A Middle White sow, the same breed as Old Major is described as in the book
First appearance
Animal Farm
Created by
George Orwell
Based on
Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin
Voiced by
Maurice Denham (1954 film) Peter Ustinov (1999 film)
In-universe information
Nickname
Willingdon Beauty
Species
Middle White boar
Gender
Male
Occupation
Revolutionary Leader of Animal Farm
Major (also called Willingdon Beauty, his name used when showing) is the first major character described by George Orwell in his 1945 novel Animal Farm. An elderly Middle White boar, his "purebred" of pigs is a kind, grandfatherly philosopher of change.[1][2]
Major proposes a solution to the animals' desperate plight on Manor Farm under the Jones administration and inspires thoughts of a rebellion.[3] He does not specify a time for the rebellion; it could be tomorrow or several generations down the road.[3][4] But when he dies three days after delivering his speech, the animals immediately set to work on bringing about the rebellion,[2] driving Jones and the farmhands off the farm and removing many of the implements of his rule.[4]
The Seven Commandments that Snowball transcribes, which are supposed to encompass Major's general philosophy, are gradually altered and deformed under Napoleon until they have entirely different meanings from those originally intended. "Beasts of England", the song that came to Major in his dream, is later banned on Animal Farm by Napoleon and replaced by "Comrade Napoleon", a hymn composed by Minimus the pig that pledges allegiance to Animal Farm and to work to protect it.[4]
Major's skull is dug up and saluted by the animals every day, even after the rebellion, as a sign of respect that the animals remember their roots and the roots of the Rebellion.[3] Later, after Napoleon decides to accept the humans and strike bargains with them, he announces that the remains are to be disposed of because they represent the old days when Animal Farm was "violent and primitive" toward humans; toward the end of the story, Napoleon announces that he has reburied the skull.[4]
In both film adaptations, Major dies while provoking the animals into rebelling. In the 1954 adaption (voiced by Maurice Denham), he dies suddenly while the animals are singing. In the 1999 version (voiced by Peter Ustinov), Farmer Jones slips in mud while investigating the sounds coming from the barn, setting off his shotgun and indirectly hitting Major in his backside so that he staggers backward and falls from the top of the barn to his death.
Major is broadly based on Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin.[5][1][6]
^ abGhimire, Sushil (1 June 2021). "Animal Imagery in George Orwell's novel 'Animal Farm'". Journal of Balkumari College. 10 (1). Bharatpur, Nepal: 68–72. doi:10.3126/jbkc.v10i1.42105. ISSN 2467-9321.
^ abFajrina, Dian (1 March 2016). "Character Metaphors in George Orwell's Animal Farm". Studies in English Language and Education. 3 (1). Banda Aceh, Indonesia: Universitas Syiah Kuala: 79–88. doi:10.24815/siele.v3i1.3391. ISSN 2355-2794.
^ abcMustafa, Goran Omar; Najmalddin, Rebin (1 June 2019). "The Nature of Revolution on Animal Farm". K@ta. 21 (1). Surabaya, Indonesia: Petra Christian University: 17–23. doi:10.9744/kata.21.1.17-23. ISSN 1411-2639.
^ abcdGuocheng, Ma (22 May 2020). "Symbolism in the Absurdity of Animal Farm" (PDF). The Frontiers of Society, Science and Technology. 2 (3): 35–37. doi:10.25236/FSST.2020.020308 (inactive 31 January 2024). ISSN 2616-7433.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2024 (link)
^"Characters - Revision 2 - GCSE English Literature". BBC Bitesize. BBC. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
^Senn, Samantha (22 September 2015). "All Propaganda is Dangerous, but Some are More Dangerous than Others: George Orwell and the Use of Literature as Propaganda". Journal of Strategic Security. 8 (3 (Supplement: Eleventh Annual IAFIE Conference)). Tampa, Florida: 149–161. doi:10.5038/1944-0472.8.3S.1483. JSTOR 26465253.
Major (also called Willingdon Beauty, his name used when showing) is the first major character described by George Orwell in his 1945 novel Animal Farm...
Major(s) or The Major may also refer to: OldMajor, a pig in Animal Farm MajorMajorMajorMajor, in Catch-22 The Major (Hellsing) Major (Cinderella), a...
irresponsible and alcoholic farmer, Mr. Jones. One night, the exalted boar, OldMajor, holds a conference, at which he calls for the overthrow of humans and...
Pacis. List of Roman women Women in ancient Rome Also known as Octavia Major or Octavia Maior. Suetonius, Life of Augustus 4.1 [1] Syme, Ronald (1978)...
performer Tom Major-Ball (1879–1962), who was 63 years old when Major was born. He was christened "John Roy Major" but only "John Major" was recorded...
Major general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant"...
significantly. Marco is arrested, and when Shaw sees that it is his oldmajor they rekindle their old friendship. Both find love interests: for Marco, it is Rose...
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league and the highest level of organized baseball in the United States and Canada. One of the...
similar to the older, army-level sergeant majors (although obviously on a smaller scale). The older position became known as "sergeant major general" to...
religions and spiritual traditions may be classified into a small number of major groups, though this is not a uniform practice. This theory began in the...
program. Majors was born in Santa Barbara County, California, and spent his early years living with his mother, who is a pastor, his older sister, and...
pectoralis major in 1990. According to Kakulas and Adams, pectoralis major is the most frequently congenitally absent muscle. The case involved a 22-year-old marine...
The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh...
persist to the present day, even if only as licensed use of old popular brand names, today many major appliances are manufactured by companies or divisions...
Major General Smedley Darlington Butler (July 30, 1881 – June 21, 1940), nicknamed the Maverick Marine, was a senior United States Marine Corps officer...
Major Dodson (born July 8, 2003) is an American actor known for his roles on The Walking Dead, American Horror Story and Left Behind. Dodson began acting...
The major prophets is a grouping of books in the Christian Old Testament that does not occur in the Hebrew Bible. All of these books are traditionally...
Ursa Major (/ˈɜːrsə ˈmeɪdʒər/; also known as the Great Bear) is a constellation in the northern sky, whose associated mythology likely dates back into...
tender leaves can be eaten raw, and the older, stringier leaves can be boiled in stews and eaten. Plantago major is a herbaceous, perennial plant with a...
Scott Ian Major (born 4 July 1975) is an Australian actor and TV and film director, known for his roles as Peter Rivers in the 1994 television teen drama...
temperament, a major third is equal to four semitones, a ratio of 21/3:1 (about 1.2599) or 400 cents, 13.69 cents wider than the 5:4 ratio. The older concept...
Dame Norma Christina Elizabeth, Lady Major DBE (née Wagstaff, formerly Johnson; born 12 February 1942) is an English philanthropist who is married to...
Major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, is a mental disorder characterized by at least two weeks of pervasive low mood, low...
Global Information