Animal Farm: Mollie Symbolism
by Lillian Bonar
Essay: Animal Farm: Mollie Symbolism
Pages: 11
Rating: 3 stars
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“Complex political positions and events can be represented by something seemingly simple or small. Ideas can be
transmitted the same way.” This is done by using symbols. George Orwell, the author of Animal Farm, used
symbolism to create a novel about a simple farm run by animals that also represents the Russian Revolution of
1917. His use of symbolism was so detailed, every action represented significance of the revolution, and every
character represented an important person of the revolution, such as the color red symbolizing European
Revolution since 1789, and beauty in Russia. In Animal Farm, Mollie, “the foolish, pretty white mare who drew Mr.
Jones’s trap,” (P. 5) symbolizes the upper-middle class of Petrograd, specifically the women.
Many pieces of evidence show that Mollie represents the female upper-middle class of Petrograd. For example:
the color red. It was mentioned many times, and it was usually only used when Mollie was involved. Red was a
very popular symbol around the 1800’s up to the 1900’s. According to, Lesson Four, Symbols, Songs, and Words of
the Revolution, “The people of Petrograd wore red ribbons or armbands…Red ribbons were given to the Cossacks
to tie on their horse manes and tails.” The phrase ‘red ribbons’ was very eye-catching because Orwell mentions
Mollie’s red ribbons very specifically. Including, at the very beginning of the book where Mollie attends Old
Major’s speech, “At the last moment Mollie, the foolish, pretty white mare who drew Mr. Jones’s trap, came
mincing daintily in, chewing at a lump of sugar. She took a place near the front and began flirting her white mane,
hoping to draw attention to the red ribbons it was plaited with,” (P. 5-6).
As the book goes on, the reader is shown in man...