Moses: The Alluring Peddler of Empty Promises in Animal Farm - Animal Farm by Orwell

Main characters in-depth analysis - Sykalo Eugen 2024

Moses: The Alluring Peddler of Empty Promises in Animal Farm
Animal Farm by Orwell

  1. Character Introduction:

Name: Moses. A clear reference to the biblical figure leading the Israelites out of Egypt, highlighting his role as a false prophet.

Physical Description: A tame raven, symbolizing cunning and the allure of the unknown.

Occupation/Social Status: A self-proclaimed prophet preaching about Sugarcandy Mountain, a paradise for animals after death.

Initial Impressions: Mysterious and captivating, offering hope and escape from the harsh realities of the farm.

First Actions: Seduces the animals with stories of Sugarcandy Mountain, highlighting his manipulative tactics.

  1. Character Development:

Motivations and Desires: Spreading his own influence and securing a comfortable life, regardless of the animals' well-being.

Internal Conflict: None explicitly mentioned, but he might grapple with guilt over deceiving the animals.

External Conflict: Faces occasional hostility from Snowball and Napoleon, but maintains his influence through manipulation.

Driving Force: Self-preservation and maintaining his privileged position.

Relationships and Interactions:

  • Animals: Offers them solace and escape, creating a dependent relationship based on false promises.
  • Pigs: Tolerated by both Snowball and Napoleon, as his teachings distract animals from questioning their rule.

Impact on Others: Provides temporary hope but hinders their awareness of their true situation, ultimately contributing to their disillusionment.

Social Dynamics: Represents organized religion and its potential for manipulation and escapism, distracting from the need for real change.

Growth and Transformation: Remains largely unchanged, continuing his deceptions despite the changing leadership.

III. Deeper Analysis:

Symbols:

  • Sugarcandy Mountain: Represents empty promises, false hope, and escapism.
  • Flight: Symbolizes the elusive nature of his promises and the animals' inability to reach them.

Foreshadowing: His presence foreshadows the animals' disillusionment with their revolution and the return of a controlling regime.

Irony: A symbol of hope preaches about a fabricated paradise, highlighting the dangers of blind faith.

Authorial Intent: Orwell likely uses Moses to criticize organized religion and its potential to be used for manipulation and control, hindering social progress.

Genre Conventions: Fits the allegorical, political satire genre by satirizing organized religion through an animal character.

Overall Message: Warns against blindly accepting external promises of salvation and emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and individual agency in achieving societal change.

  1. Youth-Oriented Engagement:
  • Relatable Situations: Facing false advertising, encountering manipulative figures, understanding the allure of escapism.
  • Moral Dilemmas: When is it okay to offer hope, even if it's not based on reality? How can we distinguish between true and false promises?
  • Engaging Language: Focus on the imagery and descriptions of Sugarcandy Mountain to highlight its appeal and its ultimately hollow nature.
  • Open-Ended Questions: What might have happened if Sugarcandy Mountain existed? Would it have solved the animals' problems? How can we ensure our hopes and dreams are grounded in reality?