Mollie and Vanity (Q2: 4)

"'And will I still be allowed to wear ribbons in my mane?' asked Mollie.
'Comrade,' said Snowball, 'those ribbons that you are so devoted to are the badge of slavery. Can you not understand that liberty is worth more than ribbons?'" (27)

This quote uses dialogue to illustrate Mollie's devotion to her decorative attire. Also, Snowball uses symbolism when saying that the ribbons represented slavery.

I chose this quote because Mollie is an interesting symbol in the story, and her central conflict is set up here; between her silly trifles and liberty.

Analysis: Mollie stands for Western vanity, and those who cling to empty amenities while remaining subservient. The question is, why do the animals want Mollie to agree with them so badly? Is freedom more important than happiness? I feel like happiness should be the ultimate goal of all people. What use is there to struggle and trudge through misery for an abstract and relative state of being when you would have been happier just as you are? Many would say, especially Revolutionaries of history, that they fight and struggle for the potential to have greater happiness than they have at the moment. This is a fair response, but if you go as far as to revolt, or even to consider that you are not as happy as you could be, then you must on some level be dissatisfied. That is what Capitalism is based on, dissatisfaction, or as its more positive connotation is known, ambition. Communism relies on people being satisfied with their basic needs and the satisfaction of a good day's work. That is why Communism is a practical impossibility; Capitalism is the natural state of humanity, and nature in general.