Pigs:
- Pigs are portrayed as the ruling class of the farm after the rebellion against Mr. Jones. They represent the communist leaders who seized power in the Soviet Union after the Russian Revolution.
- The pigs are intelligent and manipulative, taking advantage of the other animals' trust to consolidate their authority.
- As the story progresses, the pigs become more and more like the humans they initially revolted against, adopting human-like behaviors such as walking upright and carrying whips.
- The pigs engage in propaganda, controlling the dissemination of information and manipulating language to maintain power and control.
- The pigs ultimately transform into selfish, corrupt, and oppressive leaders, representing the degeneration of revolutionary ideals into a totalitarian regime.
Ravens:
- The ravens in Animal Farm are associated with the character of Moses, a charismatic bird who tells stories of a faraway paradise called Sugarcandy Mountain.
- Moses represents religion and the allure of a better future, but his stories are ultimately revealed to be deceptive.
- The ravens act as messengers, spreading Moses' propaganda among the animals, offering false hope to distract them from the harsh reality of their existence on the farm.
- The ravens symbolize false prophets or religious leaders who exploit people's faith for their own gain, diverting attention from the true issues at hand.
- By using the ravens to represent religion, Orwell highlights the dangers of blind belief and emphasizes the importance of critical thinking.
Collectively, the pigs and ravens serve as allegorical figures that mirror real-world political and societal dynamics, exploring themes of power, corruption, manipulation, and the manipulation of belief systems for personal gain.