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Richard Roderick
Cindy Rogers
English 12
September 2, 2015
Animal Farm Composition
Personification is a writing tool that is used by many authors. Personification is when
something that isnt human is given human qualities or characteristics. For instance, if we are to
look at Disney movies, many of the characters are animals and have features such as hands, wear
clothes, and in many cases can speak or write. In the book Animal Farm by: George Orwell,
the entire book is full of personification and many other literary tools. One of the many examples
of personification in the book Animal Farm is when the animals gather together and sit in a
somewhat orderly fashion to listen to a wise old pig named Major. The dialogue in the book
showed Major displaying human like actions as seen when the text states, When Major saw that
they had all made themselves comfortable and were waiting attentively, he cleared his throat and
began: (Animal Farm, Page 6). This is an example of personification as a pig is clearing its
throat and holding a meeting in which animals are all waiting and listening attentively. Another
example of personification takes place a little later in the novel in which the text says, The
work of teaching and organizing the others fell naturally on the pigs, who were generally recognized as being the cleverest of the animals. (Animal Farm, Page 15). This piece of the text is an
example of personification as it gives the animals human characteristics such as teaching and organizing other animals. Some of the other examples of personification includes the part in which
the pigs are trying to get the animals to listen to them and not believe what some other animals

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say, this is seen when the novel states; The pigs had an even harder struggle to counteract the
lies put about by Moses, the tame raven. Moses, who was Mr. Joness especial pet,was a spy and
a talebearer, but he was also a clever talker. (Animal Farm, Page 17). This is an example of personification due to the novel stating that a bird is a spy for the animals and has the ability to tell
storys and talk cleverly. Many chapters later, there is a battle that takes place and is described
as follows;

The animals had now reassembled in the wildest excitement, each recounting his
own exploits in the battle at the top of his voice. An impromptu celebration of the
victory was held immediately. The flag was run up and Beasts of England was
sung a number of times; then the sheep who was killed was given a solemn funeral, a hawthorn bush being planted on her grave. At the graveside Snowball made a
little speech, emphasizing the need for all animals to be ready to die for Animal
Farm if need be. (Animal Farm, Page 43,44).

The long passage of text explains how animals are taking on a more human outlook on
life and are creating their own civilization much like those of humans. Finally, the last example
of personification that will be mentioned in this essay is found a few sentences later in which the
novel states;

It was decided to set the gun up at the foot of the flagstaff, like a piece of artillery, and to fire it twice a year once on October the twelfth, the anniversary

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of the Battle of Cowshed, and once on Midsummer Day, the anniversary of the
Rebellion. (Animal Farm, Page 44).

This piece of the novel shows that the animals are naming specific events and battles and
making their own celebrations and holidays much like those that humans celebrate. I believe
that personification is necessary in telling this story because if the story was told without the animals bearing human like characteristics, it would make the novel both boring and confusing.
The way that the author uses personification in this book is what makes it so interesting and one
of the most iconic novels on socialism to this day.

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Works Cited

Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York, New York: New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 1946. 6. Print.

Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York, New York: New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 1946. 15. Print.

Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York, New York: New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 1946. 17. Print.

Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York, New York: New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 1946. 43-44. Print.

Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York, New York: New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 1946. 44. Print.