Snowball (Animal Farm)

Snowball is a central character in George Orwell's allegorical novella, Animal Farm. He is a pig who, alongside Napoleon, leads the initial rebellion against Mr. Jones, the farmer. Snowball is presented as an intelligent, passionate, and inventive leader. He is inspired by the ideals of Animalism, a philosophy derived from Old Major's teachings, and is focused on improving the lives of all the animals on the farm through education, modernization, and communal living.

Snowball's key initiatives include the windmill project, envisioned as a way to provide electricity and alleviate the animals' workload. He is portrayed as a persuasive speaker and skilled strategist, able to rally support for his ideas through compelling arguments and careful planning.

However, Snowball's idealism and progressive vision clash with the more cunning and power-hungry Napoleon. He becomes Napoleon's rival for control of Animal Farm. This rivalry culminates in Snowball being driven off the farm by Napoleon's trained guard dogs, effectively becoming a scapegoat for all of the farm's problems and failures.

Following his expulsion, Napoleon systematically rewrites history to portray Snowball as a traitor and collaborator with Mr. Jones from the very beginning. This propaganda campaign demonizes Snowball and solidifies Napoleon's absolute power. He becomes a symbol of the dangers of independent thought and the ease with which revolutionary ideals can be corrupted. The character is often interpreted as an allegory for Leon Trotsky in the Russian Revolution.