donkey

The donkey is the oldest animal on Animal Farm and the worst tempered. He seldom talks, and when he does, it is usually to make some cynical remark—for instance, he would say that God had given him a tail to keep the flies off, but that he would sooner have had no tail and no flies. Alone among the animals on the farm he never laughed. If asked why, he would say that he saw nothing to laugh at. Nevertheless, without openly admitting it, he was devoted to Boxer; the two of them usually spent their Sundays together in the small paddock beyond the orchard, grazing side by side and never speaking.

Identity and Character

The donkey is the oldest animal on the farm and the most cynical. He seldom talks, and when he does, it is usually to make some cynical remark—for instance, he would say that God had given him a tail to keep the flies off, but that he would sooner have had no tail and no flies. Alone among the animals on the farm he never laughed. If asked why, he would say that he saw nothing to laugh at. He could read as well as any pig, but never exercised his faculty. So far as he knew, he said, there was nothing worth reading. He did his work in the same slow obstinate way as he had done it in Jones's time, never shirking and never volunteering for extra work either. About the Rebellion and its results he would express no opinion. When asked whether he was not happier now that Jones was gone, he would say only "Donkeys live a long time. None of you has ever seen a dead donkey," and the others had to be content with this cryptic answer.

Role in the Plot

Despite his cynicism, the donkey was devoted to Boxer; the two of them usually spent their Sundays together in the small paddock beyond the orchard, grazing side by side and never speaking. He was the only animal who did not side with either faction in the dispute over the windmill. He refused to believe either that food would become more plentiful or that the windmill would save work. Windmill or no windmill, he said, life would go on as it had always gone on—that is, badly. He refused to grow enthusiastic about the windmill, though, as usual, he would utter nothing beyond the cryptic remark that donkeys live a long time. When the windmill was destroyed by Frederick's men, he was the one who understood what the men were doing—drilling a hole near the base of the windmill to pack blasting powder into it—and nodded his long muzzle with an air almost of amusement, saying "I thought so." When Boxer was taken away in the van from Alfred Simmonds, Horse Slaughterer and Glue Boiler, the donkey was the one who saw the lettering on the side and read it aloud, shouting "Fools! Fools!" and stamping the earth with his small hoofs. He was the one who understood the meaning of the ladder and paint incident, nodding his muzzle with a knowing air, but would say nothing. After Boxer's death, he became more morose and taciturn than ever. Only he professed to remember every detail of his long life and to know that things never had been, nor ever could be much better or much worse—hunger, hardship, and disappointment being, so he said, the unalterable law of life.

Relationships

The donkey's most significant relationship was with Boxer. Without openly admitting it, he was devoted to Boxer; the two of them usually spent their Sundays together in the small paddock beyond the orchard, grazing side by side and never speaking. When Boxer fell, the donkey lay down at his side and, without speaking, kept the flies off him with his long tail. He and Clover could only be with Boxer after working hours, and it was the donkey who came galloping from the direction of the farm buildings, braying at the top of his voice—the first time that anyone had ever seen him gallop—to alert the others that Boxer was being taken away. He also had a relationship with Clover, who tugged gently at his mane and led him to the end of the big barn to read the Seven Commandments. For once he consented to break his rule, and read out to her what was written on the wall: "ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS."

Thematic Significance

The donkey represents the unchanging, pessimistic wisdom that sees through all illusions. His refusal to laugh, his cynical remarks, and his insistence that life will always be bad make him a foil to the other animals' naive hope. He is the only character who consistently sees the truth—that the Rebellion has not changed the fundamental nature of existence—and his silence and cryptic remarks underscore the tragedy of the farm's descent into tyranny. His final act of reading the altered Commandment to Clover reveals the ultimate betrayal of the revolution's ideals, and his unchanging nature throughout the novel serves as a stark reminder that power corrupts regardless of who holds it.