On the surface, Napoleon appears to be a good leader in Animal Farm. He comes to power with the other pigs in Chapter Two, after Mr Jones is overthrown. One of his first acts as a leader is to prioritise the "education of the young" and he puts this belief into action by taking Bluebell and Jessie's puppies and personally overseeing their education (Chapter Three). Napoleon also contributes to the development of Animalism through writing the Seven Commandments and, with Squealer, he changes the name of the farm from Manor Farm to Animal Farm, to reflect the change of ownership (Chapter Two). Along with the other pigs, Napoleon also suggests that one paddock should be separated from the others, as to provide a retirement facility for older animals on the farm, once they are no longer fit for work (Chapter Three).
But, scratch a little deeper, and Napoleon's true colours are soon revealed. His education of the puppies, for example, proves to be no more than the creation of a personal guard which he uses against Snowball (in Chapter Five) and against rebellious animals (in Chapter Seven). He also contravenes many of the principles of Animalism and, in fact, changes some of the commandments to suit his selfish, dictatorial needs. The rule about drinking alcohol, for example, is changed to say that "no animal shall drink alcohol to excess" (Chapter Eight). Similarly, the reader learns that no animal ever makes it to the retirement paddock. In the case of Boxer, for instance, Napoleon sells him to a horse slaughterer. When the other animals see the van, Napoleon has Squealer, his propagandist, tell the animals that the van, in fact, belongs to the vet who has not had time to repaint the sign.
On balance, then, Napoleon is no better at caring for the animals than Mr Jones. The only difference being that Napoleon is far more cunning and skilful in his use of propaganda and concealment.
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