How is Snowball smart?

In George Orwell's novella, Animal Farm, Snowball is one of the pigs who helps organize the rebellion against Farmer Jones. In appearances, Snowball is friendly and jovial, and he does not seem like a threat to the other animals because of his friendly nature.
In Chapter 2, "Snowball was a more vivacious pig than Napoleon, quicker in speech and more inventive, but was not considered to have the same depth of character."
It is Snowball who helps set up the Seven Commandments and also helps change the Seven Commandments to better benefit the pigs. His friendly, jovial nature is what makes it easier for him to convince the other animals that the pigs are needed for the brainwork on the farm.
While Snowball isn't around by the time Napoleon turns the farm into a dictatorship, it was Snowball's social/emotional intelligence that helped make it possible. Snowball was smart about how to manipulate those on the farm while seeming friendly and supportive.


Snowball demonstrates his genius by first helping develop a system of thought based off of Old Major's teachings known as Animalism, which promotes solidarity and camaraderie among all animals. After learning how to read and write, Snowball demonstrates his intelligence and determination by educating the other animals on the farm. He not only teaches some of the animals how to read and write, Snowball also educates them on the system of Animalism. Once Mr. Jones is initially expelled, Snowball develops intricate plans to build a windmill, which will dramatically increase the efficiency of the farm and improve the standard of living. Snowball's blueprints are difficult to read and highlight his engineering intelligence. Snowball also takes it upon himself to create numerous committees in order to get the other animals involved in making significant decisions on the farm. Snowball once again demonstrates his intelligence by studying an old book on Julius Caesar's campaigns and develops an effective strategy to repel Mr. Jones's attack during the Battle of the Cowshed.

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