In Animal Farm, which worker is most admired and why?
Boxer, the cart horse, is the most admired of the workers. Although he is not very intelligent and can't get beyond learning the letter "D" in the alphabet, he works harder than the other animals. In fact, he adopts as one of his mottos, "I will work harder."
Early on, the story describes him as follows:
Boxer was the admiration of everybody. He had been a hard worker even in Jones's time, but now he seemed more like three horses than one; there were days when the entire work of the farm seemed to rest on his mighty shoulders. From morning to night he was pushing and pulling, always at the spot where the work was hardest. He had made an arrangement with one of the cockerels to call him in the mornings half an hour earlier than anyone else, and would put in some volunteer labour at whatever...
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seemed to be most needed, before the regular day's work began.
Along with being such a hard worker, Boxer is a true believer in Animalism, and this sincerity wins the respect of the other animals. Boxer has heart and is able to rally the others to work harder for the cause.
Unfortunately, Boxer's lack of intelligence causes him to be misled by Napoleon and the other pigs, who take advantage of his work ethic and idealism. Boxer has moments of doubt about the pigs, such as when he learns that Napoleon and the other pigs are sleeping in beds in the farmhouse, but rather than question what is happening, he adopts the motto that "Napoleon is always right." Because of his stature, Boxer's support of Napoleon influences the other animals to fall in line.
In the end, the other animals experience some heartbreak when they learn that old, worn-out Boxer, who long believed he would get to retire to a pleasant meadow, is sold by the pigs to the glue factory, a deep betrayal of both Boxer and Animalism. Through it all, Boxer remains beloved by the other worker animals.