Animal Farm

Animal Farm Plot Summary

Introduction

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." This haunting declaration, emerging from the depths of a seemingly innocent fable, encapsulates one of literature's most searing political critiques. Set on an English farm where animals revolt against human tyranny, this tale begins with noble ideals of equality and justice, only to witness their gradual corruption as power changes hands. Through the journey of these barnyard revolutionaries, we confront uncomfortable truths about leadership, propaganda, and the fragility of democratic principles. The genius of this work lies in its deceptive simplicity. Behind the facade of talking animals lies a sophisticated political allegory that has maintained its relevance across generations. By transposing complex political dynamics into a farmyard setting, the author creates an accessible framework for understanding how revolutions can betray their original ideals. The story serves as both warning and insight—a lens through which readers can examine power structures in their own societies and recognize the subtle ways idealism can transform into oppression when unchecked by genuine accountability.

Chapter 1: The Revolutionary Vision and Major's Speech

Manor Farm exists under the careless and often cruel management of Mr. Jones, a farmer with a drinking problem who neglects his animals. One night, after Jones has gone to bed, the animals gather in the barn to hear a speech from Old Major, a prize Middle White boar respected by all the animals on the farm. In his twilight years, Old Major wishes to share a vision that came to him in a dream—a vision of animals living free from human tyranny. With dignified eloquence, Old Major delivers a stirring address that awakens revolutionary consciousness among the animals. He articulates their shared suffering: the exploitation of their labor, the theft of their produce, and their inevitable slaughter once their usefulness ends. "Man is the only creature that consumes without producing," he declares, identifying humans as the source of all animal misery. Old Major envisions a future where animals control their own destinies, where their labor benefits themselves rather than human masters. The speech culminates in Old Major teaching the animals a song called "Beasts of England," an anthem of revolution that spreads like wildfire among the assembled creatures. The song captures their longing for freedom and dignity, promising a golden future where animals live in harmony without human oppression. The animals, enthralled by this new vision, sing the revolutionary anthem with growing fervor, their voices rising in unison until the noise awakens Mr. Jones, who fires his shotgun into the darkness, abruptly ending the meeting. Though Old Major dies peacefully three nights later, his revolutionary ideas take root in the consciousness of the farm animals. The more intelligent animals, particularly the pigs Snowball and Napoleon, begin developing Old Major's teachings into a coherent philosophy they call "Animalism." Secret meetings are held where the principles of the coming rebellion are discussed, with the pigs emerging as natural leaders due to their intelligence and organizational abilities. The stage is set for transformation as the animals await their moment of liberation. Old Major's speech has planted the seeds of revolution, giving voice to their discontent and offering a vision of a better world. Though they do not know when the rebellion will come, the animals now possess something they never had before—hope for a future where they control their own destiny and live as equals in a community built on mutual respect and shared prosperity.

Chapter 2: Rebellion and the Seven Commandments

The rebellion comes sooner than expected when Mr. Jones, after a night of heavy drinking, neglects to feed the animals. Driven by hunger and frustration, the animals spontaneously rise up, driving Jones and his men from the farm in a chaotic but decisive confrontation. The stunned animals find themselves suddenly in possession of the farm, a victory so unexpected that they can hardly believe their good fortune. They immediately set about destroying the symbols of human oppression—whips, nose rings, chains, and other instruments of control are ceremoniously thrown onto a bonfire. Under the leadership of the pigs, particularly the eloquent Snowball and the commanding Napoleon, the farm is renamed "Animal Farm" to mark the beginning of their new society. The Seven Commandments of Animalism are painted on the barn wall as the constitution of their new order: walking on two legs, wearing clothes, sleeping in beds, drinking alcohol, and killing other animals are all forbidden. The final and most important commandment declares, "All animals are equal." These principles, distilled from Old Major's vision, are meant to ensure that the animals never come to resemble their former human oppressors. Work on the farm continues with renewed vigor as the animals labor for themselves rather than for human masters. The harvest is completed more efficiently than ever before, with every animal contributing according to their ability. The horse Boxer, with his tremendous strength and his personal motto "I will work harder," becomes a model of dedication to the collective good. Even the smallest animals find ways to contribute, creating an atmosphere of solidarity and shared purpose. Sunday becomes a day of rest and celebration, with ceremonial rituals including the raising of a green flag representing the green fields of England and the animals' hope for spreading their revolution. These weekly meetings include planning the coming week's work and singing "Beasts of England," reinforcing their revolutionary spirit and shared identity. For the first time, the animals experience the dignity of controlling their own labor and enjoying its fruits. Yet subtle signs of inequality begin to emerge. The pigs, who do not actually perform physical labor, take for themselves special privileges, including the milk and windfall apples. When other animals question this arrangement, the silver-tongued pig Squealer explains that the pigs, as brainworkers, need these nutritional benefits to maintain their health and carry out their essential mental labor. "Surely, comrades," he asks with persuasive charm, "you don't want Jones back?" This simple question silences all objections, establishing a pattern that will be repeated with increasing frequency as the pigs consolidate their power.

Chapter 3: Snowball's Expulsion and Napoleon's Rise

As Animal Farm establishes itself, neighboring farmers react with a mixture of fear and contempt. They worry that their own animals might be inspired to rebel, while simultaneously predicting the farm's imminent collapse. When Mr. Jones attempts to retake the farm with armed men, the animals, led by Snowball's tactical brilliance, successfully defend their territory in what becomes known as the Battle of the Cowshed. This victory strengthens their resolve and confidence in their revolutionary project. Meanwhile, a power struggle develops between Snowball and Napoleon, who increasingly disagree on the farm's direction. Snowball, visionary and articulate, proposes building a windmill to generate electricity and improve living conditions. He spends hours drawing plans and inspiring the animals with dreams of a modernized farm where machines would reduce their labor. Napoleon, more taciturn and calculating, opposes the project, preferring to focus on immediate food production and quietly building his own base of power. The conflict comes to a dramatic head during a meeting to vote on the windmill project. Just as Snowball's eloquent speech seems to be winning over the animals, Napoleon lets out a strange whistle. Nine enormous dogs—puppies that Napoleon had secretly taken and trained—burst into the barn, lunging at Snowball, who barely escapes with his life. The terrified animals watch as their democratic process is violently overthrown in a single, shocking moment. With Snowball gone, Napoleon assumes complete control, announcing that Sunday meetings will no longer include debates. Instead, a committee of pigs under his leadership will make all decisions in private. When some animals timidly protest, the growling dogs silence them, while sheep drown out dissent by bleating "Four legs good, two legs bad!" Squealer, Napoleon's propagandist, explains that Napoleon has taken on the "heavy responsibility" of leadership for everyone's benefit, suggesting that Snowball had actually been a traitor working for Jones all along. In a stunning reversal, Napoleon soon announces that the windmill will be built after all, presenting it as his own idea. Squealer explains that Napoleon had actually supported the windmill all along but pretended to oppose it as a "tactical maneuver" to get rid of the dangerous Snowball. This brazen rewriting of recent events that all animals witnessed establishes a frightening precedent—reality itself is now subject to Napoleon's authority. The animals, confused but intimidated by the dogs, accept this explanation, and Boxer adopts a second personal motto that reflects the farm's new direction: "Napoleon is always right."

Chapter 4: The Windmill and Increasing Tyranny

Construction of the windmill proves to be an enormous undertaking, requiring the animals to haul massive stones up a hill using only their collective strength. Despite the difficulty, they persevere, inspired by the promise of an easier life once the project is complete. Boxer, with his tremendous power and unwavering dedication, becomes the project's backbone, often taking on the most challenging tasks while encouraging others with his motto, "I will work harder." The animals' sense of purpose and shared sacrifice sustains them through long days of exhausting labor. As resources grow scarce, Napoleon announces that Animal Farm will begin trading with neighboring farms—a clear violation of early revolutionary principles against dealing with humans. When animals express confusion, Squealer insists no such resolution against trade ever existed, blaming the "false memory" on Snowball's influence. A human solicitor named Mr. Whymper becomes the farm's intermediary with the outside world, creating the disturbing spectacle of Napoleon conducting business with a human. The pigs soon move into the farmhouse and begin sleeping in beds, prompting Clover to check the Seven Commandments. She discovers the rule has been subtly altered to read "No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets," with Squealer explaining that the commandment had always included this qualification. Disaster strikes when a violent storm destroys the nearly-completed windmill. Rather than acknowledging the structural weakness or natural causes, Napoleon declares it sabotage by the exiled Snowball. "Snowball has done this thing!" he thunders, establishing Snowball as a perpetual enemy to unite the animals against. Napoleon orders the windmill rebuilt immediately with thicker walls, intensifying the animals' labor while reducing their rations. As winter brings bitter cold and food shortages, the animals suffer silently, still believing their hardship is preferable to Jones's return. When neighboring farmer Frederick cheats Animal Farm in a timber deal and then attacks with armed men, the animals defend their territory but at great cost. The invaders use explosives to destroy the rebuilt windmill, and though the animals eventually drive them off, many are wounded or killed in what becomes known as the Battle of the Windmill. Despite this devastating setback, Napoleon spins the outcome as a great victory, distracting the animals with ceremonies and celebrations while the pigs discover a case of whisky in the farmhouse cellar. The following morning, the animals notice the Fifth Commandment has been altered to read "No animal shall drink alcohol to excess." This pattern of revising history and modifying the commandments continues as the pigs increasingly adopt human behaviors. Each time, Squealer provides explanations that confuse and pacify the animals, while the threat of Napoleon's fierce dogs prevents open questioning. The gap between the original revolutionary ideals and the farm's reality grows wider, yet most animals lack either the memory or courage to challenge these contradictions.

Chapter 5: Boxer's Fate and Complete Transformation

Years of hard labor finally take their toll on Boxer when he collapses while pushing himself to complete the rebuilt windmill before his retirement. Despite his tremendous strength, the loyal horse's lungs have weakened, and he falls unable to rise. The animals gather around their fallen comrade with genuine concern, as Boxer has been the embodiment of dedication to Animal Farm's ideals. Squealer announces that Comrade Napoleon has arranged for Boxer to receive treatment at the veterinary hospital in Willingdon, and days later, a van arrives to transport him. As the van pulls away, Benjamin the donkey, who rarely shows emotion, suddenly becomes agitated. He gallops after the vehicle, urging the others to look at the writing on its side. Muriel reads the words: "Alfred Simmonds, Horse Slaughterer and Glue Boiler." The horrified animals realize that Boxer is being sent not to a hospital but to his death. They desperately chase the van, but their efforts are futile. Through the small window at the back, they glimpse Boxer's face one last time as he tries in vain to kick his way out with his failing strength. Three days later, Squealer reports that Boxer died in the hospital despite receiving the best care. He claims to have been at the horse's bedside and reports that Boxer's last words expressed devotion to Napoleon and the farm. When animals mention seeing the knacker's van, Squealer explains it away as a coincidence—the veterinary surgeon had purchased the van from the knacker but hadn't yet repainted it. The pigs use money from selling Boxer to purchase whisky, which they drink during a banquet supposedly held in the fallen horse's honor. As years pass, the original revolutionary generation dwindles. Clover is now old and stiff, while most animals who remember life before the rebellion have died. The farm has expanded and grown more prosperous, with the windmill finally completed, though it is used for milling corn rather than providing electricity as originally promised. The animal population has increased, but their living conditions have not improved—except for the pigs and dogs, who continue to consume the majority of the farm's resources without producing food themselves. The final transformation occurs when the animals observe Squealer walking upright on his hind legs. Soon after, the entire pig population emerges from the farmhouse walking on two legs, with Napoleon himself carrying a whip. The shocked animals watch in stunned silence until the sheep begin bleating a new slogan: "Four legs good, two legs better!" When Clover leads Benjamin to check the Seven Commandments, they discover all rules have been replaced by a single maxim: "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." The revolution has come full circle, with the pigs now indistinguishable from the humans they once fought to overthrow.

Chapter 6: From Equality to 'Some More Equal Than Others'

The pigs' transformation accelerates as they adopt more human behaviors. They wear clothes, sleep in beds, and carry whips—all practices originally forbidden by the Seven Commandments. Napoleon invites neighboring farmers to tour Animal Farm and dine with the pigs, signaling a new relationship with the human world they once opposed. The other animals, still laboring in the fields, observe these changes with confusion but have long since lost the ability or courage to protest. During the farmers' visit, Mr. Pilkington praises the pigs for maintaining discipline among their "lower animals" and running an efficient operation with long working hours and minimal rations. Napoleon announces that all "foolish customs" dating from the revolution will be abolished—animals will no longer address each other as "Comrade," the ceremonial raising of the flag will cease, and even the farm's name will revert to its original title, "Manor Farm." The revolutionary past is systematically erased as the pigs fully embrace the human lifestyle and values they once condemned. The final scene unfolds as the animals gather outside the farmhouse windows to witness a dinner party between the pigs and local farmers. Toasts are exchanged celebrating their new partnership and mutual interests. As the evening progresses, a card game leads to a heated argument between Napoleon and Mr. Pilkington. The animals, watching from outside, observe a chilling transformation: as the pigs and humans argue, their faces seem to blur together until "it was impossible to say which was which." The revolution has completed its tragic circle. What began as a movement for equality and freedom has produced a new elite indistinguishable from the oppressors they replaced. The pigs, having gained power by promising liberation, now maintain that power through the same methods used by their former human masters—intimidation, propaganda, and exploitation. The original revolutionary principles have been not just abandoned but inverted, with the final commandment serving as the perfect expression of this corruption: equality itself has become a tool of oppression. For the ordinary animals, life continues much as before—perhaps even harder, as they labor not just for human masters but for their own kind who have betrayed them. The dream of Animal Farm as a place of justice and shared prosperity has evaporated, leaving only the bitter reality that power, regardless of who wields it, tends toward corruption when unchecked. Yet even in this bleak conclusion lies a powerful warning about the fragility of ideals and the constant vigilance required to preserve them against those who would twist them for personal gain.

Summary

The trajectory from revolutionary hope to totalitarian reality depicted in this allegorical masterpiece offers profound insights into the mechanics of political corruption. What begins with noble aspirations—equality, self-governance, and collective prosperity—gradually transforms into something indistinguishable from the tyranny it sought to replace. Through the animals' journey, we witness how revolutionary ideals can be systematically undermined through language manipulation, historical revision, and the strategic use of fear. The pigs' gradual appropriation of exclusive privileges, justified initially as necessary exceptions but eventually accepted as natural rights, demonstrates how power consolidates incrementally, with each small compromise making the next betrayal easier to accept. Perhaps most disturbing is the portrayal of how easily a population can be manipulated into accepting their own exploitation. The animals' inability to defend their interests stems not from lack of strength—they outnumber their oppressors—but from carefully cultivated confusion, strategic disinformation, and the gradual erosion of collective memory. When Boxer, the most loyal and hardworking animal, is sent to the knacker after his strength fails, his fate represents the ultimate betrayal of the working class whose labor powers the system but who never share in its rewards. The final, chilling image of pigs and humans becoming indistinguishable serves as a timeless warning about revolution's inherent vulnerability—that those who overthrow tyrants risk becoming exactly what they fought against unless principles are protected by genuine democratic structures rather than mere slogans.

About Author

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George Orwell

Eric Arthur Blair was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to all totalitarianism (both authoritarian communism and fascism), and support of democratic socialism.Orwell is best known for his allegorical novella Animal Farm (1945) and the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), although his works also encompass literary criticism, poetry, fiction and polemical journalism. His non-fiction works, including The Road to Wigan Pier (1937), documenting his experience of working-class life in the industrial north of England, and Homage to Catalonia (1938), an account of his experiences soldiering for the Republican faction of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), are as critically respected as his essays on politics, literature, language and culture.Orwell's work remains influential in popular culture and in political culture, and the adjective "Orwellian"—describing totalitarian and authoritarian social practices—is part of the English language, like many of his neologisms, such as "Big Brother", "Thought Police", "Room 101", "Newspeak", "memory hole", "doublethink", and "thoughtcrime". In 2008, The Times named Orwell the second-greatest British writer since 1945.

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