A number of the characters from the book Animal Farm by George Orwell represent actual historical figures from the time of the Russian revolution or represent the behaviors of various types or classes of people during this event. Orwell's book shows that animals in literature successfully represent people and therefore function as good metaphors. Mr. Jones symbolizes (in addition to the evils of capitalism) Czar Nicholas II, the leader of Russia before Stalin (Napoleon). Jones represents the old government, the last of the Czar

In Gulliver's Travels, during Gulliver's last adventure he visits a country inhabited by the Houyhnhnms, a society of horses. Gulliver finds much to admire in this society. The horses were not materialistic, they were peaceful, open, honest, and egalitarian. They were shocked by Gulliver's stories about human society. The horses didn't understand and were disgusted by human government, law, materialism, and lying. According to the Houyhnhnm,"The use of speech was to make us understand one another, and to receive information of facts; now if anyone said the thing which was not, these ends were defeated" (Swift 195). This quote shows that the horses not only did not understand the faculty of lying, they did not even have a word for it. Throughout Gulliver's adventure with the horses, Gulliver realizes that humans perfectly resemble the society of "yahoos" in the horses country by discussing the way humans live and act and having the horses relate that to the yahoos. Bye the time Gulliver leaves the Houyhnhnms, he agrees with them. Gulliver says that "When I thought of my Family, my Friends, my Countrymen, or human race in general, I considered them as they really were, Yahoos in Shape and Disposition" (Swift 227). Swift's choice of the horse is an apt metaphor for ideal morals and values because the horse is considered a noble animal. This is unlike Orwell's pigs which were used to portray the worst in human nature.

As the preceding paragraphs have shown that animals can function as effective metaphors in literature. They can be used to show the bad points of humanity as demonstrated by the pigs in animal farm. Pigs are an apt metaphor for the underside of human nature because they are generally considered dirty and gluttonous. Animals can also be used to show us ideal morals and values for which we should strive as did the horses in Gulliver's Travels. Horses are a good choice as a metaphor for model human behavior because they are considered to be a noble animal. I believe that both of the above uses of animals as metaphors in literature are effective because they successfully teach us lessons on how to live and how not to live.

Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's Travels. New York: Random House Inc.,

Old Major is the first major character described by Orwell in Animal Farm. This "purebred" of pigs is the kind, grand fatherly philosop

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