian Revolution,

and a smart, young speaker who dreamt of making life better for all of his constituents.

However, like Snowball, Trotsky was soon banished from the land and wildly discredited by his

political foes. We first see an example of Snowball’s banishment on pages fifty-two and fifty-

three of Animal Farm, when we read that “Nine enormous dogs wearing brass-studded collars

came

 bounding into the barn. They dashed straight for Snowball, who only sprang from his place just

in time to escape their snapping jaws. In a moment he was out of the door and they were
after him. Too amazed and frightened to speak, all the animals crowded through the door to
watch the

chase … Then he (Snowball) put on an extra spurt and, with a few inches to spare, slipped

through a hole in the hedge and was seen no more.” This preceding passage is a flawless

example of a metaphorical “death,” which singularly defines the archetype of Scapegoat. We

can fathom that Snowball matches this archetype due to the fact that this is the last instance

during which he is seen on the farm – his physical being is never again discovered, and
therefore, his
 banishment is indistinguishable from his expiration. This analysis, however, doesn’t make note

of the even more convicting evidence – that Snowball’s banishment is, indeed, witnessed by all

the farm’s animal residents, in a “public ceremony.” Additionally, one could argue that the

pig’s expulsion is an example of the “expiation,” or atonement, that came about as a result of

the “taint” and “sin” that the animals partook in, when driving Mr. Jones from his home. A

second

 piece of proof, in concern to my assertion that Snowball represents the Scapegoat archetype, can

 be found on pages sixty-nine and seventy. It reads, ““Do you know the enemy who has come in

the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL!” he (Napoleon) suddenly roared in a

voice of thunder. “Snowball has done this thing! In sheer malignity, thinking to set back our 

 plans and avenge himself for his ignominious expulsion, this traitor has crept here under cover

of night and destroyed our work of nearly a year. Comrades, here and now I pronounce the death

sentence upon Snowball, ‘Animal Hero, Second Class,’ and half a bushel of apples to any

animal who brings him to justice. A full bushel to anyone who captures him alive!”” In this

excerpt, we are exposed to the first episode during which Snowball, now figuratively “dead,” is

deemed to

 be, “a more powerful force in the society than when he lived;” – he couldn’t have decimated a

windmill, in actuality. A third and final joint piece of evidence to support Snowball’s label as a

Scapegoat exists on both page seventy-nine, and page eighty-four. The first section is as
follows: “The animals were thoroughly frightened. It seemed to them as though Snowball were
some kind

of invisible influence, pervading the air about them and menacing them with all kinds

of dangers.” The second section, discussing a different scenario, but supporting the same

claim, is, “The three hens who had been ringleaders in the attempted rebellion over the eggs

now came forward and stated that Snowball had appeared to them in a dream and incited them

to disobey
 Napoleon’s orders.” Both of these excerpts show the progression of the “Snowball rumors;” – 
from the former depiction of the exiled pig as an ill-intended vandal, to his present portrayal as

a heinous, mythological creature with nearly supernatural powers. In the end, the boundless

assortment of misdemeanors “committed” by Snowball should have drastically lowered the

morale levels on the Animal Farm. However, a certain horse – Boxer, to be exact – kept the

animals’ spirits high with his constant inspiration and admirable ethic of hard work – and with

his perfect representation of the Platonic Ideal archetype.

A second integral archetype contained within Animal Farm is the Platonic Ideal,

defined as, “this woman is a source of inspiration and a spiritual ideal, for whom the

protagonist or author has an intellectual rather than a physical attraction.” In this novel, the

Platonic Ideal is representative of Boxer the workhorse. Unlike the Scapegoat archetype, the

Platonic Ideal archetype is lesser-known for being an inclusion to Animal Farm – in reality, the

Platonic Ideal doesn’t even symbolize male characters. However, one must make an exception,

once fraught with knowledge of Boxer’s role in the plot – a perfect representative of the

Platonic Ideal archetype, as well as of the “proletariat,” or unskilled labor class, during the

Russian Revolution. The proletariats were drawn into the rebellion because they thought they

would benefit the most from its promises. They remained loyal to Stalin while building the

Soviet industrial complexes,

although they were eventually betrayed by their communist party government. The character
of Boxer, however, is imbued with an inspiring nature that the proletariat class could never hope
to

 possess, in the same strength. This can be proven with excerpts from pages twenty-nine, sixty-

one, and seventy-four. The first of these excerpts reads, “Boxer was the admiration of

everybody. He had been a hard worker even in Jones’s time, but now he seemed more like three

horses than one; there were days when the entire work of the farm seemed to rest on his mighty

shoulders.

From morning to night he was pushing and pulling, always at the spot where the work was
hardest. He had made an arrangement with one of the cockerels to call him in the mornings

half an hour earlier than everyone else, and would put in some volunteer labour at whatever

seemed to be most needed, before the regular day’s work began. His answer to every problem,

every setback, was “I will work harder!” – which he had adapted as his personal motto.” The

next part of this piece of evidence reads, “To see him toiling up the slope inch by inch, his

breath coming fast, the tips of his hoofs clawing at the ground, and his great sides matted with

sweat, filled everyone with admiration.” The final portion of this collective evidence is as

follows: “Only Boxer and Clover never lost heart. Squealer made excellent speeches on the joy

of service and the dignity of labor, but the other animals found more inspiration in Boxer’s

strength and his never-failing cry of “I will work harder!” All these examples prove the first of

my points: Boxer is incredibly representative of the Platonic Ideal archetype, because he

matches, without a doubt, the “source of inspiration” part of the definition. Through his hard

work and never-failing

 perseverance, he wins the admiration and awe of his fellow livestock. While harvesting the grain,

 building the windmill, or protecting the farm, Boxer never falters in his commitment to his

friends. The second excerpt from the novel, supporting Boxer’s role as the Platonic Ideal, lies

on

 page forty-three, and reads, ““He is dead,” Boxer said sorrowfully. “I had no intention of doing

that. I forgot that I was wearing iron shoes. Who will believe that I did not do this on purpose? ...
I have no wish to take life, not even human life,” repeated Boxer, and his eyes were full

of tears.” Boxer held life to be tremendously sacred, and became quite distraught at the thought

of killing even a “vicious” enemy – at the thought of harming anyone, whatever their role.

This shows that the aged workhorse, besides inspiring his fellow animals by appealing to their

minds, also matches the “spiritual ideal” part of the Platonic Ideal definition, by appealing to

their hearts. My third and final contention is supported by the literature on page five, which

reads,
“Boxer was an enormous beast, nearly eighteen hands high, and as strong as any two ordinary

horses put together. A white stripe down his nose gave him a somewhat stupid appearance, and

in fact he was not of first-rate intelligence, but he was universally respected for his steadiness

of character and tremendous powers of work.” This example from the novel shows that though

the author described Boxer as rather brutish-looking, and though, later in the book, the

workhorse is

 beset by physical injury, he is still respected, admired, and inspiring – perfectly fitting the part

of the Platonic Ideal, a character “for whom the protagonist or author has an intellectual rather

than a physical attraction.” Doubtless, then, that the occasion when Boxer is taken away to be

killed and turned to glue is one of the saddest in the book. The fact that the malignant pigs

simply sold away the mighty, “Platonic Ideal” workhorse in order to obtain money for rum

finalizes the

 premonition that had begun to exist in our minds – the something cruel and terrible is happening

to the Animal Farm – to be precise, the Fall.

A third extremely prominent and crucial archetype in Animal Farm is the Fall, which is

defined as, “describes a descent from a higher to a lower state of being. The experience

involves a defilement and/or loss of innocence and bliss. The fall is often accompanied by

expulsion from a kind of paradise as a penalty for disobedience and moral transgression.”

Unlike the archetypes

of the Scapegoat and the Platonic Ideal, the Fall, interestingly enough, is a situational archetype,
meaning that it applies to an event or an entire plot in a piece of literature, rather than just a

single character. The Fall applies to the entire plot of Animal Farm, representing the downward

spiral of morality and ethicality that results from the pigs’ rule over the other animals. My first

 piece of evidence supporting the presence and importance of this archetype lies on page nine,

and reads, ““Is it not crystal clear, comrades, that all the evils of this life of ours spring from the

tyranny of human beings? Only get rid of Man, and the produce of our labour would be our
own.
Almost overnight we could become rich and free. What then must we do? Why, work night and

day, body and soul, for the overthrow of the human race! That is my message to you, comrades:

Rebellion! I do not know when that Rebellion will come, it might be in a week or in a hundred

years, but I know, as surely as I see this straw beneath my feet, that sooner or later justice will

be done. Fix your eyes on that, comrades, throughout the short remainder of your lives! And

above all, pass on this message of mine to those who come after you, so that future generations

shall carry on the struggle until it is victorious.” The rebellion that the pig, Old Major, speaks

of in this excerpt does come, and with it, a better life for the animals of the farm, representing

the “higher state of being.” This mirthful situation only lasts for the brief, first part of the

novel,

however, for it isn’t long before the pigs’ rule becomes oppressive, and by the end of the

story, we play witness to the following, my second piece of evidence, on page one hundred

and forty- one: “No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures

outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already

it was impossible to say which was which.” Along with my first excerpt, this represents the

“descent from a higher to a lower state of being” portion of the Fall definition. At the

beginning of the tale, the humans are denounced as evil and tyrannical, but at the conclusion,

we find that the

animals, or the pigs, at least, were never really any better in the first place. In other words, we
see a feeling of hopelessness cloud the Animal Farm, as the supposedly noble animals sink, or 

“fall,” to the level of their arch-enemies, the humans. The strange thing about this, however, is

that though it is obvious to the reader that the animals are putting themselves in a continually

worsening state, the animals themselves seem to constantly believe that their situation is getting

 better. The proof for my final contention as to why the Fall is an important archetype lies not in

quotations, but in simple analysis. Near the commencement of the story, the animals come up
with a list of seven Commandments that are to be forever obeyed. The end of the tale,

however, finds us gazing in dismay at the ways in which the animals have desecrated each and

every one of them. The first two Commandments, “whatever goes upon two legs is an

enemy,” and “whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend,” are violated when the

pigs begin to

 parade about on two feet, and even teach the sheep to frequently proclaim, “four legs good,

two legs better !” The third Commandment, “no animal shall wear clothes,” is seen to be abused

when, near the end of the novel, the pigs dress themselves in what were formerly Mr. Jones’s

wardrobe articles. The fourth Commandment, “no animal shall sleep in a bed,” is disobeyed

the instant the pigs move into Mr. Jones’s farmhouse, near the middle of the book. The fifth

Commandment, “no animal shall drink alcohol, is misconstrued by the addition of the words

“in excess” to its end. The sixth Commandment, no animal shall kill any other animal,” also

has a new phrase added to it – “without cause” – in other words, unless the pigs become angry,

or fearful of losing their leadership roles. The abusive changes made to the seventh

Commandment are perhaps the most telling – “all animals are equal” is altered to read, “all

animals are equal,

 but some are more equal than others.” In short, the infringements of the seven Commandments

represent the portion of the Fall definition that reads, “the experience involves a defilement

and/or loss of innocence and bliss.” Obviously, the Commandments were defiled, and the
majority of the animals, pigs not included, lost quite a lot of bliss as a result. The final part of
the

Fall’s definition applies here as well: “the fall is often accompanied by expulsion from a kind of 

 paradise as penalty for disobedience and moral transgression.” It is quite possible to argue that

the Fall of the farm – the expulsion from the ability to maintain a pleasant socialistic society –

is a punishment for the animals’ violent removal of Mr. Jones. All in all, the Fall is one of the

most
nerve-wracking archetypes to read, for more often then not, it leads to a frighteningly unhappy

ending.

In conclusion, I can now state, without a doubt, that the Scapegoat, the Platonic Ideal, and
the Fall are the three most important of the many archetypes contained within the novel Animal
Farm. Snowball the pig represents the Scapegoat archetype, through his expulsion from the farm
and his subsequent “larger-than-life” portrayal. With the admiration won from and inspiration
given to his fellow animals, Boxer the horse is symbolic of the Platonic Ideal. Lastly, the entire
 plot of the novel, a consistent downward spiral of moral transgressions, is in tandem with
the characteristics of the Fall archetype. It can, and has, been thoroughly proven that these
three archetypes are among the most vital to this “BOOK about animals!!!”