He was the revolution’s brilliant strategist, the idealist, the orator, and the exile.
Snowball, the pig representing Leon Trotsky in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, embodies the tragic trajectory of revolutionary fervor crushed by ruthless ambition.
Initially driving the farm’s progress with intellect and vision, Snowball’s clash with the cunning Napoleon reveals the fatal struggle between ideology and brute power.
Discover Snowball’s impact through these 22 essential quotes with page numbers, showcasing his vision, leadership, military prowess, and eventual role as the regime’s perpetual scapegoat.
Snowball’s Idealism & Vision for the Future
Snowball genuinely champions the principles of Animalism, dreaming of a modernized farm where animals are liberated not just from humans, but from toil itself through education and technology.
“Can you not understand that liberty is worth more than ribbons?”
(Speaker: Snowball to Mollie, Chapter 2, Page 17)
Snowball’s question highlights the revolution’s initial ideological focus, prioritizing abstract freedom over the material comforts Mollie represents.
THE SEVEN COMMANDMENTS 1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. 2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend. 3. No animal shall wear clothes. 4. No animal shall sleep in a bed. 5. No animal shall drink alcohol. 6. No animal shall kill any other animal. 7. All animals are equal.
(Written by Snowball, based on Old Major/Pig Committee, Chapter 2, Pages 24-25)
Snowball codifies the revolution’s foundational principles, establishing the legal framework that Napoleon’s regime will later systematically dismantle.
“Snowball also busied himself with organizing the other animals into what he called Animal Committees… On the whole these projects were a failure.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Snowball, Chapter 3, Page 32)
This illustrates Snowball’s belief in civic organization and education as tools for progress, though it also points to the practical difficulties or apathy hindering his grand plans.
“After much thought Snowball declared that the Seven Commandments could in effect be reduced to a single maxim, namely: “Four legs good, two legs bad.””
(Speaker: Narrator about Snowball, Chapter 3, Pages 33-34)
His attempt to simplify Animalism for broader understanding unintentionally creates a slogan ripe for manipulation, revealing the potential dangers of oversimplification.
“The distinguishing mark of man is the hand, the instrument with which he does all his mischief.”
(Speaker: Snowball, Chapter 3, Page 34)
Snowball defines the enemy through a tangible symbol of capability and oppression (the hand), ironically foreshadowing the pigs’ later mimicry of human actions.
“Snowball declared that this was just the place for a windmill… they listened in astonishment while Snowball conjured up pictures of fantastic machines which would do their work for them…”
(Speaker: Narrator about Snowball, Chapter 5, Pages 48-49)
The windmill project represents Snowball’s forward-thinking vision—a belief in technological progress for less labor and a better life quality for all animals.
Snowball’s faith in progress and revolutionary ideals defines his leadership style, setting him on a collision course with Napoleon.
Snowball as Orator & Organizer
Gifted with intelligence and eloquence, Snowball excels at planning, organizing farm activities, and persuading the animals through reasoning and compelling speeches.
“…it was Snowball who was best at writing…”
(Speaker: Narrator about Snowball, Chapter 2, Page 23)
This establishes Snowball’s intellectual advantage and key role in articulating and recording the revolution’s initial laws and identity.
“Then Snowball (for it was Snowball who was best at writing) took a brush between the two knuckles of his trotter, painted out MANOR FARM… and in its place painted ANIMAL FARM.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Snowball, Chapter 2, Pages 23-24)
Snowball performs the crucial symbolic act of renaming the farm, using his practical skills to solidify the break from the past and establish the new revolutionary identity.
“Every day Snowball and Napoleon sent out flights of pigeons whose instructions were to mingle with the other animals on neighbouring farms, tell them the story of the Rebellion, and teach them the Beasts of England.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Snowball and Napoleon, Chapter 4, Page 37)
Snowball actively spreads the revolutionary ideology, demonstrating his commitment to the cause beyond the farm’s borders, in the early phase.
“At the Meetings Snowball often won over the majority with his brilliant speeches, but Napoleon was better at canvassing support for himself in between times.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Snowball, Chapter 5, Page 47)
Orwell contrasts Snowball’s reliance on public oratory and reasoned debate with Napoleon’s preference for behind-the-scenes maneuvering and building loyal factions. See how Napoleon’s cunning contrasted with Snowball’s speeches.
“Until now the animals had been about equally divided in their sympathies, but in a moment Snowball’s eloquence had carried them away.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Snowball, Chapter 5, Page 52)
This highlights Snowball’s persuasive power in open debate, showing his ability to inspire the animals with his vision right before Napoleon resorts to force.
“The animals listened first to Napoleon, then to Snowball, and could not make up their minds which was right; indeed, they always found themselves in agreement with the one who was speaking at the moment.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Snowball and Napoleon, Chapter 5, Page 51)
This reveals a critical weakness in the animals that limits Snowball’s effectiveness: their susceptibility to persuasion without forming independent convictions.
While a skilled organizer and speaker, Snowball’s reliance on reason and open debate proves insufficient against Napoleon’s cunning and force.
Snowball as Military Strategist & Hero
Snowball demonstrates strategic thinking and personal bravery during the Battle of the Cowshed, applying lessons from human military history to defend the farm against invasion.
“Snowball, who had studied an old book of Julius Caesar’s campaigns which he had found in the farmhouse, was in charge of the defensive operations…”
(Speaker: Narrator about Snowball, Chapter 4, Page 40)
Snowball’s study and application of human military tactics showcase his intelligence and dedication to protecting the farm through organized defense.
“As soon as they were well inside the yard… Snowball now gave the signal for the charge. He himself dashed straight for Jones.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Snowball, Chapter 4, Page 41)
Snowball leads the crucial counter-attack personally, demonstrating bravery by directly confronting the farm’s former human master.
“The pellets scored bloody streaks along Snowball’s back… Without halting for a second, Snowball flung fifteen stone against Jones’s legs.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Snowball, Chapter 4, Pages 41-42)
Even wounded, Snowball presses the attack, displaying considerable courage and commitment in the heat of battle.
“The only good human being is a dead one.”
(Speaker: Snowball, Chapter 4, Page 43)
This harsh declaration, made immediately after the battle, reflects Snowball’s adoption of a necessary wartime ruthlessness and commitment to the revolution’s anti-human stance.
“’No sentimentality, comrade! cried Snowball, from whose wounds the blood was still dripping. ‘War is war. The only good human being is a dead one.’”
(Speaker: Snowball, Chapter 4, Page 43)
Snowball dismisses Boxer’s remorse over the stunned stable boy, prioritizing the perceived necessities of revolutionary conflict over individual compassion.
“The animals decided unanimously to create a military decoration, “Animal Hero, First Class,” which was conferred there and then on Snowball and Boxer.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Snowball and Boxer, Chapter 4, Page 44)
Snowball’s tactical brilliance and bravery are immediately recognized and honored by the animals, solidifying his status as a key hero of the revolution—a status later completely erased by propaganda.
Napoleon must rewrite history as Snowball’s undeniable heroism during the Battle of the Cowshed contrasts with the later propaganda that paints him as a traitor from the start.
Snowball as Scapegoat
After Napoleon violently expels him, Snowball is systematically transformed into an invisible, omnipresent enemy, blamed for every setback and used to justify the pigs’ tightening grip on power.
“Suppose you had decided to follow Snowball, with his moonshine of windmills-Snowball, who, as we now know, was no better than a criminal?”
(Speaker: Squealer about Snowball, Chapter 5, Page 55)
Squealer begins the campaign to demonize Snowball almost immediately after his exile, retroactively labeling his visionary project as foolish and criminal.
“He assured them that the resolution against engaging in trade and using money had never been passed… It was pure imagination, probably traceable in the beginning to lies circulated by Snowball.”
(Speaker: Narrator reporting Squealer’s words about Snowball, Chapter 6, Page 64)
Snowball becomes the convenient source of any inconvenient historical truths the pigs wish to erase, blaming him for the animals’ accurate memories.
“If a window was broken or a drain was blocked up, someone was certain to say that Snowball had come in the night and done it… Curiously enough, they went on believing this even after the mislaid key was found under a sack of meal.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Snowball), Chapter 7, Page 78)
The scapegoating reaches absurd lengths, with Snowball blamed for random accidents, showing how persistent propaganda can override logic and foster paranoia.
“When it was all over, the remaining animals… did not know which was more shocking – the treachery of the animals who had leagued themselves with Snowball, or the cruel retribution they had just witnessed…”
(Speaker: Narrator about Snowball), Chapter 7, Pages 84-85)
Even during the horrific purges, the official narrative successfully frames the victims as collaborators with the demonized Snowball, shaping how the terror is understood.
By relentlessly blaming Snowball, Napoleon deflects responsibility, justifies oppression, and unifies the animals against a phantom enemy, solidifying his power.
Conclusion: The Revolution’s Exiled Idealist
Snowball embodies the intellectual energy and idealistic hope of the early Animal Farm revolution. His intelligence, organizational drive, and genuine belief in Animalism initially position him as a key leader.
Yet, his strengths—eloquence, vision, adherence to debate—become liabilities in the face of Napoleon’s ruthless pragmatism and deployment of brute force.
Driven into exile, Snowball is chillingly transformed by propaganda into a ubiquitous traitor, a convenient scapegoat for every failure of Napoleon’s regime.
His story is a potent allegorical warning about how intellectualism and idealism can be crushed by totalitarian power, and how history can be rewritten to serve the victors. His absence underscores the revolution’s tragic failure to live up to its promise.
Explore All Animal Farm Analysis
A Note on Page Numbers & Edition:
Like Snowball’s plans being erased from the barn floor by Napoleon, page numbers for George Orwell’s Animal Farm can shift and change with different editions! These 22 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 evidence is accurately represented and hasn’t been ‘adjusted’.
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.