Wednesday, 30 September 2009

What do the names Mollie, Mr. Jones, the sheep, and Mr. Whymper signify in Animal Farm?

The name
Mollie signifies that she is a servant: this is very much a servant's name of the time period.
Instead of serving in a maid in a house, however, she, as a horse, pulls the Jones' buggy. She
is the typical working-class person who is willing to sell out for a few luxuries. She can't
understand the goals of the Rebellion or that it is degrading to be dressed in ribbons to pull a
cart. She enjoys her degradation and wants her ribbons and sugar lumps back. She communicates
that some people will never be attracted by the idea of a new and better life.


Jones, similarly, is a very typical English name for an undistinguished person. Our Mr.
Jones is an Everyman who owns a small farm. His name, like Mollie's, signifies that he
represents a type more than an individual. He is the good, conservative, unthinking John Bull
Englishman with a portrait of the monarch in his parlor.

The fact that no
sheep are named is significant. They are a mass of very naive animals who are easily led
and...

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