Skip to main content

In Animal Farm, Moses is allowed to return to the farm. What does he have to say? How do the animals respond?

Moses is a tame raven who lives on Manor Farm before the animals take over. Mr. Jones treats him like a pet and feeds him bread crusts, but most of the animals hate him because he does no useful work and produces nothing of value. He is known for being a spy and telling tales:


He claimed to know of the existence of a mysterious country called Sugarcandy Mountain, to which all animals went when they died. It was situated somewhere up in the sky, a little distance beyond the clouds, Moses said. In Sugarcandy Mountain it was Sunday seven days a week, clover was in season all the year round, and lump sugar and linseed cake grew on the hedges...



Although most of the animals resent him, some believe his stories about Sugarcandy Mountain. The pigs consider Sugarcandy Mountain to be a myth that is antithetical to the teachings of Animalism, and with some difficulty they manage to convince the other animals of this.


When the animals revolt, Moses flees with Mrs. Jones, and he is not seen again until the end of the novel, when he reappears spreading the same tales of Sugarcandy Mountain. The pigs still claim to loathe him, but they tolerate his presence and even give him a weekly ration. As for the others,



Many of the animals believed him. Their lives now, they reasoned, were hungry and laborious; was it not right and just that a better world should exist somewhere else?



The character of Moses represents religion, specifically the Russian Orthodox Church. The first communists believed that religion was a tool that the ruling class used to keep the lower classes in line, as expressed by Karl Marx in his famous statement that “religion is the opiate of the masses.” Just as the communists thought that the hope of heaven was a dream that kept the poor and downtrodden workers from trying to improve their lot on Earth, so the pigs thought that Moses’ “Sugarcandy Mountain” was a distraction from the work of creating an animal-run utopian farm. 


Once Napoleon has taken over and the pigs give up on an egalitarian utopia in favor of accumulating power and wealth, however, they allow Moses to return and preach a message that will give the animals hope despite their present situation. They keep and feed Moses just as Jones did, because he is useful to them, and because in many ways they have become just like Jones.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...