Boxer, the great pillar of the workingman's strength and
commitment, is ultimately betrayed by the pigs, the primary benefactors of his
dedication and work ethic. Far worse than simply allowing him to retire, or even to die
amongst his friends (though his wounds were surely not fatal), the pigs sell him “for
parts” and use the proceeds to buy alcohol. The pigs then tell the other animals that
boxer died praising the farm.
This scene shows the
disparity between what should be and what is on the farm. In a just society, those who
believe in the society and work for it should be cared for and supported out of respect
for their commitment, especially if they sacrifice their health for it. Under the rule
of the pigs, animals are worth only what they have to offer to the community. In
Boxer's case, once he had worked himself into decrepitude, his value was diminished to
the price that his body would fetch for glue and the propaganda that the pigs could
build based upon his martyrdom.
We feel sympathy for Boxer
because of the tremendous injustice done to him by his those who benefited from his
labor (according to Dante, the lowest circle of Hell is reserved for those who betray
their benefactors). We are sad because Boxer is one of the most likeable characters in
the story. And finally, we are angered by Boxer's fate because people mostly believe in
a fair and ordered universe in which good deeds are rewarded and evil deeds are
punished. Instead, in Boxer's case, as in Snowball's, and, in fact, through the rest of
the story, we are denied the moment of terrible retribution and justice that is well
deserved by the pigs. We are denied the sight of Napoleon's head being paraded through
the streets of Paris or Squealer being tried at Nuremberg. The bad guys win, and the
world is poorer for it.
No comments:
Post a Comment