About the Author

George Orwell was born in India in 1903 during the period of the British Raj. He was one of
the most influential writers and thinkers of the 20th century and beyond. Today, Orwell is
best-known for his novels Animal Farm and 1984, as well as his voluminous essays on
politics, history, and social justice.

Orwell’s influence is so significant that the word Orwellian is used to refer to anything that's
dystopian and totalitarian in a similar way as the setting of 1984. Many of the concepts
Orwell introduced have also entered the common vocabulary, including the well-known
term "Big Brother."

Published in 1945, George Orwell's Animal Farm tells the story of a group of farm animals
who stage a revolution and take over their farm. The revolution begins with principled
idealism, but its pig leaders become increasingly corrupt. They soon turn to manipulation
and propaganda in order to maintain power and control, and the farm becomes a
totalitarian regime. With this narrative, Orwell creates a searing political allegory about the
failures of the Russian Revolution.

Plot Summary
Old Major, an elderly boar living on Manor Farm, gathers all the other farm animals for a
meeting. He tells them about a dream in which all beasts are free, and he encourages them
to organize and rebel against humans. A few days later, when the the cruel and incompetent
farmer Mr. Jones abuses the animals, the animals organize a revolt, led by two pigs named
Napoleon and Snowball. They succeed at driving Mr. Jones off of the farm.

Initially, Snowball and Napoleon work together. Snowball establishes the philosophy of
Animalism, and the seven animal commandments (including "All animals are equal") are
painted on the side of the barn. When Mr. Jones returns with some human allies in an effort
to reclaim the farm, the animals, led by Snowball, drive them away in a glorious victory.

The power-hungry Napoleon begins to undermine Snowball and eventually chases him away
altogether. Napoleon slowly takes on the corrupt behaviors and habits of the humans that
the revolution once opposed. Squealer, Napoleon's second-in-command, alters the
commandments painted on the barn to reflect these changes.

A simple-minded, hardworking draft horse named Boxer works so hard to support the
revolution that he collapses. Napoleon sells him to a glue factory. The other animals are
upset until Squealer, a skilled propagandist, convinces them that what they saw with their
own eyes (the glue factory truck) isn't true.

Life gets worse for the animals living on the farm. Meanwhile, the pigs move into the old
farmhouse. They begin walking on their hind legs, drinking whiskey, and negotiating with
human farmers. By the end of the novel, the animals can't tell the difference between the
pigs and the humans.
Major Character
Mr. Jones. The incompetent and cruel human owner of Manor Farm. He represents Czar
Nicholas II of Russia.

Napoleon. A pig who becomes an early leader of the revolution. Napoleon is greedy and
selfish, and he slowly abandons any pretense of revolutionary fervor. He represents Joseph
Stalin.

Snowball. Another pig who becomes an early leader of the revolution, as well as as the
intellectual architect of Animalism. Snowball is a true believer who attempts to educate the
other animals, but power-hungry Napoleon drives him away in order to consolidate power.
Snowball represents Leon Trotsky.

Squealer. A pig who serves as Napoleon’s second-in-command. Squealer is skilled at lying,

creating altered historical accounts, and disseminating propaganda. He represents
Vyacheslav Molotov.

Boxer. A strong, powerful draft horse who is dedicated to Animal Farm and the revolution.
He works himself to death for the cause. He represents the workers of Russia who supported
Stalin.

Major Themes
Totalitarianism. The revolution begins with principled ideas, but it is quickly co-opted by a
power-hungry leadership. The pigs frequently lie and spread false historical accounts in
order to increase their power. Ultimately, they rely on the ignorance of the masses in order
to stay in control. Orwell uses this narrative to argue that without an informed and educated
population, tyranny and despotism are inevitable.

Corruption of Ideals. There are two kinds of corruption on display in Animal Farm. The first
kind is the overt corruption of Napoleon and the other pigs, who become increasingly greedy
as they acquire more power. The other kind is the corruption of the revolution itself, which
loses any semblance of principle due to the other animals' worship of Napoleon’s cult of
personality.

The Power of Language. Animal Farm explores how language can be manipulated to control
others. The pigs invent stories, spread false historical accounts, and popularize
propagandistic slogans in order to remain in control of the other animals.

Literary Style
Animal Farm is an allegorical novel about the Russian Revolution. Nearly every element of
the novel represents a person, group, or event from the Russian Revolution.

Within this political allegory, Orwell infuses a great deal of humor. His use of animals as
stand-ins for historical figures sometimes has a comical, caricature effect (i.e. the
representation of Stalin in the character of a pig). In addition, Orwell uses irony to
demonstrate the ridiculousness of propaganda when viewed from an informed perspective.
Animal Farm' Themes and Symbols
George Orwell's Animal Farm is a political allegory about revolution and power. Through the
tale of a group of farm animals who overthrow the owner of the farm, Animal Farm explores
themes of totalitarianism, the corruption of ideals, and the power of language.

Political Allegory
Orwell frames his story as a political allegory; every character represents a figure from the
Russian Revolution. Mr. Jones, the original human owner of the farm, represents the
ineffective and incompetent Czar Nicholas II. The pigs represent key members of Bolshevik
leadership: Napoleon represents Joseph Stalin, Snowball represents Leon Trotsky, and
Squealer represents Vyacheslav Molotov. Other animals represent the working classes of
Russia: initially passionate about revolution eventually manipulated into supporting a regime
that was just as incompetent and arguably more brutal than the previous one.

Totalitarianism
Orwell argues that any revolution led by a small, conspiratorial group can only degenerate
into oppression and tyranny. He makes this argument through the allegory of the farm. The
revolution begins with firm principles of equality and justice, and initially, the results are
positive, as the animals get to labor for their own direct benefit. However, as Orwell
demonstrates, revolutionary leaders can become as corrupt and incompetent as the
government they overthrew.

The pigs adopt the human ways they once fiercely opposed (drinking whiskey, sleeping in
beds), and they make business deals with farmers that benefit them alone. Meanwhile, the
other animals see only negative changes in their lives. They continue to support Napoleon
and work harder than ever despite the decline in quality of living. Eventually, the promises of
heated stalls and electric light—what they've been working for all along—become fantasy.

Animal Farm suggests that totalitarianism and hypocrisy are endemic to the human
condition. Without education and true empowerment of the lower classes, Orwell argues,
society will always default to tyranny.

Corruption of Ideals
The pigs’ descent into corruption is a key element of the novel. Orwell, a socialist, believed
the Russian Revolution had been corrupted by powerseekers like Stalin from the start.

The animals' revolution is initially led by Snowball, the key architect of Animalism; at first,
Napoleon is a secondary player, much like Stalin. However, Napoleon plots in secret to seize
power and drive Snowball away, undermining Snowball's policies and training the dogs to be
his enforcers. The principles of equality and solidarity that inspired the animals become
mere tools for Napoleon to seize power. The gradual erosion of these values reflects
Orwell’s criticism of Stalin as nothing more than a tyrant hanging onto power through the
fiction of a communist revolution.

Orwell doesn’t reserve his vitriol for the leaders, however. The animals representing the
people of Russia are depicted as complicit in this corruption through inaction, fear, and
ignorance. Their dedication to Napoleon and the imaginary benefits of his leadership enable
the pigs to maintain their hold on power, and the ability of the pigs to convince the other
animals that their lives were better even as their lives become demonstrably worse is
Orwell’s condemnation of the choice to submit to propaganda and magical thinking.

Power of Language
Animal Farm explores how propaganda can be used to control people. From the start of the
novel, Orwell depicts the animals being manipulated by common propaganda techniques,
including songs, slogans, and ever-changing information. Singing "Beasts of England" evokes
an emotional response that reinforces the animals' loyalty to both Animalism and the pigs.
The adoption of slogans like Napoleon is always right or four legs good, two legs bad
demonstrates their unfamiliarity with the complex philosophical and political concepts
underlying the revolution. The constant alteration of the Seven Commandments of
Animalism demonstrates how those in control of information can manipulate the rest of a
population.

The pigs, who serve as the leaders of the farm, are the only animals with a strong command
of language. Snowball is an eloquent speaker who composes the philosophy of Animalism
and persuades his fellow beasts with the power of his oratory. Squealer is adept at lying and
spinning stories to maintain control. (For example, when the other animals are upset about
Boxer’s cruel fate, Squealer quickly composes a fiction to defuse their anger and confuse the
issue.) Napoleon, while not as smart or as eloquent as Snowball, is skilled at imposing his
own false view on everyone around him, as when he falsely inserts himself into the historical
record of the Battle of the Cowshed.

Symbols
As an allegorical novel, Animal Farm is rife with symbolism. Just as the animals represent
individuals or groups from Russian history, the farm itself represents Russia, and the
surrounding farms represent the European powers that witnessed the Russian Revolution.
Orwell’s choices about which objects, events, or concepts to highlight are not driven by plot
as in narrative fiction. Instead, his choices are carefully calibrated to evoke a desired
response from the reader.

Whiskey
Whiskey represents corruption. When Animalism is founded, one of the commandments is
‛No animal shall drink alcohol.’ Slowly, however, Napoleon and the other pigs come to enjoy
whiskey and its effects. The commandment is changed to ‛No animal shall drink alcohol to
excess’ after Napoleon experiences his first hangover and learns how to moderate his
whiskey consumption. When Boxer is sold to the Knacker, Napoleon uses the money to
purchase whiskey. With this act, Napoleon fully embodies the human qualities that the
animals once revolted against.

The Windmill
The windmill represents the attempt to modernize Russia and the general incompetence of
Stalin’s regime. Snowball initially proposes the
Windmill as a way of improving the farm’s living conditions; when Snowball is driven off,
Napoleon claims it as his own idea, but his mismanagement of the project and the attacks
from other landowners mean the project takes far longer to complete than expected. The
final product is of inferior quality, much like many of the projects undertaken by the Soviets
post-revolution. In the end the Windmill is used to enrich Napoleon and the other pigs at the
expense of the other animals.

The Commandments
The Seven Commandments of Animalism, written on the barn wall for all to see, represent
the power of propaganda and the malleable nature of history and information when the
people are ignorant of the facts. The commandments are altered throughout the novel; each
time they are changed indicates that the animals have moved even further away from their
original principles.

ANIMAL FARM - CHAPTER SUMMARIES

Chapter 1

Old Major calls a meeting of all the animals. We meet all the main characters as they enter
the barn. The pigs rush to the front. Clover and Boxer are careful not to tread on smaller
animals. Benjamin doesn’t believe anything he hears but says little. Mollie is vain. So some
of the personalities are established immediately.

Old Major, in his speech, points out that no animal knows the meaning of happiness and
that all their hard work and produce goes to benefit man. If man was removed the animals
would not have to work so hard and would have more to eat. He ends the meeting by
assuring them that the revolution to remove man would come eventually and teaches them
the song ‘Beasts of England’ which becomes their ‘national anthem’.

Chapter 2

Old Major dies in his sleep in early March. The pigs are recognised as being the cleverest
animals - particularly Snowball, Napoleon and Squealer. Snowball is a lively, appealing pig,
Napoleon is quieter and thought to be more of a thinker and Squealer is a brilliant talker.

We also meet Moses, the tame raven, who says he knows the existence of a place called
Sugarcandy Mountain (heaven).

The revolution happened more quickly than expected. One night Jones the farmer
got drunk in the Red Lion and forgot to feed the animals. One cow broke into the store shed
and all the animals started to help themselves. When Jones and 4 of his farmhands started
whipping the animals to get them under control, they turned and butted and kicked, driving
Jones off his farm. His wife packed her bags quickly and followed.

The animals destroy everything that reminds them of human domination. They celebrate
and the pigs, who have learned to read and write, paint the 7 commandments on the wall of
the barn. The pigs manage to milk the cows, who are rather uncomfortable by this time, and
Napoleon guards it while they all go off to survey their farm. When they return the milk has
disappeared.

Chapter 3

The pigs have taken charge of the farm which is now called Animal Farm rather than Manor
Farm. The harvest is good and everyone works hard knowing that the produce is theirs.
Boxer works harder than anyone.

They fly a flag over the farm - green with a hoof and a horn to symbolise their ownership.

Meetings are held every week where the pigs outline their ideas and hold debates.
Snowball and Napoleon never agree on what should be done.

Snowball organises lots of committees to make everyone feel involved in the

running of the farm but really the pigs are in control.9 puppies are born and Napoleon takes
them aside to rear them himself. It is announced that the milk and apples are to be reserved
for the pigs alone. Squealer is sent to explain that the reason for this is because the pigs do
all the brain work, without which Jones would probably return. This terrifies the animals
and is used frequently to keep them from complaining about the preferential treatment for
the pigs.

Chapter 4.

Pigeons start to spread the word about the rebellion to other farms. We meet the owners of
the two neighbouring farms - Foxwood owned by Mr. Pilkington and Pinchfield owned by
Mr. Frederick. They fear that rebellion will spread to their farms so join with Jones to mount
an attack on Animal Farm to regain control. The animals unite to defeat them in the
Battle of the Cowshed. All the animals fight except for Mollie who hides.

They later make medals to be presented for bravery. Snowball and Boxer receive
Animal Hero 1st Class medals and a sheep who was killed is posthumously awarded an
Animal Hero 2nd Class medal. Nobody seems to notice the irony of dividing animals into
classes when they are all supposed to be equal.

Chapter 5.

Mollie disappears. She cannot bear to live without her ribbons and sugar which the other
animals regard as being the sweeteners used by man to control them.

The winter is a hard one. Snowball puts forward the idea of a windmill to provide electricity
to heat their stalls and ease their workload. Napoleon disagrees and trains the sheep to bleat
‘4 legs good, 2 legs bad.’ every time Snowball tries to speak. These two pigs are obviously
competing for leadership of the farm and Snowball is certainly the more popular.
When he appears to be losing the argument, Napoleon calls up the 9 puppies he had taken
away some months earlier. They chase Snowball off the farm and Napoleon assumes
complete control.

Squealer convinces the animals that Snowball has always been a traitor, that he was
not brave in the Battle of the Cowshed and that he stole the idea of the windmill from
Napoleon himself.
Chapter 6.

The animals work hard to build the windmill, Boxer being the one who did most of the
heavy work. His 2 slogans are introduced - ‘I will work harder’ and ‘Napoleon is always right.’

Napoleon decides to start trading with the neighbouring farms, Foxwood and
Pinchfield. He uses a middleman Whymper to conduct business with them. When the
animals see Napoleon ordering Whymper around, it makes them forget that they are not
supposed to deal with humans.

The pigs move into the farmhouse and start to sleep in beds. Commandment 4 has ‘with
sheets’ added to it and Squealer convinces the animals that they must have forgotten that
bit. Because the other animals never learned to read properly, they believe Squealer and
agree that the pigs must have more comforts than they do if they are to prevent Jones
coming back.
A violent storm destroys the windmill. Napoleon blames Snowball and tells the animals to
rebuild it with stronger walls.

Chapter 7.

There is a severe food shortage but to convince the outside world that all is well, the food bins
are filled with sand and merely topped up with grain. The hens are ordered to give up their
eggs for the pigs to sell. When they stage a small protest by dropping their eggs from the
rafters, Napoleon starves them until they give in. Napoleon is rarely seen in public any more
and announcements are always made by Squealer. The animals are told that Snowball was
always in league with Jones and that even now Snowball is plotting with Jones to overthrow
the farm. To prove his point, he makes 4 pigs confess to having secret meetings with Snowball.
They are immediately slaughtered. Then 3 hens, a goose and 3 sheep also confess to similar
crimes and receive a similar fate.
‘Beasts of England’ is banned and Minimus composes another song in praise of
Napoleon to replace it. Napoleon awards himself medals.

Chapter 8.

The 6th commandment is changed to ‘No animal shall kill any other animal without cause.’
The animals work harder than ever for less food though the pigs and dogs always have
plenty.

Napoleon decides to sell timber to Pilkington. The windmill is finished and called
Napoleon Mill. When Napoleon discovers that Pilkington has paid for the timber with forged
notes, he becomes friendly with Frederick instead. Pilkington then attacks the farm one
night and blows up the windmill with dynamite. When Napoleon is seen in public, he
always has a black cockerel walking in front of him like a trumpeter. A gun is fired on his
birthday and he eats from the best china dinner service with a food taster to try his food to
make sure it is not poisoned. He no behaves like a king or emperor.

Chapter 9.

Rations are reduced once again and work on the windmill starts for a third time. Boxer’s
ambition is to finish it before he retires so he works even harder than usual.
 A school is built for the piglets and they are encouraged to avoid the other animals
who now have to step aside to let them pass.

Despite the food shortage, produce is sold to provide machinery for the windmill and
whisky for Napoleon’s table. The barley is reserved to brew beer for the pigs.

Moses returns to the farm with tales of Sugarcandy Mountain. The animals, now
starving and desperate, are more inclined to listen - there may be a better world after death.
The pigs view him as dangerous.. Boxer collapses through overwork. Napoleon
assures the other animals that he is being taken to a hospital to be cared for but he sells him
to a glue manufacturer in return for whisky. When Benjamin points out that the van in which
he was taken away said ’Horse Slaughterer’ on the side, Squealer replies that it used to
belong to the horse slaughterer but now belongs to the vet.

Chapter 10.

Years later few of the animals are alive who remember the days before the rebellion. The
windmill is finished but is used for milling corn to be sold at a profit rather than for
electricity to make the animals’ lives easier.

Squealer takes away the sheep for a week. On their return, they bleat ‘4 legs good, 2
legs better’ as the pigs appear walking on their back legs and carrying whips. The
commandments are scrubbed off the barn wall and replaced with just one - ‘All animals are
equal but some are more equal than others.’ The pigs start to wear clothes and the farm is
called Manor Farm once again. One evening the animals look in the farmhouse window
where the pigs and local farmers are drinking and playing cards. As they look from pig to
man and back, it becomes hard to tell which is which.

CHARACTERS

Boxer represents the hard working man who believes what leaders tell him. He is not clever
enough to work things out for himself so is easily exploited and gullible. He is willing,
industrious and honest and stands for most workers in this country. He is betraysd by those
cleverer than him (politicians, factory owners and the like) who are only out for what they
can get.

Snowball represents the potentially good leader who is keen to involve everybody in
making decisions. He is lively, inventive and popular but is also too trusting and naive of his
colleagues. He doesn’t realise Napoleon is plotting against him so stands no chance.

Napoleon represents a dictator who will stop at nothing to get what he wants (including
mass murder.) All he wants is power, glory and money with no care for anyone else. He is
extremely clever in a cunning way because he knows his own weaknesses - he is a poor
speaker and therefore not very popular so he employs Squealer to speak for him. He also
trains the dogs (and pays them well with food) to protect him and rid the farm of enemies
like Snowball.

Squealer represents the propaganda merchant who is a good speaker and could sell fridges
to Eskimoes. He dances around a lot, quotes statistics and generally confuses the less
intelligent with long words and scare stories. He and Napoleon rely heavily on each other.
Napoleon needs Squealer to put across his demands in a ‘nice’ way and Squealer needs
Napoleon to provide him with a very comfortable standard of living.

Clover represents the average good woman. She is kind and compassionate if not very
clever and she looks after her ‘man’, Boxer, very well.

Moses represents religious leaders who play upon the hardships of others by telling them
that heaven (Sugarcandy Mountain) awaits them in the next world.

Benjamin represents the quiet intellectual man. He is just as clever (if not cleverer) than the
pigs but has no power. He never believes what they tell him but if he was to make too much
of a protest he would be ‘removed’ as he well knows. He can be criticised for not trying to
make the other animals realise what is going on.

The following speeches

A _''From now onwards Animal Farm would engage in trade with the neighbouring
farms: not, of course, for any commercial purpose, but simply in order to obtain
certain materials which were urgently necessary. The needs of the windmill must
override everything else.''

B- "Napoleon is always right"

C_ "They had come to a time when no one dared speak his mind, when fierce,
growling dogs roamed everywhere, and when you had to watch your comrades torn
to pieces after
confessing to shocking crimes."
D_ "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

E-“Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now,
what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig
to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was
impossible to say which was which.”
F-“Up there, comrades," he would say solemnly, pointing to the sky with his large
beak– "up there, just on the other side of that dark cloud that you can see– there it
lies, Sugarcandy
Mountain, that happy country where we poor animals shall rest for ever from our
labours!"