Sugar lumps, ribbons, and a longing for human attention.
Mollie the cart-horse represents a distinct challenge to the revolutionary spirit in George Orwell’s Animal Farm.
Symbolizing the bourgeoisie or aristocracy uncomfortable with the revolution’s demands, Mollie prioritizes vanity and material comfort over the collective ideals of Animalism.
Her inability, or unwillingness, to adapt highlights the clash between individual desire and communal sacrifice.
We’ve gathered 12 Mollie quotes with page numbers, focusing on her defining characteristics, resistance to the new regime, and departure. These selections reveal Orwell’s commentary on materialism and the varied reactions to revolutionary change.
Heads up! Page numbers reference the Signet edition noted below.
Mollie’s Vanity & Materialism
Mollie’s primary concerns revolve around her appearance and the creature comforts she enjoyed under human rule. She views the revolution through personal loss rather than collective gain.
“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.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Mollie, Chapter 1, Pages 5-6)
Orwell introduces Mollie, emphasizing her vanity (“pretty,” “flirting,” “hoping to draw attention”) and attachment to symbols of human indulgence (sugar, ribbons), establishing her character priorities early.
“The stupidest questions of all were asked by Mollie, the white mare.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Mollie, Chapter 2, Page 16)
The narrator directly dismisses Mollie’s concerns as “stupid,” reflecting the revolutionary viewpoint that prioritizes ideology over personal comfort or questions deemed frivolous.
“Will there still be sugar after the Rebellion?”…“And shall I still be allowed to wear ribbons in my mane?” asked Mollie.
(Speaker: Mollie to Snowball, Chapter 2, Page 17)
Mollie’s first questions about the revolution reveal that her core concerns are not freedom or equality, but retaining the luxuries (sugar, ribbons) associated with her previous life under human rule.
“Mollie agreed [with Snowball about liberty being worth more than ribbons], but she did not sound very convinced.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Mollie, Chapter 2, Page 17)
Her reluctant agreement highlights her inability to truly embrace the revolution’s abstract ideals when they conflict with her desire for personal adornment and comfort.
“Mollie refused to learn any but the six letters which spelt her own name. She would form these very neatly out of pieces of twig, and would then decorate them with a flower or two and walk round them admiring them.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Mollie, Chapter 3, Page 33)
Mollie’s approach to literacy stresses her self-absorption; she engages only enough to recognize her name and transforms even learning into an act of vanity.
Mollie’s character consistently prioritizes superficial concerns and personal comforts over the collective struggle or ideological principles of the Rebellion.
Mollie’s Evasion, Betrayal & Departure
Unwilling to adapt to the hard work and austerity of Animal Farm, Mollie shirks her duties, secretly interacts with humans, and chooses to leave the farm for a life that offers the human comforts she craves.
“Mollie, it was true, was not good at getting up in the mornings, and had a way of leaving work early on the ground that there was a stone in her hoof.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Mollie, Chapter 3, Page 30)
Her excuses for avoiding labor reveal her lack of commitment to the collective effort and her resistance to the farm’s demanding new work ethic.
“…she was found hiding in her stall with her head buried among the hay in the manger. She had taken to flight as soon as the gun went off.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Mollie, Chapter 4, Page 44)
During the critical Battle of the Cowshed, Mollie prioritizes self-preservation and fear over solidarity, abandoning the collective defense effort.
“Mollie,” she [Clover] said, “…This morning I saw you looking over the hedge… One of Mr. Pilkington’s men was standing on the other side… he was talking to you and you were allowing him to stroke your nose…?” “He didn’t! I wasn’t! It isn’t true!” cried Mollie…”
(Dialogue: Clover and Mollie, Chapter 5, Page 45)
Mollie’s panicked denial when confronted by Clover confirms her secret interactions with humans, a betrayal of Animalism’s core principle of enmity towards Man.
“Hidden under the straw was a little pile of lump sugar and several bunches of ribbon of different colours.”
(Speaker: Narrator describing Clover’s discovery, Chapter 5, Page 46)
The discovery of the forbidden sugar and ribbons provides concrete evidence of Mollie’s transgression and her continued longing for the forbidden luxuries of the past.
“Three days later Mollie disappeared… the pigeons reported that they had seen her… between the shafts of a smart dogcart… A fat red-faced man… was stroking her nose and feeding her with sugar… She appeared to be enjoying herself…”
(Speaker: Narrator about Mollie, Chapter 5, Pages 46-47)
Mollie eventually defects, choosing the perceived comforts and human attention offered outside the farm over the hardships and ideals of Animalism. Her apparent enjoyment signifies her complete rejection of the revolution.
Mollie’s departure represents the incompatibility of bourgeois values with revolutionary austerity and personal comfort over collective ideals.
Conclusion: Vanity Over Revolution
Mollie is a clear symbol in Animal Farm of the superficiality and materialism Orwell associated with the bourgeoisie.
Uninterested in the political ideals of the Rebellion, she remains fixated on personal niceties like sugar and ribbons, symbols of her previous life under human pampering.
Her laziness, vanity, and eventual desertion illustrate the resistance of certain classes to revolutionary change, particularly when it demands sacrifice and austerity.
Mollie’s choice to return to serving humans highlights comfort’s allure over ideology for some. The farm quickly forgets her absence, signifying the revolution’s intolerance for dissent or deviation.
Explore All Animal Farm Analysis
A Note on Page Numbers & Edition:
Just as Mollie preferred ribbons over rules, page numbers for George Orwell’s Animal Farm can shift between editions! These 12 page numbers reference the widely used Signet 50th Anniversary paperback edition (April 6, 2004), ISBN-13: 978-0451526342. Always double-check against your specific copy when citing for academic work—ensure your references are as meticulously placed as Mollie’s hair ribbons!
Jeremy Mortis, founder of Ageless Investing, applies a rigorous analytical approach (the AAM framework) to distill timeless wisdom and contextualized quotes from classic literature, saving you time while deepening understanding. Learn more about Jeremy’s unique background and methodology on his author bio page.