In the book animal farm, who was the protagonist and who was the antagonist?

Answer 1

I had to do an asignment with that question. I had said that Snowball was the protagonist and Napoleon was the antogonist. My teacher told me that I was wrong and that its the other way around, so I guess Napoleon's the protagonist and Snowball is the angtogonist.

Answer 2

Hard to tell, isn't it? I'd say that it would depend on which way one looks at it, and on what their own beliefs are.

Napoleon's definitely the antagonist. No getting around that. :)

If you look at this book from its symbolic perspective, each character represents a real person. Old Major is a matter of dispute- I'd sooner say that he represents Marx than Lenin, seeing that Orwell was a socialist but was an outspoken opponent of modern Communism. I'd say Old Major was a protagonist but not THE protagonist- after all, he dies in the beginning of the book.

This is my opinion, but I'd split the book into two halves- before Snowball's exodus and after. In the first half Snowball (who clearly represents Trotsky) would be the protagonist. Trotsky has left a mixed impression on history, so whether this was Orwell's intent will always be a question. As for the second half of the book, the animals together (except the pigs, of course) form a collective protagonist.

Only my opinion, of course!

Answer 3

Snowball is the main protagonist. Although he could be seen as the main antogonist of Farmer Jones. Snowball fits the description of both a protagonist and an atagonist depending on how you look at it. If you decide Snowball is the protagonist, then Farmer Jones must be the main antagonist. In the end just pick one and don't deviate from it in your argument or you will appear as a simpleton. I'm assuming you have an argument to make. If you don't, you better make it quick. Time, you know. Always, tick-tock tick-tock.
Good luck!