An Analysis of Napoleon’s Tripartite Personality in Animal Farm from the Perspective of Psychoanalysis

Animal Farm is the masterpiece of George Orwell. It tells an allegory that animals successfully revolutionized their farm by driving out their human owners and establishing an equal animal’s society. However, the animal leader Napoleon eventually usurped the fruits of the revolution and became even more dictatorial and totalitarian rulers than their human masters. This paper will analyze the characteristics of Napoleon from the perspective of tripartite personality theory. Through the analysis on the plots of this novel, and the certain sentences about Napoleon, we can conclude that his id selfish and hypocritical, his ego is intelligent and self-willed, his superego is morally bankrupt. All his characteristics tell that Napoleon is a tyrannical but successful emperor.