The Inspiring Life of Boxer the Faithful

Boxer is a very promising horse. He is first introduced as an enormous beast, nearly eighteen hands high, and as strong as any two ordinary horses put together. Although not of first-rate intelligence. Unthinkingly Boxer accepts what he is told.

He is the only male horse on the farm. He is very reliable and loyal to his “Comrades”. His motto’s are “I will work harder” and “ Napoleon is always right.” He was one of Napoleon’s greatest supporters, until after the “Battle of the Windmill”, Napoleon sends him to be slaughtered for profit. The pigs use the money from the slaughter to buy themselves a case of whisky. After the windmill is destroyed in the Battle of the Windmill, Boxer makes it his one remaining goal to have a new windmill under way before he retires.

The only time Boxer doubts propaganda is when Squealer tries to rewrite the story of Snowball’s valor at the Battle of the Cowshed, a “treachery” for which he is nearly executed. Boxer never means no harm to anyone or anything, as shown when everyone including himself , thought that he had killed the man during the Battle of Cowshed. He felt remorseful in this doing. Also Boxer did obtain an award after the Battle for Cowshed. Snowball and Boxer both receive a “Animal Hero, First Class.”

characters in this novel are suppose to represent a part or person during and after the 1917 Russian revolution. As an allegorical figure, Boxer is meant to stand for the Russian proletariat, the powerful but often simple-minded working class.