Napoleon contributes to Animal Farm by the suggestion that the young should be educated. He educated the four young puppies himself, but instead of just teaching them how to read and write, he makes them work for him, as his guards. Later on in the play, he summons the dogs to exile Snowball from the farm, the reason for this was because Snowball tried to contribute an idea to the farm, concerning the construction of a windmill to produce electricity. Napoleon didn’t like this idea so he urinated on the plan and exiled him from the farm. He then told the animals that the windmill was actually his idea and Snowball was a traitor. This confuses the audience slightly, because originally the windmill was Snowball’s idea, then Napoleon stole it.
Napoleon influences the other animals by constantly telling them that Jones will come back unless they do what they were told, “Jones will come back” This kept the animals on their toes and made sure that they didn’t slack in their work. Snowball influences the other animals by telling them of wonderful things and places “The old should be allowed to retire to a home of rest in the orchard” This makes the animals work because they are always dreaming of these things and, considering the last quote, make them feel like they are working towards a better life. This starts to get the audience on either Snowball’s or Napoleon’s Side.
I think that Snowball was a better Leader than Napoleon. My reason for thinking this is that to be a good leader you need to have the best intentions for yourself and your party. Napoleon didn’t have much respect for the other animals, because he used them like slaves. Snowball, however, had respect for the other animals as well as himself. This is shown by the fact that he wanted to build a windmill to produce power, so that the workload would be lifted a little “The power will do the work for you. You can graze at ease in the fields or improve your minds with reading and conversations.” “You would only need to work three days a week.” This shows the audience that snowball is more respectful than Napoleon.
At the start of the first act, Napoleon and Snowball are both equal members of the farm. These positions change throughout the first Act as they become more involved in the farm. Both Napoleon and Snowball placed themselves as leaders the second Old Major died. Snowball taught himself how to read, “We pigs taught ourselves how to read and write,” and Napoleon taught the young puppies. Later on in Act one Napoleon organised “The Battle Of The Cowshed” this was when the farmers came back to claim their farm & the animals fought them off. Napoleon and Snowball were working together as leaders until the point when Napoleon called his dogs to exile snowball from the farm. From that point on Napoleon called himself leader of animal farm. With Snowball gone, changed the rules “Sunday morning debates are cancelled” “In future, all questions relating to the working of the farm will be settled by a special committee of pigs, presided over by me.” These actions by Napoleon and Snowball clearly show that of the non-fictional characters in from Russia
