What makes Boxer so lovable is his innocence. He naturally sees the good in every animal, even Napoleon and his gang. A fundamentally decent creature—if not especially bright—Boxer has no conception of any animal behaving like the hated human oppressor. This makes him the perfect comrade in the struggle for Animalism. Who wouldn't want to have Boxer alongside them in the trenches?
Unfortunately, this unwavering commitment to the cause also proves his undoing, as the pigs are able to exploit Boxer's steadfast loyalty to the regime on order to consolidate their control over the other animals. As the other animals naturally look up to Boxer, they tend to follow his lead; if he goes along with whatever the regime's doing then they'll do the same.
More than anything else, it's the absolute trust he places in the regime is what that makes Boxer distinctively human. After all, Boxer is meant to represent the relatively docile Russian proletariat which went along with the Bolsheviks, even when it became clear that they were building a terrorist dictatorship rather than the workers' paradise they'd promised.
Boxer appeals to the reader as a father or uncle figure. He is most notable for his dedication, loyalty, and generosity. His naivete and trust may be partly due to his limited intellect.
Boxer plays an important role in helping keep the others going. He shares food when others need it, both due to his own generosity and from embracing the ideology of equality.
He is a good guy to have on your team as he always pulls his weight. He is also physically strong, but that combined with limited perceptiveness makes him vulnerable. Some consider him to only be good for physical labor and eventually betray him when it appears that his usefulness has run out.
His good qualities, especially trust and loyalty, can be shortcomings, as well. He truly believes, as he often says, that “Napoleon is always right.”
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