Clover, a motherly horse in ‘Animal Farm,’ symbolizes the women who cared for the vulnerable during the Revolution.
George Orwell describes her as once powerful but weakened over time due to aging and the sale of her foals.
She remained loyal despite losing faith, especially after her companion, Boxer, was taken away.
She represents the silent dissenters who questioned power but never rebelled.
Animal Farm Quotes With Page Numbers
Who Is Clover In Animal Farm?
In “Animal Farm”, Clover is a stout middle-aged mare characterized as motherly and caring. Clover seems never to have fully regained her figure after her fourth foal.
Orwell portrays her as a hard worker on the farm, frequently contributing to manual labor, such as rebuilding the windmill. Despite her physical strength, she struggles academically as she learns the alphabet but cannot form words.
Clover is depicted as a compassionate creature who protects the other animals, such as when she makes a wall around a brood of lost ducklings with her foreleg to shield them.
Her compassion also extends to her fellow horse, Boxer, whom she consistently cautions to care for his health and not overwork himself.
Clover values the principles of Animalism and is respected by other animals for her faithfulness, hard work, and acceptance of Napoleon’s leadership.
Despite the troubles they face under Napoleon’s rule, Clover remains loyal, emphasizing the need to prevent the return of human beings.
As old age impedes her ability to work and serve, Clover’s character gains another dimension. She represents the silent fear and doubt over the changing order of the farm.
Her old, dim eyes, rheumy with age, begin to witness the stark transgressions of the seven commandments of Animalism, inducing a sense of betrayal within her.
Yet, her lack of assertiveness and dominantly passive demeanor result in her mute acceptance of the disturbing realities of Animal Farm.
At her core, Clover embodies the universal archetype of the ‘Mother Figure’—nurturing, compassionate, and selflessly caring.
Her character is a symbolic testament to the silent mass of the population, left helpless in the wake of a power struggle. She clings to the last strands of their beliefs and loyalties.
The emotional turmoil she faces throughout the story adds a rich layer of humanity to the animal allegory, making her a memorable character in Orwell’s monumental tale.
Clover Animal Farm Quotes With Page Numbers
“The two cart-horses, Boxer and Clover, came in together, walking very slowly and setting down their vast hairy hoofs with great care lest there should be some small animal concealed in the straw.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, about Clover (The narrator), Chapter 1, Page 4
“Clover was a stout motherly mare approaching middle life, who had never quite got her figure back after her fourth foal.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, about Clover (The narrator), Chapter 1, Page 4
“The two horses had just lain down when a brood of ducklings, which had lost their mother, filed into the barn, cheeping feebly and wandering from side to side to find some place where they would not be trodden on. Clover made a sort of wall round them with her great foreleg, and the ducklings nestled down inside it and promptly fell asleep.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, about Clover (The narrator), Chapter 1, Page 5
“The rest have all gone to market to bring in money for Jones and his men. And you, Clover, where are those four foals you bore, who should have been the support and pleasure of your old age? Each was sold at a year old-you will never see one of them again. In return for your four confinements and all your labour in the fields, what have you ever had except your bare rations and a stall?”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (Old Major to Clover), Chapter 1, Page 8
“Clover, beans, and mangel-wurzels.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (Character: Old Major), Chapter 1, Pages 12, 13
“Their most faithful disciples were the two cart-horses, Boxer and Clover. These two had great difficulty in thinking anything out for themselves, but having once accepted the pigs as their teachers, they absorbed everything that they were told, and passed it on to the other animals by simple arguments. They were unfailing in their attendance at the secret meetings in the barn, and led the singing of Beasts of England, with which the meetings always ended.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (Character: The Narrator about Boxer and Clover), Chapter 2, Page 18
“Boxer and Clover would harness themselves to the cutter or the horse-rake (no bits or reins were needed in these days, of course) and tramp steadily round and round the field with a pig walking behind and calling out “Gee up, comrade!” or “Whoa back, comrade!” as the case might be.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (Character: The Narrator about Boxer and Clover), Chapter 3, Page 28
“Clover learnt the whole alphabet, but could not put words together.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (Character: The Narrator about Clover), Chapter 3, Page 33
“One day, as Mollie strolled blithely into the yard, flirting her long tail and chewing at a stalk of hay, Clover took her aside.
“Mollie,” she said, “I have something very serious to say to you. This morning I saw you looking over the hedge that divides Animal Farm from Foxwood. One of Mr. Pilkington’s men was standing on the other side of the hedge. And-I was a long way away, but I am almost certain I saw this-he was talking to you and you were allowing him to stroke your nose. What does that mean, Mollie?”
“He didn’t! I wasn’t! It isn’t true!” cried Mollie, beginning to prance about and paw the ground.
“Mollie! Look me in the face. Do you give me your word of honour that that man was not stroking your nose?”
“It isn’t true!” repeated Mollie, but she could not look Clover in the face, and the next moment she took to her heels and galloped away into the field.
A thought struck Clover. Without saying anything to the others, she went to Mollie’s stall and turned over the straw with her hoof. Hidden under the straw was a little pile of lump sugar and several bunches of ribbon of different colours.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (Character: Clover and Mollie), Chapter 5, Pages 45, 46
“Clover warned him sometimes to be careful not to overstrain himself, but Boxer would never listen to her. His two slogans, “I will work harder” and “Napoleon is always right,”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (Character: About Clover and Boxer), Chapter 6, Page 61
“…some of the animals were disturbed when they heard that the pigs not only took their meals in the kitchen and used the drawing-room as a recreation room, but also slept in the beds. Boxer passed it off as usual with “Napoleon is always right!”, but Clover, who thought she remembered a definite ruling against beds, went to the end of the barn and tried to puzzle out the Seven Commandments which were inscribed there. Finding herself unable to read more than individual letters, she fetched Muriel.
“Muriel,” she said, “read me the Fourth Commandment. Does it not say something about never sleeping in a bed?”
With some difficulty Muriel spelt it out. “It says, ‘No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets,”‘ she announced finally. Curiously enough, Clover had not remembered that the Fourth Commandment mentioned sheets; but as it was there on the wall, it must have done so. And Squealer, who happened to be passing at this moment, attended by two or three dogs, was able to put the whole matter in its proper perspective.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (Character: The Narrator about Clover and Boxer), Chapter 6, Pages 66, 67
“Only Boxer and Clover never lost heart.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (Character: The Narrator about Clover and Boxer), Chapter 7, Page 74
“The animals huddled about Clover, not speaking.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (Character: The Narrator about Clover and Boxer), Chapter 7, Page 86
“As Clover looked down the hillside her eyes filled with tears. If she could have spoken her thoughts, it would have been to say that this was not what they had aimed at when they had set themselves years ago to work for the overthrow of the human race. These scenes of terror and slaughter were not what they had looked forward to on that night when old Major first stirred them to rebellion. If she herself had had any picture of the future, it had been of a society of animals set free from hunger and the whip, all equal, each working according to his capacity, the strong protecting the weak, as she had protected the lost brood of ducklings with her foreleg on the night of Major’s speech. Instead–she did not know why–they had come to a time when no one dared speak his mind, when fierce, growling dogs roamed everywhere, and when you had to watch your comrades torn to pieces after confessing to shocking crimes. There was no thought of rebellion or disobedience in her mind. She knew that, even as things were, they were far better off than they had been in the days of Jones, and that before all else it was needful to prevent the return of the human beings. Whatever happened she would remain faithful, work hard, carry out the orders that were given to her, and accept the leadership of Napoleon. But still, it was not for this that she and all the other animals had hoped and toiled.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (The narrator about Clover), Chapter 7, Pages 86, 87
“Such were her thoughts, though she lacked the words to express them.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (The narrator about Clover), Chapter 7, Page 87
“Clover asked Benjamin to read her the Sixth Commandment, and when Benjamin, as usual, said that he refused to meddle in such matters, she fetched Muriel. Muriel read the Commandment for her. It ran: “No animal shall kill any other animal without cause.” Somehow or other, the last two words had slipped out of the animals’ memory. But they saw now that the Commandment had not been violated; for clearly there was good reason for killing the traitors who had leagued themselves with Snowball.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (The narrator about Clover), Chapter 8, Pages 91, 92
“BOXER’S split hoof was a long time in healing. They had started the rebuilding of the windmill the day after the victory celebrations were ended Boxer refused to take even a day off work, and made it a point of honour not to let it be seen that he was in pain. In the evenings he would admit privately to Clover that the hoof troubled him a great deal. Clover treated the hoof with poultices of herbs which she prepared by chewing them, and both she and Benjamin urged Boxer to work less hard. “A horse’s lungs do not last for ever,” she said to him.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (The narrator about Clover, Boxer, and Benjamin), Chapter 9, Page 111
“Boxer and Clover always carried between them a green banner marked with the hoof and the horn and the caption, “Long live Comrade Napoleon! ”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (The narrator about Clover and Boxer), Chapter 9, Page 116
“Once again Clover and Benjamin warned him to take care of his health,”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (The narrator about Clover and Boxer), Chapter 9, Page 119
“Boxer!” she cried, “how are you?”
“It is my lung,” said Boxer in a weak voice. “It does not matter. I think you will be able to finish the windmill without me. There is a pretty good store of stone accumulated. I had only another month to go in any case. To tell you the truth, I had been looking forward to my retirement. And perhaps, as Benjamin is growing old too, they will let him retire at the same time and be a companion to me.”
“We must get help at once,” said Clover. “Run, somebody, and tell Squealer what has happened.”
All the other animals immediately raced back to the farmhouse to give Squealer the news. Only Clover remained, and Benjamin7 who lay down at Boxer’s side, and, without speaking, kept the flies off him with his long tail. After about a quarter of an hour Squealer appeared, full of sympathy and concern. He said that Comrade Napoleon had learned with the very deepest distress of this misfortune to one of the most loyal workers on the farm, and was already making arrangements to send Boxer to be treated in the hospital at Willingdon. The animals felt a little uneasy at this. Except for Mollie and Snowball, no other animal had ever left the farm, and they did not like to think of their sick comrade in the hands of human beings. However, Squealer easily convinced them that the veterinary surgeon in Willingdon could treat Boxer’s case more satisfactorily than could be done on the farm. And about half an hour later, when Boxer had somewhat recovered, he was with difficulty got on to his feet, and managed to limp back to his stall, where Clover and Benjamin had prepared a good bed of straw for him.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (Clover and Boxer), Chapter 9, Pages 119-20
“For the next two days Boxer remained in his stall. The pigs had sent out a large bottle of pink medicine which they had found in the medicine chest in the bathroom, and Clover administered it to Boxer twice a day”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (Clover and Boxer), Chapter 9, Page 120
“However, Benjamin and Clover could only be with Boxer after working hours, and it was in the middle of the day when the van came to take him away.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (About Clover, Benjamin, and Boxer), Chapter 9, Page 121
“A cry of horror burst from all the animals. At this moment the man on the box whipped up his horses and the van moved out of the yard at a smart trot. All the animals followed, crying out at the tops of their voices. Clover forced her way to the front. The van began to gather speed. Clover tried to stir her stout limbs to a gallop, and achieved a canter. “Boxer!” she cried. “Boxer! Boxer! Boxer!” And just at this moment, as though he had heard the uproar outside, Boxer’s face, with the white stripe down his nose, appeared at the small window at the back of the van.
“Boxer!” cried Clover in a terrible voice. “Boxer! Get out! Get out quickly! They’re taking you to your death!”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (Clover and Boxer), Chapter 9, Page 122-23
“YEARS passed. The seasons came and went, the short animal lives fled by. A time came when there was no one who remembered the old days before the Rebellion, except Clover, Benjamin, Moses the raven, and a number of the pigs.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (Clover and Boxer), Chapter 10, Page 127
“Clover was an old stout mare now, stiff in the joints and with a tendency to rheumy eyes. She was two years past the retiring age, but in fact no animal had ever actually retired.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (The Narrator about Clover), Chapter 10, Page 127
“They accepted everything that they were told about the Rebellion and the principles of Animalism, especially from Clover, for whom they had an almost filial respect; but it was doubtful whether they understood very much of it.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (The Narrator about Clover), Chapter 10, Page 128
“It was just after the sheep had returned, on a pleasant evening when the animals had finished work and were making their way back to the farm buildings, that the terrified neighing of a horse sounded from the yard. Startled, the animals stopped in their tracks. It was Clover’s voice. She neighed again, and all the animals broke into a gallop and rushed into the yard. Then they saw what Clover had seen. It was a pig walking on his hind legs.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (The Narrator About Clover), Chapter 10, Page 128
“It was just after the sheep had returned, on a pleasant evening when the animals had finished work and were making their way back to the farm buildings, that the terrified neighing of a horse sounded from the yard. Startled, the animals stopped in their tracks. It was Clover’s voice. She neighed again, and all the animals broke into a gallop and rushed into
the yard. Then they saw what Clover had seen. It was a pig walking on his hind legs.”~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (The Narrator about Clover), Chapter 10, Page 132
“Benjamin felt a nose nuzzling at his shoulder. He looked round. It was Clover. Her old eyes looked dimmer than ever. Without saying anything, she tugged gently at his mane and led him round to the end of the big barn, where the Seven Commandments were written. For a
minute or two they stood gazing at the tatted wall with its white lettering.“My sight is failing,” she said finally. “Even when I was young I could not have read what was written there. But it appears to me that that wall looks different. Are the Seven Commandments the same as they used to be, Benjamin?”
For once Benjamin consented to break his rule, and he read out to her what was written on the wall. There was nothing there now except a single Commandment. It ran:
ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL
BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (The Narrator about Clover and Benjamon), Chapter 10, Page 134
“At the gate they paused, half frightened to go on but Clover led the way in.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (The Narrator about Clover and Benjamon), Chapter 10, Page 136
“There was the same hearty cheering as before, and the mugs were emptied to the dregs. But as the animals outside gazed at the scene, it seemed to them that some strange thing was happening. What was it that had altered in the faces of the pigs? Clover’s old dim eyes flitted from one face to another. Some of them had five chins, some had four, some had three. But what was it that seemed to be melting and changing? Then, the applause having come to an end, the company took up their cards and continued the game that had been interrupted, and the animals crept silently away.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm, (The Narrator about Clover and Benjamon), Chapter 10, Pages 140-41