Everything you need to know about Animal Farm by George Orwell : 1. Plot Structure in Animal Farm. 2. Who symbolises who in Animal Farm? 3. CHAPTER SUMMARIES AND ANALYSIS. 4. CHARACTER ANALYSIS. 5. ANIMAL FARM AND THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION. 6. BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE. 7. KEY FACTS ABOUT ANIMAL FARM. 8. THEMES. 5.

1. Introduction to Literature :
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Plot Structure in Animal Farm :
1. Exposition :
Thisoftenrefers to the first pages of any narrative. Here, the readerlearnsabout the setting
andthe maincharacter.So,for instance,in chaptersoneandtwo, weget to knowthe
setting (an animal farm)andwemeetthe characters:MrJones(inadditionto an allusionto
his wife), andthe animals:OldMajor,Snowball,Napoleon,Squealer,Boxer,Mollieetc.We
alsolearn aboutthe situation in the farm, howthe animalsfeeltowardstheir master, how
they are treated, andwhat OldMajor’sdream consistsin.
2. Rising Action :
Thisrefersto the seriesof actionsthat buildup towardsthe climax.In specific terms,this
level of the narrative refers to the momentthat triggersthe rebellionagainstMrJones.That
is, whenhe forgets to feed andprovide protectionforthe animalsdueto his forgetfulness
andirresponsibility.At this stage, the story becomesmoreandmoreexcitingandwenotice
that the conflictisunderprocess(animalsvs. Man)and willinevitablyleadto the animals’
uprising.Therebellionsucceedsandanimalsestablishtheirownsocietybasedon the
principlesofanimalismputforwardby OldMajorbeforehisdeath. Slowly, the pigsbeginto
gaincontrol over animalfarm,takingadvantage of beingsomewhattheintelligentanimals
on the farm.
3. The Climax :
Theclimaxisthe highestpointof intensityin any narrative. Herethe two importantpigs,
Snowball andNapoleon,comeintoconflictwithoneanother(again, the notionof conflict:
animal vs. animal).Napoleon,whosecretlypreparedsomedogsas his bodyguards,
decidestoset hisfiercedogs to attackSnowballas a manoeuverto annihilatehisenemy.
Snowball ischasedoutof the farm and Napoleonbecomesthesoleleader.So the climaxin
animal farm refersto the momentwhenNapoleonseizespowerafter gettingrid of his major
opponent.
Thepretextis that bothhold opposingviewson the importanceofthewindmillandother
issues.
Different readershave different ways of interpretingwhat the climaxis.Thisdependson
whichmajoreventin the narrative you deem the mostexcitingandthe mostimportant.That
is, it dependsonhoweachoneof us interpretsthe events in the story. Forinstance,as
readers,you canconsiderBoxer’sdeathas the climax,solongas it representsfor you the
momentofgreat intensityin the novel.
4. Falling Action :
In Animal Farm,thisrefers to the aftermathof the climax.Thatis,whenNapoleonbecomes
the soleruler, usinghis despotism andtyranny to subduethe other animals(hedecreesthe
rebuildingofthe Windmill,confiscatesthebest foodstuffs, spreadspropagandaagainst
Snowball’sallegedinvolvementinthedestructionof the windmill,forcesconfessionsand
executions,bansthe songof Beasts of England,allowsthe return of Moses,violates
systematicallyand graduallyallthe principlesofanimalism,declaresanimalfarm arepublic,
engagesintrade with humans,etc.).All in all, the fallingactionrefersto Napoleon’swillto
powerand howhe consolidateshispositionandstatusas a leaderthroughthe criticalrole
of Squealeras a propagandamachine.
5. Resolution :
Theresolutioninthisand other novels canbeany sort of settlingthe conflict.Thisis
representedinthe end of chapter9 whereallthe farm animalsbelieveinanything that is
told to them. Theybecomecompletelysubmissiveandinactiveas they cannotmakeany
reactionorresponseto the absolutepowerof the pigs. Even the commemorationbanquet
in honourof Boxer wasturned into a drinkingpartywith no regardfor the feelingsand
emotionsof the otheranimals.At this stage, none of the originalcommandmentsremains.
In ch.10, the pigshave the samestatus as humans.Generally,at the level of the resolution,
allthe mysteries and enigmasaresolvedand the realitybecomescrystalclear.In fact, all
the animalsaredisillusionedandfrustratedby what they see at the end of the novel. There
is no differencebetweenthepigsand the humans.Animalscannottellwhichfrom which.
BenjaminandMolliewererightfrom thevery beginning.Thefirstwas scepticalandthe
secondwasdisinterestedinthe rebellionandits outcome.As readers, wefeel they are not
disillusionedliketheotheranimals.
ANIMAL FARM :
As an allegory, this novel canbe understoodontwo levels. On the onehand, we have the
literal(or surfacestructure)level on whichitcanbe understoodas a story aboutsomefarm
animals(afablethat conveys a message).Onthe other, we have the figurative (or deep
structure)level that pointsto anoutsidereality that exists beyond what the novel talks
about. As a classic novelin Englishliterature,AnimalFarm canbeperused,metaphorically
speaking,as a literarywork that reflectsevents datingbackto the RussianRevolutionof

2. 1917and thento the Stalinera of the Soviet Union.Thismeansthatboth charactersand
actionsinthe novel represent (hencethenovel’s figurative or symbolicalimplications)
historical figuresandevents inthe real world.Eachcharacteroranimalstandsfora
particularpersonorgroupof personsinreality.
Who symbolises who in Animal Farm?
Humans:
 MrJonesrepresentsthelast Czar (emperor)of Russia,NicholasII.
 MrsJones representshiswife Alexandra.
 MrPelingtondoesn’treallyrepresentonepersonbut rather stands for all the
leadersof England.
 MrFredrick doesn’trepresentonepersoneither. Herepresentsall the leadersof
Germany.However, throughoutthe novel, Fredrickisa closerepresentationof
Hitler.
 MrWhimper representsthecapitalistswhodidbusinesswith the Soviet state.
Animals:
 Napoleon representsJosephStalin,thesecondleaderof the Soviet Union.
 Squealer representstheRussianmedia,especiallythePravda newspaperwhich
spreadStalin’sdoctrinesandversion of truth to the masses.
 Snowball representsLeoTrotsky,whowas one of the earlyrevolutionaries,but as
he roseto power,he becameoneofStalin’sbiggestenemiesandwasfinally
expelledfrom the Politburo(politicalbureau)ofthe CommunistPartyin 1925.
 Old Major standsforthe father of Communism,KarlMarx.However, in some
respects,he representsthe originalCommunistleaderVladimirLenin.
 Boxerrepresents the workingclassinthe Soviet Union.He is presentedas the
dedicatedworkerwhonever criticisesthewaythe countryis run. Working class
peopleat that timewere illiterateandamenable.
 Molleyistheoppositeor foil of Boxer. Confusingly, sherepresents Russia’supper
classpeopleorthe workingclassmemberswhohadremainedfaithfultothe
RussianCzar, NicholasII. She doesn’tworkand keepsaloof from any political
involvement inthe affairs of the country.
 Thedogs standfor the militarypolicesetupby the regimetothwart any eventual
rebellioninsociety.
 MosestheRaven representsthe RussianOrthodoxChurch.
 Thesheep standfor the illiterateandsubmissivemassesthat follow andexecute
the CommunistPartyguidelinesandorderswithoutquestion.
INTRODUCTION :
AnimalFarm is GeorgeOrwell'ssatireonequality, where allbarnyard animalslivefree from
their humanmasters'tyranny. Inspired to rebelby Major,an oldboar, animalsonMrJones'
ManorFarm embraceAnimalism andstagearevolution; they want an idealistic stateof
justiceandprogress.However, a power-hungrypig,Napoleon,becomesatotalitarian
dictatorwholeadsthe Animal Farm into oppression."All AnimalsAre Equal” hasaddedto it:
“But SomeAre MoreEqualThanOthers."
Three very important aspects of Animal Farm:
• AnimalFarm isan allegory, whichisa story in whichconcreteandspecific charactersand
situationsstand for other charactersandsituationssoas to makea pointaboutthem. The
mainactionofAnimalFarm stands for the RussianRevolutionof 1917 andthe early years
of the Soviet Union.Animalism isreallycommunism.ManorFarm isallegoricalofRussia,
andthe farmer MrJonesis the RussianCzar. Old Majorstandsfor either KarlMarxor
VladimirLenin,andthe pig namedSnowballrepresentstheintellectual revolutionaryLeon
Trotsky. Napoleonstandsfor Stalin, whilethe dogsare his secretpolice.ThehorseBoxer
stands in for the proletariat,or workingclass.
• Thesettingof AnimalFarm isa dystopia, whichisan imaginedworldthatis far worsethan
our own,as opposedtoa utopia, whichisan idealplaceorstate. Otherdystopian novels
includeAldousHuxley's Brave NewWorld, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit451,andOrwell's
own1984.
• Themostfamouslinefrom thebook is "All animalsareequal,but somearemoreequal
than others." Thislineisemblematicofthe changesthatGeorgeOrwellbelievedfollowed
the 1917CommunistRevolutioninRussia.Ratherthan eliminatingthecapitalistclass
system it was intendedtooverthrow, the revolution merelyreplaceditwith another
hierarchy.Thelineisalso typicalof Orwell'sbeliefthat those inpower usuallymanipulate
languagetotheir ownbenefit
CHAPTER SUMMARIES AND ANALYSIS :
Chapter One :
Summary : After Mr Jones,the ownerof ManorFarm,fallsasleepin a drunkenstupor, all
of his animalsmeetinthe bigbarn at the request of OldMajor,a 12-year-oldpig. Major
delivers a rousingpoliticalspeechabouttheevils inflicteduponthem by theirhuman
keepersand theirneedto rebelagainstthe tyranny of Man.After elaboratingonthe various
ways that Manhas exploitedandharmedtheanimals,Majormentionsastrange dream of
his inwhichhesaw a vision of the earthwithout humans.Hethen teachestheanimalsa
song— "Beasts of England"— whichtheysingrepeatedlyuntilthey awakenJones, who

3. fires his gunfrom hisbedroom window,thinkingthereis a fox in the yard. Frightenedbythe
shot, the animalsdisperseandgoto sleep.
Analysis :Several of the novel's maincharactersareintroducedinthischapter;Orwell
paintstheir dominantcharacteristicswithbroadstrokes. Jones,for example,ispresentedas
a drunken,carelessruler,whosedrinkingbeliesthe upscaleimpressionhehopestocreate
with the nameof hisfarm. In addition,Jones'very name(a commonone)suggestsheis
likemanyother humans,andthe tyranny of all mankindisanimportantthemeof Major's
speech.Hisunsteadygait (suggestedby the "dancinglantern"hecarries)andsnoringwife
markhim immediatelyasthe epitomeof allthat Majorsays about mankind'sself-absorption
andgluttony. Indeed, the first chapterpresentsJonesas moreof an "animal"thanthe
animalsthemselves,whoreactsto any disruptionof his comfortwiththe threat of violence,
as indicatedbyhisgunfirewhen heis awakenedfrom his drunkendreams.
Theanimalsassemblinginthebarnare likewisecharacterizedbyOrwellin quickfashion:
Majorisold andwise, Clover is motherlyandsympathetic,Boxer is strong yet dimwitted,
Benjaminispessimistic andcynical,andMollieisvainand childish.Allof these
characteristicsbecomemorepronouncedasthenovel proceeds.
However, Major'sspeechisthe most importantpartof the chapter,andthroughit Orwell
displays his greatunderstandingofpoliticalrhetoric andhowitcanbe usedto move crowds
in whicheverdirectionthespeakerwishes.By addressinghisaudienceas"comrades"and
prefacinghisremarkswiththe statementthat he willnot bewith the others "manymonths
longer,"Majoringratiateshimselfto hislistenersas one whohas reachedadegreeof
wisdom inhis longlifeof twelve years andwho views the other animals asequals— not a
misguidedrabblethatneedsadviceandcorrectionfrom asuperiorintellect.Thisnotionthat
"All AnimalsAre Equal" becomesoneof the tenets of Animalism,thephilosophyupon
whichtherebellionwillsupposedlybebased.
Major'sspeechseemstoinitiallyechothethoughts of ThomasHobbes,theseventeenth-
centuryEnglishphilosopherwhowrote(inhis work Leviathan)that meninan unchecked
state of naturewill live lives that are"poor, nasty, brutish, andshort." UnlikeHobbes,
however, who felt that a strong, authoritativegovernmentwas requiredto keepeveryone's
innateself-interest from destroying society, Majorarguesthat the earth couldbea paradise
if the tyranny of Manwasoverthrown; he presents hisfellowanimalsasvictimsof
oppressionandincapableofany wrongdoing.TheflawinMajor'sthinking,therefore,is the
assumptionthatonly humansarecapableofevil — an assumptionthatwillbe overturned
as the novel progresses.Although he tells his listeners,"RemoveMan from the scene,and
the root causeof hungerandoverwork is abolishedfor ever," this willnot prove to be the
case.
As previously mentioned,Majorpossessesgreatrhetoricalskill.Hisbarrageof rhetorical
questionsmakeshisargumentmoreforceful,as doeshis imageryof the "cruelknife" and
the animalsscreamingtheir"livesout at the blockwithinayear." Majoralsospecifically
addressesMan'styranny interms of how hedestroys families,consumeswithout
producing,withholdsfood,killsthe weak,and prevents them from owningeven their own
bodies.Majorusesslogansas well("All menare enemies.All animalsarecomrades.")
becauseheknowsthat they areeasilygraspedby listenersas simplemindedasBoxer.The
speechisa masterfulexampleofpersuasion,andhis argumentthat a rebellionmusttake
placeisreminiscentofthe one madebyPatrick Henryto the House of Burgessesin
Virginia, wherehe arguedthat a potentialwar withEnglandwasboth inevitableand
desirable.
Of course,the ironyof the entireepisodeinthe barnis that the animalswilleventually
betray the idealsset forth by Major.Hewarns, for example,that the animalsmustnever
cometoresembletheirhumanoppressors—but by the end of the novel, the tyrannicalpigs
are indistinguishablefrom theirhumancompanions.OldMajor'sdream ofananimalutopia
willquicklybecomeatotalitariannightmare.
Thesong"Beasts of England"is anotherway in whichMajorrouseshisaudience.Although
the narrator jokesthat the tune is "somethingbetweenClementineandLaCucaracha,"the
animalsfindit rousingandmoving. Theuseof a songto stir the citizenry is anold political
manoeuvre,andthe lyrics of "Beasts of England"summarizeMajor'sfeelingsaboutMan:
Thesongdescribesadaywhenall animals(evenIrish ones— a detailOrwellknewwould
resonatewith a British readership)willovercometheirtormentors.Symbolssuchasrings in
their noses, harnesses,bits, spurs, and whipsare usedto convey the libertythat Major
hopeswillone daybe won. Imagesof food andplenty alsocontributeto the song's appeal.
Thesingingofthis powerfulpieceofpropagandareflectsoneof the novel's chiefthemes:
Languagecanbeusedas a weaponandmeansof manipulation.As the animalswill later
learn,characterslikeNapoleonandSquealerwillproveeven moreskilledat usingwords to
get others to do their bidding.
Chapter Two :
Summary : After the death of old Major,theanimalsspendtheirdays secretlyplanningthe
rebellion,althoughtheyare unsurewhenit willoccur.Becauseoftheir intelligence,thepigs
are placedinchargeofeducatingtheanimalsaboutAnimalism,thenametheygive to the
philosophyexpoundedbyMajorinChapter1. Amongthe pigs, SnowballandNapoleonare
the most importanttothe revolution. DespiteMollie'sconcernwithribbonsandMoses'tales
of a placecalledSugarcandyMountain,thepigs aresuccessfulinconveyingthe principles
of Animalism to the others.

4. TherebellionoccurswhenJonesagainfallsinto a drunkensleepandneglectsto feedthe
animals,whobreakinto the store-shedin searchof a meal.WhenJones andhis men
arrive, they beginwhippingtheanimalsbutsoonfind themselvesbeingattackedand
chasedoff the farm. Thetriumphantanimalsthendestroyall tracesof Jones, eat heartily,
andrevel in theirnewfoundfreedom.After a tour of Jones' house,they decidetoleave it
untouchedasa museum.Snowball changesthesignreading"ManorFarm"to"Animal
Farm"andpaints the Seven CommandmentsofAnimalism onthe wallof the barn. The
cowsthen give five bucketsof milk,whichNapoleonsteals.
Analysis :Thedeathofold Majormarksthemomentwhentheanimalsmustbeginto put
his theory intopractice.Forthe remainderofthe novel, Orwelldepictstheever- widening
gulf betweenthe vision expoundedbyoldMajorandthe animals'attemptto realize it.
Thenamesofthe pigschosento leadthe revolution reveal their personalities.Snowball's
namesuits the revolutionin general,which"snowballs"andgrowsuntil,at the novel's end,
the animal rulerscompletelyresembletheirpreviousmasters.Napoleon'snamesuggests
his stern leadershipstyle (he has"a reputationfor gettinghis ownway") and, of course,his
incrediblelustforpower, whichbecomesmorepronouncedwitheachchapter.Squealer,as
his namesuggests,becomesthemouthpieceofthepigs. His habitof "skippingfrom sideto
side" whilearguing"somedifficultpoint"dramatizes,in a physicalway, whatthe smooth-
talkingpig will laterdo in a rhetoricalsense:Every timeheis facedwith a questionor
objection,hewill "skip" aroundthe topic,usingconvolutedlogic toprove hispoint. In short,
he eventuallyserves as Napoleon'sMinisterofPropaganda.
Likeall patriots andrevolutionaries,Snowballisearnest anddeterminedtowinas many
converts to his causeashe can.Twoanimals,however,momentarilyfluster him.Mollie's
concernoversugarand ribbonsis offensive to Snowballbecausehe(asa proponentof
Animalism)urgeshisfellowbeasts to sacrificetheirluxuries.Tohim,Mollieisashallow
materialist,concernedonlywithher ownimageandcomforts.LikeMollie,Mosesproves
irksometo Snowball becauseMosesfillstheheads of the animalswithtalesof Sugarcandy
Mountain.
What Snowball (andthe rest of the animals)failto realize is that SugarcandyMountain —a
paradise — is as unattainableaplaceasa farm whollydevoted to the principlesof
Animalism.As the biblical Mosesledhispeopleoutof bondageandintothe Promised
Land,Mosesthe raven onlyoffers a story about anobviously fictitiousplace.Thefactthat
the animalsareso willingtobelieve him reveals theirwish for a utopiathat (inthe sky or on
the farm)will never be found. Thus,Mosesisthe novel's "religiousfigure," but in a strictly
ironic sense,sinceOrwellneverimpliesthatMoses' storiesbetter the animals'condition.As
Karl Marxfamouslysaid, "Religion… is the opium ofthe people"— an ideashownin the
animals'acceptanceofMoses'tales.
Oncetheanimalsrebelanddrive Jonesfrom the farm, they behave as a conqueringarmy
retakingits ownlandandfreeing it from the yoke of oppression.All the symbolsof Jones'
reign— nose-rings,dog-chains,knives— aretossed into a celebratorybonfire.More
importantis that the animalsattemptto createtheirown senseof historyand traditionby
preserving Jones'houseas a museum.Presumably,future animalswillvisit the houseto
learnof the terribleluxuryin whichhumansoncelived,but,like SugarcandyMountain,this
worldwhereall animalsstudytheiroppressorsinsteadof becomingthem isafantasy.
Similarly,the renamingofManorFarm toAnimalFarm suggeststhe animals'triumphover
their enemy. By renamingthefarm,they assumethat they willchangethekind of placeit
has become —anotherexampleoftheiroptimism andinnocence.
TheSeven Commandmentsof Animalism,likethebiblicalTenCommandments,arean
attemptto completelycodifythe animals'behaviourtocomplywitha system of morality.
Likethe TenCommandments,the Seven Commandmentsaredirectandstraightforward,
leavingno room for interpretationor qualification.Thefactthatthey arepaintedin "great
whiteletters" on the sideof the barnsuggeststhe animals'desiretomakethese laws
permanent—as the permanenceoftheTenCommandmentsissuggestedby their being
engraved onstone tablets. Of course,likethe TenCommandments,theSeven
Commandmentsareboundto bebrokenand boundto be toyed withby those lookingfor a
loopholetoexcusetheirwrongdoing.
Thechapter'sfinalepisodeinvolvingthe bucketsof milkhints at the ruthlessnessNapoleon
willdisplayas the novel progresses.Oneof the henssuggests that the milkbe put into the
animals'mashsothat all canenjoyit — an Animalistic thought,to be sure, sincethe
Seventh CommandmentofAnimalism states that "All animalsareequal."Note that
Napoleon,however,placeshimselfinfront of the bucketsandsendsSnowballto leadthe
animalstothe harvest. Already the readercansensethe boar's greedandbetrayal of the
mostbasic lawof Animalism.Napoleonisusingthepatriotism anddrive of the other
animalsforhis ownpurposes, whichinitiallyinvolve gainingasmuchcontroloverthe farm's
food as he can.

5. Chapter Three :
Summary : Despitethe initialdifficultiesinherentinusingfarmingtoolsdesignedfor
humans,the animalscooperatetofinishthe harvest — and doso inless timethan it had
taken Jonesand hismento dothe same.Boxer distinguisheshimselfasa strong, tireless
worker, admiredbyall the animals.Thepigsbecomethesupervisorsanddirectorsof the
animal workers.OnSundays, the animalsmeetinthebig barnto listento Snowballand
Napoleondebateanumberof topicsonwhichtheyseem never to agree.Snowballformsa
numberof Animal Committees,allofwhichfail.However, hedoes prove successfulat
bringingadegreeof literacyto the animals,wholearnto read accordingtotheirvaried
intelligences.TohelptheanimalsunderstandthegeneralpreceptsofAnimalism,Snowball
reducestheSeven Commandmentstoa singleslogan:"Fourlegsgood, two legsbad."
Napoleon,meanwhile,focuseshisenergyon educatingtheyouth and takes the infant pups
of Jessie andBluebell awayfrom their mothers,presumablyfor educationalpurposes.
Theanimalslearnthatthecows' milkandwindfallenapplesaremixedeveryday into the
pigs' mash.When the animalsobject,Squealerexplainsthatthe pigsneedthe milkand
applesto sustain themselvesas they work for the benefit of allthe otheranimals.
Analysis :Whilethe successfulharvestseemsto signalthe overall triumphof the rebellion,
Orwellhintsin numerousways that the very idealsthat the rebels usedas their rallyingcry
are beingbetrayed by the pigs. Thefactthat they do not doany physicalwork but instead
stand behindthehorses shoutingcommandssuggeststheirnew positionsasmasters —
andas creaturesvery muchlikethehumansthey presumablywantedto overthrow.
When Squealerexplainstothe animalswhythe pigshave beengettingall the milkand
apples,he reveals his rhetoricalskillandabilityto "skip from side to side" to convincethe
animalsthatthe pigs' greedis actuallya great sacrifice:Appealingtoscience(which
presumablyhasproven that applesandmilkare "absolutelynecessaryto the well-beingof
a pig") andlying about pigsdislikingthevery food they are hoarding,Squealermanagesa
great public-relationsstuntby portrayingthe pigs as near-martyrswho onlythink of others
andnever themselves."It is for your sake that we drinkthat milkandeat those apples,"
Squealerexplains,andhis dazzling pseudo-logic persuadesthemurmuringanimalsthatthe
pigsare, infact, selfless.
Squealer'srhetorical question,"Surelythereis no one amongyouwho wants to see Jones
back?"is the first of manytimeswhenSquealerwillinvoke the nameof Jonesto convince
the animalsthat— despiteany discontentmenttheymayfeel — their presentlives are
greatlypreferableto the ones they ledunder theirold master.
Orwell'stone whendescribingtheanimals'reactiontoSquealer("Theimportanceof
keepingthe pigsin goodhealthwas alltoo obvious") is markedlyironic andagainsignalsto
the readerthat the pigsare slowlychanginginto anewform of their oldoppressors.
TheflagcreatedbySnowballis, likethe Seven Commandmentsandthepreserving of
Jones' houseas a museum,anattemptby the animalstocreatea greater senseof
solidarityandemphasizetheir victory. Snowball'sAnimalCommitteesfail,however,
becauseinthem heattempts to radicallytransform the animals'very natures. Tryingto
createa "CleanTailsLeague"forthe cowsis as doomedtofail as trying to tamethe wild
animalsina "Wild Comrade'sRe-educationCommittee."Snowball'saimsmaybenobleand
high-minded,buthe is naive in thinkingthat he canalterthe very nature of the animals'
personalities.Thus,Snowballismarkedasthe intellectual theoreticianofthe rebellion —a
characteristicthatwillbeheightenedlaterwhenhe beginsplanningtheconstructionofthe
windmill.LikeoldMajor,Snowballhasnobleyet naive assumptionsaboutthe purity of
animals'natures.
UnlikeSnowball,Napoleonisapig of actionwhocareslittlefor committees.His assumption
that the educationofthe young is the mostimportantduty of the animalleadersmaysound
likeone of Snowball'saltruistic ideas— but heonly says this to excusehis seizure of the
newpups that he willraiseto be the viciousguarddogshe uses to terrorize the farm in later
chapters.
Note that the charactersofother animalsarefurther developedinthis chapter.Boxer, for
example,isportrayed as a simple-mindedbutdedicatedworker:Hecannotlearnanymore
than four letters of the alphabet,but what he lacksinintelligencehemorethanmakesupfor
in devotion to the farm. Hisnew motto — "I willworkharder" — and requestto becalledto
the fieldhalf an hourbefore anyone elsemarkshim as exactlythe kindof animalthatthe
pigsfeel confidentincontrolling.Whenthereis no thought, there canonlybeblind
acceptance.(LikeBoxer,the sheepare contentwithrepeatinga mottoinsteadof engaging
in anyreal thought. Theirrepetitionof"Fourlegsgood, two legsbad" willcontinue
throughoutthe novel, usuallywhenNapoleonneedsthem to quietany dissention.)
Mollie'svanity is stressed inher reluctancetoworkduringthe harvest — she cannotdevote
herselfto any causeotherthan herown ego. Thus,whensheis taught to read, she refuses
to learnany letters exceptthe ones that spellher name.UnlikeSnowball(andhis
intellectualfancies)orNapoleon(andhisruthlessness),Molliewillinglyabstainsfrom any
part in the politicalprocess.
OldBenjamin'scharacterislikewisedevelopedinthis chapter.Orwellpointsoutthat
Benjamin"neverchanged"andthat, whenasked aboutthe rebellion,onlyremarks,

6. "Donkeys live a longtime.Noneof you hasever seen a deaddonkey." Theotheranimals
find this replya "cryptic" one, but the readerunderstandsBenjamin'spoint:Heis wary of
becomingtooenthusiastic abouttherebellion,sinceheknowsthat any newgovernment
cansuccumbtothe temptationto abuseits power. Later, whenthe animalslearntoread,
Benjaminneverdoes, sincehefinds "nothingworth reading."Hiscynicism isout-of-place
with the patriotism felt by the other animals,buthe cannotbeconvincedthatthe rebellionis
a whollynoblecause —and, after witnessingtheactionsof the pigs, neithercanthe reader.
Chapter Four :
Summary : As summerendsandnewsof the rebellionspreadsto other farms(by way of
pigeonsreleasedbySnowballandNapoleon),Jonesspendsmostof his timein a pub,
complainingabouthistroublesto two neighboringfarmers:Pilkingtonand Frederick.
In October,Jonesand a groupof menarrive at Animal Farm andattemptto seize controlif
it. Snowball turnsout to be an extraordinarytacticianand,withthe helpof the other animals,
drives Jones andhis menaway. Theanimalsthencelebrate theirvictoryin whatthey call
"TheBattleof the Cowshed."
Analysis :Snowball andNapoleon'sdecisiontosendpigeonsto neighbouringfarmsto
spreadnews of AnimalFarm is — liketheir creationof "AnimalHero, First Class"at the end
of the chapter— an attempt to heightenthe gravity and scopeof the rebellion.Byinforming
other animalsaboutAnimalFarm,thepigshope to instigaterebellionselsewhereand
eventually live in the worlddepictedinoldMajor'sdream.
ThesceneofJonescommiseratingintheRedLionwith PilkingtonandFrederickportrays
the humansasexactlythe greedyself-centredbeingsthat the animalswishedtooverthrow.
Although the two neighbouringfarmerssympathizewithJones"in principle,"Orwellstates
that eachis "secretlywonderingwhetherhecouldsomehowturnJones'misfortunetohis
ownadvantage." Notealso that Pilkington'sfarm, Foxwood,isin a "disgracefulcondition"
andthat Frederickis"perpetuallyinvolved in lawsuits"and has a "namefor driving hard
bargains."In directcontrastto the principlesofAnimalism,thehumansliveby a credoof
self-interest anddesirefor materialgain.(Of course,the readerhas alreadyseenhow
Napoleonisbetraying the principlesofAnimalism,ashebecomesmoreandmorelike
these meninthe pub.)
AccordingtoFrederickandPilkington,theanimalsare"rebellingagainstthelawsof nature,"
with "nature" inthis contextreferringto a worldwherehumanscontrolallaspectsof
animals'lives anduse them for their own material gain.Of course,what seems"natural"to
the humansisnot what seems"natural" to the animals,andit is worth notingthat all
attempts inthe novel to changethenaturesof bothhumansandanimalsfail.
Driven by fear and theirperceptionthatother animalsatneighbouringfarmsarebeginning
to becomeinspiredbythe rebels' example,Jonesattemptsto take backwhat is his — but
his attemptat militaryprowessin this caseonlyfurther depictshim as impotentandinept.
After beingmuteduponby the pigeons,Jonesis knockedintoa dungheap — a fitting place
for him,in the eyes of his animalenemies.Hisrunningfrom the farm concludesascene
obviously seriousfor the charactersbut— with its panic andapplicationofCaesar’stactics
to a barnyard melee— comic tothereader.
Boxer's teary-eyed concernoverthe possibledeathof the stable-ladreinforceshissimple-
mindednessandforeshadowsthefactthat he willbe unableto survive in a placeasharsh
as AnimalFarm is soonto become.Theimageofthe greathorse trying to turn the boy over
with hishoof whilehe laments,"Who willnot believe that I didnot do this on purpose?"
contraststhe one of Snowball,withthe blooddrippingfrom hiswounds, stating, "War is war.
Theonlygoodhumanbeingisa deadone." UnlikeBoxer, whowishesno realharm even to
his enemies,Snowballcareslittlefor the possibleregretsone of his soldiersmayface.To
him,death is aninevitableby- productofrevolution, as he remarksduringhisfuneral
orationfor the deadsheep.
Thechapterendswiththe implicationthatAnimalFarm isbecomingaplacegroundedmore
in militarymightthan agrarianindustry. Thecreationofmilitarydecorations,thenamingof
the battle, and the decisiontofire Jones'gun twicea year all suggestthe animals'love of
ceremonyandthe slowbut sure transformationof AnimalFarm intoa placegovernedby
martiallawmorethanthe Seven CommandmentsofAnimalism.
Chapter Five :
Summary : Winter comes,andMollieworkslessandless. Eventually, Clover discoversthat
Mollieisbeingbribedoff AnimalFarm by oneof Pilkington'smen,whoeventuallywins her
loyalties. Molliedisappears,andthepigeonsreportseeingher standingoutsidea pub,
sportingone of the ribbonsthat she always coveted.
Thepigsincreasetheirinfluenceonthefarm,decidingallquestionsofpolicyand then
offeringtheir decisionstothe animals,whomustratify them by a majorityvote. Snowball
andNapoleoncontinuetheirfervent debates, the greatestof whichoccurs overthe building
of a windmillonaknoll. Snowballarguesinfavour of the windmill,whichheiscertainwill
eventually becomealabour-savingdevice;Napoleonarguesagainstit, saying that building
the windmillwilltaketimeandeffort awayfrom the moreimportanttaskof producingfood.
Thetwoalso disagreeonwhetherthey should(as Napoleonthinks)amassanarmouryof
gunsor (as Snowballthinks)sendout morepigeonsto neighbouringfarmstospreadnews
of the rebellion.Onthe Sundaythat the planfor the windmillisto be put to a vote, Napoleon

7. callsoutnine ferociousdogs,whochaseSnowballoffthe farm. Napoleonthenannounces
that all debateswill stop and institutesa numberof other newrules for the farm.
Threeweeksafter Snowball'sescape,Napoleonsurpriseseverybody by announcingthat
the windmill will bebuilt.Hesends Squealerto the animalstoexplainthat the windmillwas
reallyNapoleon'sideaallalongandthat the plans for it were stolenfrom him bySnowball.
Analysis :ThedefectionofMolliemarksheras aneven greatermaterialistthanshe had
appearedto beearlierin the novel. Thefactthat sheis bribedaway from AnimalFarm with
sugarand ribbons— two itemsthat Snowballcondemnedasunnecessaryfor liberty in
Chapter2 — showsher desirefor luxury withoutmakingthenecessarysacrificestoobtain
it. Sheis a defectorfrom the politicsofAnimalFarm andis never mentionedbythe other
animals,whofindher abandonmentofAnimalism andthe rebellionshameful.Despitetheir
impliedcondemnation,however,the pigeonsdoreport that "She appearedto be enjoying
herself" — muchmoresothanthe animalswhoremainonthefarm.Molliemaybe politically
shallowinthe eyes of her formercomrades,butshe doesmanagetosecureherselfa much
morecomfortablelife,whichraisesthequestionof whetheroneis better off living wellwith
one's enemiesorsufferingwith one's comrades.Thenoveleventuallysuggeststhat Mollie
did, infact, makeawise decisioninleavingAnimal Farm,although(tobe fair) she didnot
do so becauseofany political ormoralmotives.
At this point, the pigshave gainedmorepower:Earlier,they were"supervisors," but now
they decide"all questionsof farm policy." Whilethese decisionsstillneed to be ratifiedby
the other animals,Orwellsuggeststhatthe pigs are gaininggroundata slowbut steady
rate. But with the "bitterly hardweather" that arrives that winter, so do"bitterly hard"
debatesincreasebetweenSnowballandNapoleon.Actually,"debate" is hardlythe correct
term, sinceonlySnowballattemptsto userhetoric andlogic to sway the otheranimals —
Napoleonusesa numberofwhat Squealerwilllatercall"tactics"to get his way. For
example,Napoleonspendstimeduringtheweektrainingthesheep to breakinto their "Four
legsgood, two legsbad" bleatingduring"crucial moments"inSnowball'sspeeches;packing
the meetingswithhis ownunwittingsupportersis Napoleon'scalculatedstrategyhere. His
unleashingofthe ninedogs laterin the chapteris Napoleon'sultimate"debatingtechnique":
Violence,not oratory, is how Napoleonsettlesdisagreements.
Thewindmill itselfisa symbol of technological progress.Snowballwantsit to be built
becausehethinksit willbringto the farm a degreeof self-sufficiency— whichaccordswith
the principlesofAnimalism.Napoleon,however,caresnothingfor the windmill(andeven
urinateson Snowball'splansfor it) becauseheis onlyconcernedwithestablishinghis
totalitarianrule. At the debate onthe windmill,Snowballarguesthatafter it is built, the
animalswillonlyneedto work threedays a week, whileNapoleonarguesthat"if they
wastedtime onthe windmilltheywouldallstarve to death."
Thus,Snowballisa leaderwholooksforward andconsidersthefuture of hisnation, while
Napoleonthinksonlyof the present,sincehis vision of the future is one inwhichheis in full
controlover animalswhohave no timefor leisureactivities. (Thisisagainemphasizedwhen
Snowballarguesfor spreadingnewsof the rebellionsothat eventually allanimalswillrise
againstoppression,whileNapoleonwantstocreatea stockpileof weaponsthat he canthen
turn, if needed,onhis own citizens.)In short, Snowball'svision of life with the windmill is
likeMoses'SugarcandyMountain:An immenselydesirableyet fantastic place.
Note that Benjamindoesnotendorseeitherpig, and theirsloganshave noeffect on him.
Likethe reader, he is doubtfulof Snowball'sschemeandwaryof Napoleon'smanoeuvres.
All Benjaminbelievesiswhat heknows for sure, the sum total of whichisthat, "Windmillor
no windmill,lifewillgoonas it always hadgone on — that is, badly." Thiscynicalremarkis
perhapsthe mostimportantstatementin the entirenovel, for despiteall of the ideologies,
plans,battles, schemes,debates,betrayals,sound, andfury of the animals,theend result
is that they returnfull circletothe exactsamelife they triedto avoid. As hedoes several
timesthroughoutthe novel, Orwellspeaksdirectlyto the readerthrough Benjamin.
Napoleon'snewfoundpowerisbasedwhollyonthe threat of violence,as demonstratedin
his "winning"thedebate withSnowballby drivinghim off the farm. Hisdecisiontoend all
debatesreflectshis insatiableneedfor power:Debates, whenconductedinthespiritof
inquiryanddiscoveryof viewpoints, arecrucialtoa governmentthat wants its citizens to
take part in their ownrule. Napoleon,however,views debatesas "unnecessary"because
he willpermitno questioningof hiscommandandwantsto silenceanydissention.LikeBig
Brother, the personificationofthe all-powerfulgovernmentinOrwell'sNineteenEighty-Four,
Napoleonbeginstobecomeanunapproachable,godlikefigure.Notethat whenthe four
porkersobjectto the way in whichNapoleonseizespower,the dogsbeginto growl, andthe
sheepbleat their"Four legsgood"sloganover andover. Thiscombinationofrelentless
propagandaandthreatsof violencecompriseNapoleon'sphilosophyof leadership —the
samephilosophybehindthegovernmentin NineteenEighty-Four.Napoleon'sdisinterment
of Major'sskull is hisway of allying himselfwiththe beloved father of Animalism —another
pieceofadmittedlybrilliantpropaganda.
Squealerdisplayseven more of his skillat doubletalkinthis chapter.As hedid previously
with the milkandapples,SquealerpaintsNapoleon'scrimesinalightthat makesNapoleon
morelikea martyr thana dictator. CallingNapoleon'stakeovera "sacrifice"andstating that
leadershipis"not a pleasure,"the officiouspigmanagesto — as was saidearlierabouthim
— "turn blackintowhite." Even moreinvidiousis Squealer'sabilityto rewritehistory: hetells

8. the animalsthatSnowball'spart in the Battle of the Cowshedwas"muchexaggerated"and
(onceNapoleondecidestoproceedwiththebuildingofthe windmill)thatthe ideafor it was
Napoleon'sall along.Again, as in NineteenEighty-Four,Orwellattacksthe ways in which
those whorise to powerrevise the past in orderto keeptheir gripon the presentand future.
These"tactics,"asSquealercallsthem,allowNapoleontoalways presenthimselfinthe
mostfavourable light— and, if an animalstillobjects,thethree dogsaccompanying
Squealerserve as ampledeterrent.Faced withSquealer's"skipping"wordsand the mouths
of the dogs, an animalhashardlya choicebuttosubmitto the newregime.
Chapter Six :
Summary : Duringthefollowingyear, the animalsworkharderthanever before. Building
the windmill isalaboriousbusiness,andBoxer proves himselfa modelofphysicalstrength
anddedication.NapoleonannouncesthatAnimalFarm willbegintradingwithneighbouring
farmsand hiresMr. Whymper, a solicitor,to actas hisagent. Other humansmeetinpubs
anddiscusstheir theoriesthat the windmillwillcollapseandthatAnimalFarm willgo
bankrupt. Jonesgives up his attemptsat retakinghis farm andmoves to anotherpart of the
county. Thepigsmoveinto the farmhouseandbeginsleepinginbeds,whichSquealer
excusesonthe groundsthat the pigsneedtheir rest after the dailystrain of runningthe
farm.
ThatNovember,a storm topplesthe half-finishedwindmill.Napoleontellstheanimalsthat
Snowball isresponsibleforits ruinand offers a rewardto anyanimalwho killsSnowballor
bringshim backalive. Napoleonthendeclaresthatthey willbeginrebuilding thewindmill
that very morning.
Analysis :With the passingof a year, allof the animals(saveBenjamin)havewholly
swallowedNapoleon'spropaganda:Despite theirworkinglike"slaves," the animalsbelieve
that "everything they didwas for the benefit of themselves" and"not for a packof idle,
thieving humanbeings."WhenNapoleonordersthat animalswillneedtowork on Sundays,
he callsthework "strictly voluntary" yet addsthat any animalwhodoesnot volunteer will
have his rations reduced.Thus,Napoleonisableto foster a sense of unity (whereanimals
"volunteer") using the threat of hunger.Thistransformationofobvious dictatorialpractices
(forcedlabour)intoseeminglybenevolentsocialprograms(volunteering)isanotherof
Napoleon'smethodsforkeepingthe animalsworkinganddocile.
Theeffectof Napoleon'spropagandaisalsoseenin Boxer's unflaggingdevotionto the
windmill.Evenwhenwarned by Clover about exertinghimself,Boxer canonlythink, "I will
work harder"and "Napoleonisalways right." Thefactthat he canonlythink in slogans
reflectshis inabilityto engageinany realthought at all. Sloganssuchasthese are powerful
weaponsfor leaderslikeNapoleon,whowantto keeptheir followersdevoted, docile,and
dumb.
Oneof the mosteffective ways that Napoleonstrengthenshisrule is hisuse of the politics
of sacrifice.Indeed,"sacrifice"isan often-repeatedwordinthe novel, andNapoleonusesit
to excusewhat heknows others willseeas his blatant disregardfor the Seven
CommandmentsofAnimalism.Forexample,whenorderingthatAnimalFarm willengagein
trade with humanbeingsandthatthe hens mustsell theireggs, he states that the hens
"shouldwelcomethissacrificeastheirown specialcontributiontowardsthebuildingofthe
windmill."After facingsomeobjectionsfrom theanimalsabouttradingwithhumans,
Napoleontellsthem that they willnot have to comeintocontactwithanyhumanbeings,
since,"He intendedto take the wholeburdenuponhisown shoulders."Likethe applesand
milk(whichthepigs' pretendednotto likein the first place),Napoleonmasterfullyrecasts
himselfas ananimallikeBoxer— when,of course,the readersees that the pigand the
horseare completeoppositesintheirselfishnessandselflessness.Of course,if any
animalsever hintat seeingthroughNapoleon'sfalsehumility,they willbe greetedwith the
samecombinationofbleatingandgrowlsthat facedSnowballinChapter5.
Squealercontinueshisworkof mollifyingthe animalswhoobjecttoNapoleon'splans.As he
figuratively rewriteshistory whenexplainingthatthere never was a resolutionagainstusing
moneyor tradingandthat the animalsmusthavedreamedit, he literallyrewrites history
whenhe changestheFourthCommandmentfrom "Noanimalshallsleepina bed"to "No
animalshallsleepina bedwith sheets." When Clover learnsof the two addedwords,she is
naturallysuspiciousbuthasbeenso brainwashedbyNapoleon'sregimethatsheconcludes
that she was mistaken.Squealer'sexplanationofwhy the pigssleepin bedshingeson
semanticsratherthancommonsense:"Abedmerelymeansaplaceto sleepin" and"A pile
of straw is a bed,properlyregarded"are examplesofhis manipulationoflanguage.His
mostpowerfulword, of course,is "Jones," for wheneverhe asks, "Surely, noneof you
wishesto seeJones back?"allthe animals'questionsaredispelled.
Thedestructionofthe windmillmarksthefailureof Snowball'svisionof the future. It also
allowsOrwellto againdemonstrateNapoleon'sincredibleabilityto seize anopportunityfor
his ownpurposes.Afraid of seemingindecisiveanda failurewhileallthe animalsstareat
the toppledwindmill,Napoleoninvokesthenameof Snowballas SquealerdoeswithJones:
"Do you know," he asks, "the enemywhohas comeinthenight andoverthrown our
windmill?SNOWBALL!"Forthe remainderofthe novel, Snowballwillbeusedas a
scapegoatforall of Napoleon'sfailings;hiscommandstobeginrebuildingthewindmilland
shoutingof slogansoccurbecausehedoesnotwant to give the animalsanytimein which

9. to considertheplausibilityof hisstory aboutSnowball.Although heshouts, "Long live
Animal Farm,"he means,"Longlive Napoleon!"
Chapter Seven :
Summary : As the humanworldwatchesAnimalFarm andwaitsfor newsof its failure,the
animalsstruggleagainststarvation. NapoleonusesMr.Whymper to spreadnewsof Animal
Farm'ssufficiencyto the humanworld.After learningthat they mustsurrendertheir eggs,
the hens stagea demonstrationthatonly endswhenthey canno longerlive without the
rationsthat Napoleonhaddeniedthem.Ninehensdieas a result of the protest.
Theanimalsareledtobelieve that Snowballis visiting the farm at nightandspitefully
subverting their labour.Hebecomesaconstant(andimagined)threatto the animals'
security, and Squealereventuallytellsthe animalsthat Snowballhassoldhimselfto
Frederickandthathe was in leaguewithJonesfrom the very beginning.
Oneday in spring,Napoleoncallsameetingofallthe animals,duringwhichheforces
confessionsfrom all thosewho hadquestionedhim (suchasthe four pigs inChapters 5 and
6 andthe threehens wholeadthe protest) and then hasthem murderedbythe dogs.
Numerousanimalsalsoconfesstocrimesthatthey claim wereinstigatedbySnowball.
Eventually, the singingof "Beasts of England"is outlawedanda newsong by Minimus,
Napoleon'spig-poet,isinstituted, althoughthe animalsdonotfind the song as meaningful
as their previous anthem.
Analysis :Facedwiththerealitiesof farming — andhis ownlackof planningforthe winter
— Napoleonisforcedto deal witha hungrypopulaceandthe potentiallydamagingleaksof
suchnewsto the outsideworld.Tosurmounttheseproblems,Napoleon metaphorically
assumesthe roleof directorandmountsa theatricalproduction.In termsof this metaphor,
Mr. Whymper is the audiencewhomNapoleonmustengageandfoolintobelievingin an
illusion,the sheepareactors recitinglinesabouttherations having beenincreased,andthe
emptygrainbins filledwithsand are the props(or "specialeffects"). Whymper is fooledinto
thinkingthat Animal Farm is runningsmoothly,and Napoleonagaindemonstrateshis
judicioususeofdeception.(Ironically,thisdeceptivetheatricalityis exactlywhat Squealer
later accusesSnowballofhaving donewithJones at the Battle of the Cowshed.)
MoredeceptionoccursintheperniciousliesspreadaboutSnowball.Napoleonuseshim as
a scapegoatforany of the farm'smisfortunes,as Hitler didwith EuropeanJewsas he rose
to power. Both leadersunderstandthepublic'sdesireto castblameonan outsidesource
for all their troubles.Squealer'sclaimsthatthe pigshave found"documents"linking
Snowball to Jonesare anappealto the animals'needfor proof ; althoughthenonexistent
documentsareneverrevealed to them on the groundsthat the animalsareunabletoread
them.Like the grain-binsfilledwithsand, Snowball's"documents"areanotherruse usedby
Napoleontomanipulatethethoughtsof those who couldendhisrule. Theanimalsrefuseto
believethat the thin wallsof the windmillcontributedtoits collapse,revealingtheextent to
whichtheysubscribetothe Snowball-baitingideology.
Thosewhoactuallydothreaten Napoleon'srulearedealtwith in a swift and brutalfashion.
Napoleoncallsameetingofallthe animalsfor the purposeof publiclyexecutingdissidents
in orderto maketheothers understandwhatwill happentothem shouldtheyrefuse one of
his orders. Whenthe four pigs whoprotested againstNapoleon'sdecisiontoendthe
Sundaymeetingsarecalledbeforehim,theyconfessto have beensecretlyin touchwith
Snowball,inthe hopesof receivingsomeclemencyfrom Napoleon.Thisisthesame
techniqueusedbythe hens, who, likewise,areslaughtered.Thenumberofotheranimals
whoconfessto Snowball-inspiredcrimes,however,suggeststhe degreeto which paranoia
has grippedtheanimals,whonowfeel the needto confessthingsas slightas stealingsix
ears of cornor urinatinginthe drinkingwater. Thesceneofthese confessionsechoesthe
Salem witchtrials,whereseeminglyrationalpeoplesuddenlyconfessedtohaving
comportedwithSatanas a way of relievingtheir psychologicaltorments.Afraid that their
crimeswillbediscovered,the animalsconfessthem becausetheyare unableto stand the
strain of their guilt.
Theterribleatmosphereoffear and deaththat nowcharacterizesAnimalFarm isdiscussed
by Boxer andClover at the endof the chapter.Boxer, naturally, concludesthathe must
work harderto atone for "somefault in ourselves"; like the confessinganimals,hewantsto
purgehimselfof non-existentevils. Clover, however, does gaina smallamountofinsightas
she looksat the farm from the knollandconsidersthatthe terrors shehas seenwere not in
her mindwhenoldMajorspokeof his dream.However, sinceshelacked"thewords to
express" these ideas,her possiblyrevolutionarythoughtsare never brought out. With
Snowballgone,noneof the animalsareencouragedtoread — for the samereasonsthat
slaves throughouthistory were similarlydeprived.
Napoleon'soutlawing"Beastsof England"is his next step in assumingtotalcontrol.Fearful
that the song mightstir up the samerebelliousfeelingsfeltby the animalsthenightMajor
taught it to them,Napoleonreplacesitwith a decidedlyblandersongthatfocuseson the
responsibilityof the animalsto protectthe farm, ratherthan to overthrow its leaders:
AnimalFarm,AnimalFarm,
Never through meshaltthou cometoharm!

10. Of course,there is nodebate aboutthis decision,sincethesheepwhoaccompany
Squealereffectivelyend alltalk of it with theirincessantbleating.Nothingat AnimalFarm
willever be the samesincethebloodof animalshasbeenshedby their ownkind.
Chapter Eight :
Summary : Thefollowingyearbringsmoreworkon the windmillandlessfoodfor the
workers, despiteSquealer'slists of figures supposedlyproving that food productionhas
increaseddramaticallyunderNapoleon'srule.As Napoleongrowsmorepowerful,heis
seenin public lessoften. Thegeneralopinionofhim isexpressedin a poem byMinimus
that lists his meritsand virtues. MoreexecutionsoccurwhileNapoleonschemestosella
pileof timberto Frederick—whois alternatelyrumoredtobe a sadistic torturer of animals
andthe victim of unfoundedgossip.
After the completionofthe newwindmillinAugust, Napoleonsellsthe pileof timberto
Frederick,whotriesto paywith a check.Napoleon,however,demandscash,whichhe
receives. Whymperthen learnsthat Frederick'sbanknotesareforgeries,andNapoleon
pronouncesthedeathsentenceonthe traitoroushuman.
Thenextmorning,Frederickand14menarrive at AnimalFarm andattemptto take it by
force.Although the humansareinitiallysuccessful,afterthey blow up the windmill,the
animalsarecompletelyenragedanddrive the menfrom the farm.
Squealerexplainstothe bleedinganimalsthat,despitewhat they maythink, they were
actuallyvictoriousin what willhereafterbe called"TheBattleof the Windmill."
Somedays later, the pigsdiscovera caseof whisky in Jones'cellar.After drinkingtoomuch
of it, Napoleonfearshe is dying anddecreesthat the drinkingof alcoholispunishableby
death. Twodays later, however, Napoleonfeelsbetter andorders the smallpaddock(which
was to have beenusedas a retirement-homeforoldanimals)tobe ploughedandplanted
with barley. ThechapterendswithMurielrereadingtheSeven Commandmentsand
noticing,for the first time, that the Fifth Commandmentnowreads,"No animalshalldrink
alcohol toexcess."
Analysis :Thenumberofexecutionsoccurringatthe farm naturallyraises someconcerns
amongtheanimals,whorecalltheSixth CommandmentofAnimalism:"Noanimalshallkill
any other animal."However,as he has donemanytimesalready, Napoleonrevisesthe
past to suit hispresent aimsandalters the paintedCommandmenttoread,"No animalshall
killany other animal withoutcause."Theadditionoftwowords gives Napoleonfreereinto
killwhomeverhe wishes(sincehedeterminesall"causes"),andthese two words echothe
other additionsto the commandments:"withsheets" to the Fourthand"to excess"to the
Fifth. In all three cases,a minorgrammaticalrevisionpermitsmajorrevisionofa law that
legitimizesandexcusesNapoleon'styranny.
As the work on the windmillcontinues,theanimalsdobegintostarve, as Napoleon
originallysaidthey wouldin his debateswithSnowball.Ever the happysycophant, however,
Squealerreadilyprovides lists of figuresto prove to the animalsthat they arenot starving.
BenjaminDisraeli,theformerPrimeMinisterofEngland,onceremarked,"Therearethree
kindsof lies: Lies,damnedlies,andstatistics" — a remarkthat Squealer'sactionshere
prove true. Likemanypeople,the animalsaredazzled by numbersas indicativeof scientific
samplingandconcreteinformation,despitethefact that "they wouldhave soonerhadless
figuresand morefood." Officialsounding"evidence"thusconvincestheanimalsthattheir
ownrumblingstomachsmustbein the wrong.
Nowthat he is intotal and undisputedcontrolofAnimalFarm,Napoleonbecomesa
paranoidegomaniac,andOrwellstressesthis newphaseof Napoleon'scharacterin
several ways. First, he virtually vanishes from public;whenheis seen, he is first heralded
by a blackcockerel.Second,helives inseparate roomsfrom the other pigsandonly eats
from Jones' CrownDerby dinnerservice.Third,heorders the gunto be fired on hisbirthday
andis referred to with flattering epithets,suchas "Protector of the Sheep-fold."Fourth, he
ordersMinimus'poem abouthimselftobeinscribedonthe wallof the big barn,surmounted
by a paintingof his profile.Fifth, he has a pignamedPinkeyetaste allof hisfood to besure
it is not poisoned.Sixth, he namesthe completedwindmill NapoleonMilland,afterselling
the timber,has the animalsslowlywalkpast him as he lieson a bed of straw next to his
pilesof money. Again, Orwelldisplaysa politician'simageasapowerfulmeansof
controllinghissubjects.
Noneof these unabasheddisplaysof his own importance,however,deter the animalsfrom
worshippinghim.ThepoemwrittenbyMinimusisnotableforthe ways in whichitresembles
a prayer, likeningNapoleonto"the sunin the sky" and flattering him withlineslike, "Thou
are the giver of / All that thy creatureslove." (Note the formalpoetic dictionfoundinwords
like"Thou,""Ere," and"thee" that seeminglyelevates the dignityof the poem'ssubject.)As
a whole,however, the poem portrays Napoleonasanomniscientforce("Thouwatchesover
all, / ComradeNapoleon")thatbeginsbrainwashinghissubjectsfrom theirfirst living
moments:
HadI a suckingpig,Ere he hadgrownas big. Even as a pint bottle or a rolling-pin,He
shouldhave learnedto be Faithfulandtrue to thee, Yes, his first squeakshouldbe
"ComradeNapoleon!"

11. Unlike"Beasts of England,"whichcalledforanuprisingagainsttyranny and anincreased
senseof unity amongallanimals,Minimus'poem portraysNapoleonasa greaterand better
animal thanall others, deserving theirfull devotion. On the surface,sucha songof praise
mightseem likeinnocentflattery— but the readerunderstandsthat the poem isanother
weaponinNapoleon'spropagandaarsenal.
Napoleon'srelationshipwithFrederickandPilkingtonalsorevealhis disregardforold
Major'sprinciples;indeed,OrwellremarksthatrelationsbetweenNapoleonandPilkington
become"almostfriendly."When the animalsareshockedtolearnthat Napoleon"hadreally
beenin secretagreementwithFrederick"tosellhim the timber,the reader(as with
Minimus'poem)sensesthetruth andunderstandsthat there never wasa "secret
agreement,"but that Napoleonhadbeensoundingeachmantoseewhowouldoffer him a
better price.Again Napoleonisableto manipulatetheanimals'perceptionsinorderto make
himselfappearincompletecontrol.ThepigeonsthatNapoleonreleaseswiththeirvarying
slogans("Death to Frederick"and"Deathto Pilkington")resemblegovernment-controlled
media,spreadingtheofficialwordona topic to the worldandcompletelycontradictingall
previous statementswhennecessary.
Another way in whichNapoleonmanipulatespublicopinionishisnamingthewindmill
"NapoleonMill."Buildingthewindmill hadbeenaneffort of allthe animals,but Napoleon
namesit after himselfto againinsinuatethat AnimalFarm hasbecomewhatitis becauseof
his actions.Ironically,this is true in boththe positive andnegative sense: Napoleon's
leadershiphasfreed the animalsfrom humancontrol —but it has alsobegunto enslave
them to another form of tyranny. As Snowballisdeemedresponsibleforeverything that
goeswrong onthe farm, Napoleoniscreditedwithallimprovements.Theanimalspraising
him for the taste of the water andother things withwhichNapoleonobviouslyhadnothingto
do reveals the depthto whichhehaspervaded their minds —and terrifiedthem into
completedependenceandobedience.
Thedestructionofthe windmillmarksAnimalFarm'sfinal,irrevocableturnfor the worse. As
the windmill earliersymbolizedthehopesof Snowballanda future of leisure,its explosion
at the hands of Fredericksymbolizestheabsoluteimpossibilityof Snowball'sdreams.The
Battle of the Windmill recalls,ofcourse,the Battle of the Cowshed,but this battleis more
chaotic,morebloody,andless effective than the former:"A cow,three sheep,and two
geesewere killed,andnearlyeveryone was wounded."
Likethe statistics that "proved" that the animalscouldnotbehungry, Squealer'slogic in
proving that the battle was a victory is an incredibledisplayof politicaldoubletalkatits most
obvious andludicrous:Boxer,bleedingandwounded,cannotconceivehowSquealercan
callthebattle a victory, untilthe pig explains,"Theenemywasin occupationofthis very
groundthat we stand upon.And now — thanks to the leadershipofcomradeNapoleon —
we have won every inchof it backagain!"Boxer's deadpanreplyto this — "Thenwehave
wonbackwhat we hadbefore" — containsawisdom that even he cannotappreciate,forhe
is attemptingto followSquealer'slogic whilesimultaneously(andunknowingly)pointingout
the laughablenatureofSquealer'sclaim.Here,as elsewhere,thesatire of AnimalFarm
growsexponentiallysharperand morebitterwith eachchapter.
Theepisodeinvolvingthe alcoholisnotablefor the wayin whichit further characterizesthe
pigsas the gluttonousanimalstheyare thought to be inthe popularimagination,aswellas
howit offers anotherexampleof Napoleon'scoldefficiency:His decisiontousethat
paddockasa placetoharvest barleyinstead of the old-agehomeitwas originally
earmarkedtobe clearlyindicatesthatNapoleonvaluesprofits (and homemadespirits)over
revering the aged.
Chapter Nine
Summary : After celebratingtheirso-calledvictoryagainstFrederick,theanimalsbegin
buildinganewwindmill.Theireffortsare againledby Boxer who, despitehis splithoof,
insists on workingharderandgettingthe windmillstartedbeforehe retires.
Foodsuppliescontinuetodiminish,butSquealerexplainsthatthey actuallyhave morefood
andbetter lives than they have ever known.Thefour sowslitter 31 piglets; Napoleon,the
father of allof them, ordersa schoolroom tobebuiltfor theireducation.Meanwhile,more
andmoreof the animals'rationsarereducedwhilethe pigscontinuetogrow fatter. Animal
Farm iseventually proclaimedaRepublic,andNapoleoniselectedPresident.
Oncehishoof heals,Boxer works as hardas he canat buildingthewindmill —untilthe day
he collapsesbecauseofa lungailment.After he is helpedbacktohis stall, Squealer
informsthem that Napoleonhassent for the veterinarian at Willingdontotreat him.When
the van arrives to take Boxer to the hospital,however, Benjaminreadsits sideand learns
that Boxer is actuallybeingtaken to a knacker,or glue-boiler.Clover screamstoBoxer to
escape,but the oldhorseis too weakto kick hisway out of the van, whichdrivesaway.
Boxer is never seen again.Toplacatetheanimals,Squealertellsthem thatBoxer was not
taken to a knackerbut that the veterinarianhad boughtthe knacker'struckand hadnot yet
repaintedthe wordson its side. Theanimalsarerelievedwhenthey hear this. Thechapter
endswith a grocer'svan deliveringa crateof whisky to the pigs, whodrink it alland do not
ariseuntil after noonthe followingday.
Analysis :Boxer'sdeath inthis chaptermarkshim asthe mostpathetic of Orwell's
creations.CompletelybrainwashedbyNapoleon,helives (anddies) for the goodof the
farm — a farm whoseleadersells him to a knackerthemomenthebecomesunfitforwork.

12. His naiveté in lookingforwardto his retirementandpensionfulfillsthe promiseofthe white
linedownhis face,which Orwelltellsthe readerin Chapter1 gives him a "somewhatstupid
appearance."Evenwhenstrickenand unabletomove, Boxercanonly considerwhathis
ailmentwill meantothe windmill,andhispipedream of retiringwith Benjaminandlearning
"the remainingtwenty-twoletters of the alphabet"is as far-flungas Snowball'sutopiaand
Moses'SugarcandyMountain.
ThesceneinwhichBoxeristaken to his death is notablefor its depictionofa powerless
andinnocentfigurecaughtinthe gearsof unforgivingtyranny. (Note that the van's driver
wearsa bowlerhat — a symbolthroughoutthe novel of cruelhumanity.)AlthoughBoxer
tries to kick hisway out of the van, hispreviously incrediblestrengthhasbeen — through
days of mindlesshardworkin the serviceof his tormentors— reducedtonothing.Onlyin
his last momentsdoesBoxerbeginto understandwhatis happeningtohim,but the
knowledgecomestoolatefor anything to change.
ThischapteralsocontinuestodisplaySquealer'smanipulationoflanguagefor the pigs'
political ends.In hisfamousessay, "Politicsandthe EnglishLanguage"(1946),Orwell
discussesthemanyways that our language"becomesuglyandinaccuratebecauseour
thoughts arefoolish," but alsoargues that "the slovenlinessof ourlanguagemakesiteasier
to have foolishthoughts." In other words, any corruptionofthe languagecan(andwill)have
a corruptinginfluenceontheways in whichwethinkabout the very thingsthat language
strugglesto describe.Thisprocessisillustratedin Squealer'sannouncementstothe
animalsabouttheirshortagesof food: "Forthe time being,"he explains,"it had beenfound
necessaryto makeareadjustmentof rations." Hisuse of "readjustment"insteadof
"reduction"isa subtle attemptto quellthe animals'complaintsabouttheirstomachs—
"reduction"isa word implyinglessof something,but "readjustment"impliesashiftingof
what is alreadythere. (Thusonehearspoliticiansspeakof"the needto increasefundingof
governmentprograms"insteadof "tax hikes"or the invasion of anothercountryas a "police
action"insteadof a "war.") In "Politicsandthe EnglishLanguage,"Orwellcontendsthat
sucheuphemismsareusedbecausetheyprevent listenersfrom conjuringmentalpictures
of what is beingdescribed,whichinturnlessensthe amountof horrorlistenerscanfeel
whenconsideringthetopic.
ThismanipulationoflanguageisagainfoundwhenAnimalFarm isproclaimedaRepublic,
with Napoleonits"elected"President.Theword"Republic"connotes alandof self-
governmentwhosecitizensparticipateinthe politicalprocess,asthe word"President"
connotesonewhois of the citizenrybut whohas beenappointedby them to presideover —
not control — their government.Of course,these wordsare outrageousjokesto the reader,
but not to the animals,whoagainandagainswallowthepigs'twisted languagetomake
themselvesfeel better: As Orwellslyly remarks,"Doubtlessit hadbeenworse inthe old
days. Theywere gladto believe so."
Similarly,the animalsare"gladto believe"Squealer'sobvious liesabout Boxer's final
momentsinwhichhesupposedlypraisedbothAnimalsFarm andNapoleon.Thisis
Squealer'smostoutrageousandblatant pieceofpropaganda,anda readermaywell
wonderwhy noneof the animalsraisetheslightest suspicionaboutit. Thereasonisthat
they are afraidto doso — afraidof Napoleonandhisdogs,of course,but alsoafraid of
probingtoo deeplyinto the story andthus upsettingtheir ownconsciences.Believing
Squealeris easierpoliticallyandmorally. Theycanexcusetheirlackof actionbywillingly
believingSquealer'sliesabout the ownerof the van. As Orwellironicallyexplains:
Theanimalswereenormouslyrelievedto hearthis. And whenSquealerwent onto give
further graphic detailsofBoxer's death-bed,the admirablecarehehadreceived,andthe
expensive medicinesforwhichNapoleonhadpaidwithoutathought to the cost, their last
doubtsdisappearedandthe sorrowthat they felt for their comrade'sdeathwas temperedby
the thought that at least he haddiedhappy.
Words like "admirable,""expensive,"and"without a thought to the cost" allgive the animals
licensetoexcusetheirown inaction.As Orwellwrote elsewhere,"Toseewhatis in front of
one's noseneedsa constantstruggle" — a strugglethat the animalsdoubtlessareableto
overcome.
Thereturnof Mosesis, like the destructionofthe first windmill,usedto the pigs'advantage.
A readermay wonderwhythe pigs allowMosesto remainonthefarm (and actually
encouragehim todoso by giving him a gillof beer a day). Thereasonliesinthe effect
Moseshas onthe animals.Again recallingMarx'sfamousmetaphor,Moses'talesof
SugarcandyMountainfigurativelydrug the animalsandkeepthem docile:If lifenow is
awful, at least (so Moses'tales imply)it willnot always be such.Thereforetheanimals
continueworking,labouringunderthehopethat, oneday, Moses' storieswillcometrue.
Napoleon'sfatheringof the 31 pigletssuggestshow saturatedwith his imageandpresence
the farm has become.Ina biological sense,Napoleonisnowcreatingthevery population
he meansto control.Hisdecisiontobuilda schoolhouseforthepigs is reminiscentofsuch
fascistorganizationsas the HitlerYouth, andhis numerousdecreesfavoringthepigs (such
as the one requiringallanimalstostepout of their waywhenapproachedbypigs) recalls
Hitler's thoughtsabout Aryan superiority.
Also notableinthis chapteris the great amountof ceremonythat Napoleoninstitutes
throughoutthe farm: Theincreasedamountofsongs, speeches,anddemonstrationskeep

13. the animals'brainsbusyenoughnot to think abouttheir ownwretchedness —and
Napoleonpacksthemeetingswiththe sheepin caseanyanimalsmomentarilysee past all
the pompandcircumstance.ThewreathNapoleonorderstobemadefor Boxer's grave is a
similardisplayfor Napoleon'sownends, as is the elegyfor Boxer that heends withthe
horse's two maximsinorderto threaten the other animals.Thefactthatthe pigsget drunk
on the nightof the supposedsolemndayof Boxer's memorialbanquetbetraystheir
completelackofsympathyfor the devoted but ignoranthorse.Theirdrunkennessalso
makesthem morelikeJones, their formeroppressor.
Chapter Ten :
Summary: Years pass, and AnimalFarm undergoesitsfinalchanges.Muriel,Bluebell,
Jessie, andPincherarealldead, andJones diesin an inebriates'home.Cloveris now 14
years old(two years past the retiringage) but has not retired.(No animalever has.) There
are moreanimalsonthefarm, andthe farm's boundarieshaveincreased,thanksto the
purchaseoftwo of Pilkington'sfields.Thesecondwindmill hasbeencompletedandisused
for millingcorn.All the animalscontinuetheirlives of hardwork and littlefood — except, of
course,for the pigs.
Oneevening, Clover sees a shockingsight:Squealerwalkingonhishindlegs. Other pigs
follow,walkingthe sameway, andNapoleonalsoemergesfrom thefarmhousecarryinga
whipin his trotter. Thesheepbegintobleata newversion of their previous slogan:"Four
legsgood, two legsbetter!" Clover also noticesthat the wall onwhichthe Seven
Commandmentswerewrittenhas beenrepainted:Now,the wallsimplyreads, "ALL
ANIMALS ARE EQUAL / BUT SOMEANIMALS ARE MOREEQUAL THANOTHERS."
Eventually, all the pigsbegincarryingwhipsand wearingJones'clothes.
In the novel's final scene,a deputationof neighbouringfarmersisgivena tour of the farm,
after whichthey meetinthe dining-roomofthe farmhouse withNapoleonandtheother
pigs. Mr.Pilkingtonmakesa toast to AnimalFarm andits efficiency.Napoleonthenoffers a
speechinwhichheoutlineshisnew policies:Theword"comrade"willbesuppressed,there
willbe no moreSundaymeetings,the skullof oldMajorhasbeen buried,andthe farm flag
willbe changedtoa simplefieldof green.His greatest changeinpolicy,however, is his
announcementthatAnimal Farm willagainbecalledManorFarm.SoonafterNapoleon's
speech,the menandpigsbeginplayingcards, but a loudquarreleruptswhenboth
NapoleonandPilkingtoneachtryto play the aceof spades.As Clover andthe other
animalswatchtheargumentsthroughthedining-room window,theyare unableto
discriminatebetweenthehumansandthepigs.
Analysis:Thisfinalchapterdepictsthecompletetransformation(notonlyinname)from
AnimalFarm to ManorFarm.Therewillneverbea "retirementhome"for oldanimals(as
evidencedbyClover), andthe pigs cometoresembletheirhumanoppressorsto the degree
that "it was impossibletosaywhichwaswhich."
Thecompletionofthesecondwindmillmarksnotthe rebirthof Snowball'sutopianvision,
but a further linkingof the animalsandhumans:Usednotfor a dynamobut insteadfor
millingcorn(and thusmakingmoney),the windmill'ssymbolicmeaninghas(likeeverything
else)been reversed andcorrupted.AnimalFarm isnow inexorablytied to its human
neighboursintermsof commerceandatmosphere.
Orwellhasyears pass betweenChapters9 and10 to stress the ways inwhichtheanimals'
lackof any senseof history hasrenderedthem incapableofjudgingtheirpresentsituation:
Theanimalscannotcomplainabouttheirawfullives, since"they had nothingto goupon
exceptSquealer'slists of figures, whichinvariablydemonstratedthat everything was getting
better and better." As WinstonSmith, the protagonistof Orwell'sNineteen-Eight-Four
understands,the government"couldthrust its handinto the past and say of this or that
event it never happened."ThissamephenomenaoccursnowonAnimalFarm,wherethe
animalscannotrecallthereever having beena way of life different from their presentone
and, therefore, noway of life to whichtheycancomparetheirown.Although"Beasts of
England"is hummed insecretbysomewould-berebels,"noone daredto sing it aloud."
Thepigshave wontheir ideologicalbattle,as the Party winsits war withWinston's mindat
the endof Nineteen-Eight-Four.OnlyBenjamin —a meansbywhichOrwellagainvoiceshis
ownopinionof the matter— is ableto concludethat"hunger,hardship,and
disappointment"arethe "unalterablelawof life."
WhileClover is shockedatthe sight of Squealerwalkingontwo legs, the readeris not,
sincethis momentisthelogicalresultof all the pigs'previous machinations.Napoleon's
carryinga whipin his trotter — formerlya symbolof humantorture — and dressingin
Jones' clothesonlycementsinreadersmindswhatthey have longsuspected.Thesheep's
newslogan, as before,destroys any chanceforthoughtor debateon the animals'part, and
the newCommandmentpaintedonthe wallperfectly(andironically)expressesNapoleon's
philosophy.Of course,the phrase"moreequal"is paradoxical,butthis illustratesthe
paradoxicalnotionofanimalsoppressingtheirownkindin the nameof libertyandunity.
When the deputationof neighboringhumansarrives,the animalsarenot surewhom they
shouldfear: Thepigsor the men.Orwellimpliesherethatthere is no realdifference,as he
doeswith the pigs buyinga wireless,a telephone,andnewspapers,andwithNapoleon
smokingapipe, despiteoldMajor'sadmonitiontoavoid allhabitsof men.

14. Pilkington'saddressto Napoleonissnivellingin tone andreveals his desireto remainon
goodterms withthe intimidatingleaderofAnimalFarm.Excusingallcrueltyandapologizing
for being"nervous" aboutthe effects of the rebellion,Pilkingtonoffersa stream of empty
wordssaid onlyto keepthe wheelsof commercewell-greased.
Note that he praisesNapoleonformakingthe animalsdomoreworkfor less food; flattery
from sucha mancanonlysuggest that the objectof suchpraiseis as corruptas he who
flatters. His final witticism —"If you have your loweranimalsto contendwith… we have our
lowerclasses!"— againstresses the politicalinterchangeabilitybetweenthe pigsand the
men.
ThechangesofwhichNapoleonspeaksinhisaddressare the final onesneededto make
the farm a completedictatorship.Theabolitionofthe word"comrade"willcreatelessunity
amongtheanimals,theburialof oldMajor'sskullwillfiguratively "bury" any notionsof the
deadpig's ideals,andthe removal of the horn andhoof from the flag willensurethat the
animalsover whichitwaves never considertherewardsof struggle andrebellion.Finally,
the changingofthe farm'snamebackto ManorFarm impliesthateverything has comefull
circlewhilealsoimplyingthatthe farm is not, in any sense, the animals'.Instead,it is the
propertyof those (as HamletquipsinShakespeare'splay) "to the manorborn":the pigs.
Thenovel's final sceneinwhichNapoleonandPilkingtonargueabouttwoacesof spades
brilliantlyrepresentsthe entire book: After years of oppression,struggle,rebellion,and
reform,the pigshave become ascorruptandcruelastheir masters. Smoking,drinking,
whipping,killing,andeven cheatingarenowqualitiessharedby bothanimalandman.
DespitePilkington'sprofessedadmirationforNapoleon(andviceversa), neithertrusts the
other becauseneithercan:Eachismotivatedpurelyby self-interest andnot the altruistic yet
ineffectual principlesonceexpoundedbyoldMaj.
CHARACTER ANALYSIS :
Old Major :A wiseandpersuasive pig, oldMajorinspirestherebellionwithhis rhetorical
skilland abilityto get the other animalstoshare his indignation.Whenheannouncesthat
he wishesto share the contentsof his strangedream withhis companions,alltheanimals
comply,demonstratingthegreatrespectthey have for suchan important(that is, "major")
figure. His speechaboutthetyranny of manis notablefor its methodicalenumerationof
man'swrongsagainstthe animals.Listingallof man's crimes,oldMajorrousestheother
animalsintoplanningtherebellion.Hisleadingthem insinging"Beastsof England"is
anotherdemonstrationofhis rhetoricalskills,for after he teachesthe animalsthesong
abouta world untaintedby humanhands,theanimalssingit five timesin succession.
Theflawin oldMajor'sthinkingis that he placestotalblameonman for allthe animals'ills.
Accordingtohim,oncethey "RemoveManfrom the scene,"then"the root causeof hunger
andoverwork" willbe abolishedforever. Clearly, oldMajorbelievesthat Maniscapableonly
of doingharm andthat animalsarecapableonlyof doinggood.Suchone-dimensional
thinkingthat ignoresthe desirefor powerinherentinall livingthings canonlyresult in its
beingdisproved. Also ironic is oldMajor'sadmonitiontotheanimals:"Rememberalsothat
in fightingagainstMan,we mustnot cometoresemblehim."Thiswarningisignoredby
Napoleonandtheother pigs, who, by the novel's end, completelyresembletheirhuman
masters.
Snowball :Snowballisthe animalmostclearlyattunedto oldMajor'sthinking,and he
devotes himselfto bettering the animalsinintellectual,moral,andphysicalways. He brings
literacyto the farm so that the animalscanbettergrasptheprinciplesofAnimalism by
readingthe Seven Commandmentshepaintson the barnwall.He also reducesthe
Commandmentstoa singleprecept("Fourlegsgood, two legsbad") so that even the least
intelligentanimalscanunderstandthefarm'snew philosophy.The"thinker"of the rebellion,
Snowballshowsa greatunderstandingofstrategy duringtheBattle of the Cowshed,and
whilehisvarious committeesmayfail, the factthat he attemptsto form them reveals the
degreeto whichhewants to better the animals'lives. His planfor the windmill issimilarly
noble,sinceits constructionwouldgivetheanimalsmoreleisuretime. Hisexpulsion
Napoleon :WhileJones' tyranny canbesomewhatexcusedduetothe fact that he is a
dull-witted drunkard,Napoleon'scanonlybe ascribedtohis blatant lust for power.Thevery
first descriptionofNapoleonpresentshim asa "fierce-looking"boar"witha reputationfor
gettinghis own way." Throughoutthenovel, Napoleon'smethodof"getting his ownway"
involves a combinationofpropagandaandterrorthat noneof the animalscanresist.Note
that as soon as the revolution is won,Napoleon'sfirst actionis to steal the cows'milkfor the
pigs. Clearly, the wordsof oldMajorinspiredNapoleonnottofight againsttyranny, but to
seize the opportunityto establishhimselfasa dictator.Themanycrimeshecommits
againsthis owncomradesrangefrom seizingninepuppiesto "educate"them as hisband of
killerguarddogs to forcingconfessionsfrom innocentanimalsandthenhavingthem killed
beforeall the animals'eyes.
Napoleon'sgreatestcrime,however,is his completetransformationinto Jones— although
Napoleonisa muchmoreharshandsternmaster thanthe reader is ledto believe Jones
ever was. By the end of the novel, NapoleonissleepinginJones'bed, eatingfrom Jones'
plate, drinkingalcohol,wearinga derbyhat, walkingon two legs, tradingwithhumans,and
sharinga toast with Mr. Pilkington.Hisfinal actof propaganda —changingtheSeventh
Commandmentto"ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL / BUT SOMEARE MOREEQUAL THAN

15. OTHERS"—reflectshis unchallengedbeliefthathe belongsincompletecontrolofthe
farm. Hisrestoration of the nameManorFarm showsjusthowmuchNapoleonhaswholly
disregardedthewordsof oldMajor.
Squealer :Every tyrant has his sycophants(closefollowers),andNapoleonhasonein
Squealer,a cleverpig who(as the animalssay) "couldturn blackintowhite." Throughout
the novel, heserves as Napoleon'smouthpieceandMinisterofPropaganda.Every time an
actof Napoleon'sisquestionedbythe other animals —regardlessof how selfishor severe
it mayseem — Squealerisableto convincetheanimalsthatNapoleonisonlyactingintheir
best interests andthat NapoleonhimselfhasmadegreatsacrificesforAnimalFarm.For
example,after SquealerisquestionedaboutNapoleon'sstealingthemilkandwindfallen
apples,he explainsthat Napoleonandhisfellowpigsmust take the milkandapples
becausethey"containsubstancesabsolutelynecessaryto the well-beingofa pig." He
further explainsthat manypigs"actuallydislikemilkandapples"andtells the questioning
animals,"It is for your sakethat we drinkthat milkand eat thoseapples." His physical
"skippingfrom side to side" duringsuchexplanationsparallelshis"skipping"words,which
are never directandalways skirt the obvious truth of the matterat hand.As the novel
proceeds,heexcusesNapoleon'styrannyand sulliesSnowball'sreputation,justas
Napoleondesires.Themostoutrageousdemonstrationofhis"skipping"is whenhe
convincestheanimalsthatBoxer was takento a veterinary hospitalinstead of the
knacker's.
Boxer : Horsesare universallyprized for theirstrength, andBoxer is no exception:
Standingalmostsix-feet tall, Boxer is a devoted citizenof the farm whoseincredible
strength is a great asset to the rebellionandthe farm.As soon as he learnsabout
Animalism,Boxerthrows himselfintothe rebellion'scause.At the Battle of the Cowshed,
Boxer proves to bea valuable soldier,knockingastable-boyunconsciouswithhismighty
hoof. (Note that Boxer, however, is not bloodthirstyandfeels great remorsewhenhethinks
he haskilledthe boy.) His risingearly to work on the farm andhis personalmaxim —"I will
work harder"— reveal hisdevotion to the animals'cause.Healsoproves himselfto be the
mostvaluable memberofthe windmill-buildingteam.
Boxer's great strength, however, is matchedbyhis equallystunninginnocenceandnaiveté.
He is not an intelligentanimal (recall hisinabilityto learnany of the alphabetpastthe letter
D) andtherefore canonlythink in simpleslogans,thesecondof which("Napoleonisalways
right") reveals his childlikedependenceonanall-knowingleader.Even whenhecollapses
whilerebuildingthewindmill,hisfirst thoughts are not ofhimselfbutof the work: "It is my
lung… It doesnotmatter.I think you willbeable to finishthe windmillwithoutme."His
hopesof retiringwithBenjaminafterhis collapsedisplaytheextent of his innocence,since
the readerknows that Napoleonhasnointentionof providingfor an old, infirm horse.Even
whenhe is beingledto his death at the knacker's,Boxer needsto betold of his terriblefate
by BenjaminandClover.He becomeswisetoNapoleon'sways too late, and hisdeath is
anotherexampleofNapoleon'styranny.
Mollie:UnlikeBoxer, whoalways thinks of others, Mollieisashallowmaterialistwhocares
nothingfor the strugglesof her fellowanimals.Herfirst appearanceinthenovel suggests
her personalitywhenshe enters the meetingat the last moment,chewingsugarandsitting
in the front so that the others willbeableto admiretheredribbonsshewearsin her mane.
Her onlyconcernsabouttherevolutionare ones promptedbyher ego:When she asks
Snowballif they willstillhave sugarand ribbonsafter the rebellion,shebetrays the thoughts
of old Majorandreveals her vanity. Sheis lulledoff the farm by the prospectof more
materialpossessionsthanshecouldenjoyin an animal-governedworld,markingheras
oneto whom politicsandstrugglemeannothing.
Benjamin :As horses areknown for their strength, donkeys are knownfor their
stubbornness,andBenjaminstubbornlyrefuses to becomeenthusiasticabouttherebellion.
Whileall of his comradesdelightinthe prospectof a new,animal-governedworld,Benjamin
onlyremarks, "Donkeys live a long time.Noneof you has ever seena deaddonkey." While
this reply puzzles the animals,thereaderunderstandsBenjamin'scynical yetnot-
unfoundedpoint:In the initialmomentsofthe rebellion,AnimalFarm mayseem aparadise,
but in timeit maycometobe anotherform of the sametyranny at whichtheyrebelled.Of
course,Benjaminisprovenright by the novel's end, andthe only thingthat he knows for
sure — "Life wouldgo onas it hadalways goneon — that is, badly" — proves to be a
definitive remarkaboutthe animals'lives. Although pessimistic,heisa realist.
Moses:With histales of the "promisedland"towhichallanimalsretireafter death, Moses
is the novel's "religious"figure.Likehis biblicalcounterpart,Mosesoffershis listeners
descriptionsofa place —SugarcandyMountain —wherethey canlive free from
oppressionandhunger.At first, the pigsfind him irksome,sincetheywant the animalsto
believethat AnimalFarm isaparadiseandfear that the animalswillbepromptedbyMoses'
tales to seek a better place.However, as conditionsonthefarm worsen,the pigsallow
Mosesto stay becausehistalesoffer the animalsthepromiseof rest after a weary,
toilsomelife.As KarlMarxfamouslystated, "Religionis the opium ofthe people,"and
Moses'tales of SugarcandyMountainlikewiseserveas an opiateto the animals'misery.
Mr.Jones : Jonesis the embodimentofthe tyranny againstwhichthe animalsrebel —and
with goodreason.An inept farmerandslovenly drunkard,Jones careslittlefor hisManor
Farm andthe animalswholive there. Thenovel'sfirst paragraphdescribesJonesforgetting
(out of drunkenness)to shut the popholesfor the hen-housesbutrememberingtodraw

16. himselfa glassof beer before"lumbering"off to a drunkensleep.Thefactthat the rebellion
is sparkedby Jones' forgetting to feed the animalsaddstothe overall impressionofhim as
an uncaringmaster.Fortheremainderofthenovel, he is portrayed as an impotenthas-
been,unableto reclaim hisownfarm andidlingin a pubuntilhis eventual deathin an
inebriates'home.
Longafter Joneshas beendriven from the farm, the pigs invoke his nametoscarethe other
animalsintosubmission.Squealer'squestion,"Surely, comrades,you do not wantJones
back?"elicitsaknee-jerkreactioninthe animals,whofailto realizethat the spirit of Jones
has returned,despitethe farmer's physicalabsence.
Frederick :Thecraftyownerof Pinchfield,aneighbouringfarm,Frederickis"perpetually
involved in lawsuits" andreveals himselfto be a cutthroatbusinessman.Despitehisoffers
of sympathy to Jonesabout the rebellionathis farm,Frederickinwardlyhopesthat he can
"somehowturnJones' misfortuneto his ownadvantage." He attemptsthis by offeringto buy
a loadof timberfrom Napoleonbutpayingfor it with counterfeitnotes. Hissubsequent
attemptto take AnimalFarm by forcereveals him to be a manwhoalways takes what he
wants — in short, exactlythe kind of managainstwhichtheanimalsinitiallywantedto rebel.
By the novel's end, however, Napoleonhasproven himselftobe moregreedyanddouble-
dealingthanFrederickathis worst.
Pilkington :TheownerofFoxwood,aneighbouringfarm in"disgraceful"condition,
Pilkingtonbecomesanallyto Napoleon.Thisalliance,however,has a rockystart, when
Napoleonchangesthepigeons'messageof"Death to Frederick"to"Death to Pilkington"
andPilkingtonrefuses to helpwhenthe farm is attackedby Frederick.However,Napoleon
andPilkingtoneventuallyreconcilesincethey are, inessence,madeof the samemoral
fibre andneedeachother to prosper(as seen whenPilkingtonsellspart of his landto
Napoleon).In the novel's last scene,PilkingtonpraiseswhatNapoleonhasdonewith
Animal Farm,gettingmorework out of the animalswithless foodand likeningthe"lower
animals"tohumanity's "lowerclasses."Thefinalmomentsofthe novel, whenPilkingtonand
Napoleoneachattempttocheatthe other at cards,shows that their "friendship"is simplya
facadeeachisusingin orderto better swindletheother.
ANIMAL FARM AND THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION :
Oneof Orwell'sgoalsin writingAnimalFarm wasto portray the Russian(or Bolshevik)
Revolutionof 1917as onethat resultedina governmentmoreoppressive,totalitarian,and
deadlythan the oneit overthrew. Manyof the charactersandevents of Orwell'snovel
parallel thoseof the RussianRevolution: In short, ManorFarm isa modelofRussia,and
OldMajor,Snowball,andNapoleonrepresentthedominantfiguresof the Russian
Revolution.
MrJones is modelledonTsarNicholasII (1868–1918),thelast Russianemperor.Hisrule
(1894–1917)wasmarkedbyhis insistencethathe wasthe incontestablerulerofthe nation.
Duringhis reign,the Russianpeopleexperiencedterriblepoverty and upheaval,markedby
the BloodySundaymassacrein1905whenunarmedprotestersdemandingsocialreforms
wereshotdownby the armynear Nicholas'palace.As the animalsunderJonesleadlives of
hungerandwant, the lives of millionsofRussiansworsenedduringNicholas'reign.When
RussiaenteredWorld War I and subsequentlylost morementhanany countryinany
previous war, the outragedanddesperatepeoplebeganaseries of strikes and mutinies
that signalledtheend of Tsaristcontrol.Whenhis own generalswithdrewtheirsupport of
him,Nicholasabdicatedhisthroneinthe hopesof avoidingan all-outcivilwar — but the
civilwar arrived in the form of the Bolshevik Revolution,whenNicholas,likeJones,was
removedfrom hisplaceof ruleand then diedshortly thereafter.
OldMajoris the animalversionof V I Lenin(1870–1924),theleaderof the Bolshevik Party
that seized controlinthe 1917Revolution.As oldMajoroutlinesthe principlesofAnimalism,
a theory holdingthatall animalsareequal andmustrevolt againsttheir oppressors,Lenin
was inspiredbyKarl Marx'stheory of Communism,whichurgesthe"workersof the world"
to unite againsttheir economic oppressors.As Animalism imaginesaworldwhereall
animalsshareinthe prosperityof the farm,Communismarguesthata "communal"wayof
life willallowallpeopleto live lives of economic equality.OldMajordiesbeforehe cansee
the finalresults of the revolution, as Lenindidbeforewitnessingthe ways inwhichhis
disciplescarried ontheworkof reform.
OldMajoris absoluteinhis hatredof Man,as Leninwasuncompromisinginhisviews: He is
widelybelievedto have beenresponsibleforgiving the orderto killNicholasandhisfamily
after the Bolshevikshad gainedcontrol.Lenin wasresponsibleforchangingRussiaintothe
USSR, as old MajorisresponsiblefortransformingManorFarm intoAnimalFarm.The
USSR's flag depictedahammerandsickle —the toolsof the rebellingworkers—so the
flag of Animal Farm features a hornand hoof.
Oneof Lenin's allieswasLeonTrotsky(1879–1940),anotherMarxistthinkerwho
participatedinanumberof revolutionarydemonstrationsanduprisings.Hiscounterpartin
AnimalFarm is Snowball,who,likeTrotsky, felt that a worldwideseriesof rebellionswas
necessaryto achievetherevolution's ultimateaims.Snowball'splansfor the windmilland
programsreflectTrotsky'sintellectualcharacterand ideasaboutthebest ways to transform
Marx'stheories intopractice.Trotskywas alsothe leaderof Lenin'sRed Army, as Snowball
directsthe armyof animalsthat repelJones.

17. Eventually, Trotskywas exiledfrom the USSR andkilledby the agents of JosephStalin
(1979–1953),asSnowballischasedoff of the farm by Napoleon —Orwell'sstand-infor
Stalin. LikeNapoleon,Stalinwas unconcernedwithdebatesandideas.Instead, he valued
powerfor its ownsake andby 1927hadassumedcompletecontroloftheCommunistParty
throughacts of terror andbrutality. Napoleon'sdogsare likeStalin's KGB, his secretpolice
that he used to eliminateallopposition.As Napoleongainscontrolundertheguiseof
improvingthe animals'lives,Stalin useda great dealof propaganda —symbolizedby
Squealerinthe novel — to present himselfasan idealistworkingfor change.Hisplanto
buildthe windmill reflectsStalin'sFive Year Planfor revitalizing the nation'sindustry and
agriculture.Stalin'sorderingLenin'sbodyto be placedintheshrine-likeLenin'sTomb
parallelsNapoleon'sunearthingofoldMajor'sskull,andhis creationof the Orderof the
GreenBannerparallelsStalin'screationofthe Order of Lenin.Thanks,inpart, to animals
likeBoxer (who swallowwholeallof theirleader'slies), Stalin becameoneofthe world's
mostfeared andbrutal dictators.
Numerousevents inthe novel arebasedon ones that occurredduringStalin'srule.The
Battle of the CowshedparallelstheCivilWar that occurredafterthe 1917Revolution.
FrederickrepresentsAdolfHitler (1889–1945),whoforgedanalliancewithStalinin 1939 —
but whothen found himselffightingStalin'sarmyin 1941.Frederickseemslikeanallyof
Napoleon's,but hisforged banknotesreveal his true character.Theconfessionsand
executionsofthe animalsreflectthevarious purges and"show trials" that Stalin conducted
to rid himselfof any possiblethreatof dissention.In 1921,the sailors at the Kronshdadt
militarybase unsuccessfullyrebelledagainstCommunistrule,as the hensattempt to rebel
againstNapoleon.TheBattleof the WindmillreflectstheUSSR's involvement inWorld War
II — specificallytheBattle of Stalingradin1943,whenStalin's forcesdefeatedHitler's (as
Napoleon'sdefeatFrederick).Finally,thecardgameat the novel's end parallelstheTehran
Conference(November28 –December1,1943),whereStalin, Winston Churchill,and
FranklinDRoosevelt metto discusstheways to forgea lastingpeaceafter the war — a
peacethat Orwell mocksbyhaving NapoleonandPilkingtonflattereachotherand then
betray their duplicitousnaturesbycheatinginthe cardgame.
THEMES
The major theme is that power corrupts :
Tyrants : Broadlyspeaking,AnimalFarm satirizes politicians,specificallytheirrhetoric,
abilityto manipulateothers,andinsatiablelust for power.Despite hisseeminglyaltruistic
motives, Napoleonispresentedas the epitomeof a power-hungryindividualwhomasksall
of his actionswiththe excusethat they are donefor the bettermentof the farm. His stealing
the milkandapples,for example,isexplainedbythe liethat these foodshave nutrients
essentialto pigs, whoneed thesenutrients to carryon their managerial work.Hisrunning
Snowballoff the farm is explainedbythe lie that Snowballwasactuallya traitor, workingfor
Jones— andthat the farm willfare better without him.Eachtimethat Napoleonandthe
other pigswish to breakone of the Seven Commandments,theylegitimizetheir
transgressionsby changingtheCommandment'soriginallanguage.Wheneverthefarm
suffers a setback,NapoleonblamesSnowball'streachery— whichthereader, of course,
knowsis untrue. Napoleon'swalkingontwo legs, wearingaderbyhat, andtoasting
Pilkingtonreflectthe degreeto whichhe(andthe other pigs)completelydisregardsthe
plightsof the otheranimalsinfavour of satisfying theirown cravingsfor power. Thus,the
dominantthemeofAnimalFarm is the tendencyfor those whoespousethe most virtuous
ideasto becometheworst enemiesofthe peoplewhoselives they are claimingtoimprove.
Roleofthe Populace :Orwell,however, doesnot implythat Napoleonisthe onlycausefor
AnimalFarm'sdecline.Healsosatirizes the different kinds of peoplewhoseattitudesallow
rulerslike Napoleontosucceed.Mollie,whoseonlyconcernsarematerialistic,islikepeople
whoare so self-centredthat they lackanypoliticalsenseorunderstandingofwhat is
happeningaroundthem.ApoliticalpeoplelikeMollie —whocarenothingfor justiceor
equality— offer noresistanceto tyrants like Napoleon.Boxeris likenedto the kindof blindly
devoted citizen whoserelianceonslogans("Napoleonisalwaysright") prevents him from
examininginmoredetailhisownsituation:Although Boxer is a sympathetic character,his
ignoranceisalmostinfuriating,andOrwellsuggeststhat this unquestioningignorance
allowsrulerslike Napoleontogrowstronger. Even Benjamin,thedonkey, contributesto
Napoleon'srise,becausehisonlystand on what is occurringisacynicaldismissalofthe
facts: Although he is correctinstatingthat "Life wouldgoon as it had always goneon —
that is, badly," he, too, doesnothingto stop the pigs' ascensionoreven raisethe other
animals'awarenessofwhat is happening.Hisonlyactionisto warnBoxer of his impending
deathat the knacker's— but this is futile as it occurstoolate to do Boxer any good.
Religion and Tyranny :Another themeof Orwell'snovel that alsostrikes a satiric noteis
the ideaof religionbeingthe"opium ofthe people"(as Karl Marxfamouslywrote). Moses
the raven's talk of SugarcandyMountainoriginallyannoys manyof the animals,since
Moses,knownas a "teller of tales," seemsanunreliablesource.At this point, the animals
are stillhopefulfor a better future andtherefore dismissMoses'storiesof a paradise
elsewhere.As their lives worsen, however, the animalsbegintobelievehim,because"Their
lives now, they reasoned,were hungryandlaborious;wasit not right andjust that a better
worldshouldexist somewhereelse?"Here,Orwellmocksthefutiledreamingofa better
placethat clearlydoesnot exist. ThepigsallowMosestostay on the farm — andeven
encouragehispresencebyrewardinghim withbeer — becausetheyknow that his stories
of SugarcandyMountainwillkeeptheanimalsdocile:As longas there is somebetter world

18. somewhere —even after death — the animalswilltrudgethroughthisone. ThusOrwell
impliesthatreligiousdevotion — viewedby manyas a noblecharactertrait— canactually
distort the ways in whichonethinksof his or her life onearth.
FalseAllegiance :Afinal noteworthy(andagain, satiric)themeisthe way in whichpeople
proclaim theirallegiancetoeachother,onlyto betray theirtrue intentionsat a later time.
Directlyrelated to the ideathat the rulersof the rebellion(thepigs)eventuallybetray the
idealsfor whichtheypresumablyfought, this themeis dramatizedin a numberof
relationshipsinvolvingthe novel's humancharacters.PilkingtonandFrederick,forexample,
onlylisten to Jones inthe Red Lionbecausetheysecretlyhopeto gainsomethingfrom their
neighbor'smisery. Similarly,Frederick'sbuyingthefirewoodfrom Napoleonseemstoform
an alliancethatisshattered whenthe piglearns of Frederick'sforgedbanknotes.The
novel's final scenedemonstratesthat,despiteall the friendlytalk and flattery that passes
betweenPilkingtonandNapoleon,eachisstilltrying to cheatthe other (as seenwhen both
playthe aceof spadessimultaneously).Of course,onlyone of the two is technically
cheating,butOrwell doesnot indicatewhichonebecausesuchafactis unimportant:The
"friendly" gameof cardsisa facade that hideseachruler's desireto destroy the other.
Orwellsatirizes the moderntimesthroughhisunusualsetting. AccordingtoOrwell,rulers
suchas Napoleonwill continuetogrowinnumber — andin power— unlesspeople
becomemorepoliticallyawareandmorewaryof theseleader's"noble" ideals.
SATIRE: Satire is looselydefinedas art that ridiculesaspecific topic inordertoprovoke
readersinto changingtheiropinionofit. By attackingwhat they see as humanfolly, satirists
usuallyimplytheir ownopinionsonhow the thingbeingattackedcanberemedied.Perhaps
the most famousworkof British satire is JonathanSwift's Gulliver'sTravels(1726),where
the inhabitantsof the different landsGullivervisits embodywhat Swift sawas the prominent
vices andcorruptionsofhis time. As a child,OrwelldiscoveredanddevouredSwift's novel,
whichbecameoneofhis favorite books.Like Gulliver'sTravels,Animal Farm isa satirical
novel in whichOrwell,likeSwift, attackswhat he saw as someof the prominentfolliesofhis
time.Thesevarioussatiricaltargets comprisethe majorthemesofOrwell'snovel.
ALLEGORY:An allegoryis a story withtwo meanings:oneliteralandone symbolic.For
Animal Farm,onelayer tellsthe story of animalsona farm; onereveals the tyrannical
regimeof Communistleadersintheearly 20thCentury.
Somealsomayarguethat there is yet anotherlevel to this allegory—onethat warnsof the
general threat of tyranny, oppression,andmanipulationoftheignorantor under-educated.
FABLE: A story that makesa moralpoint,traditionallyby meansof animalcharacterswho
speakand actlike humanbeings.
Animal Farm - A Fairy Story :
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE ORWELL (1903-1950)
Eric Blairwas born andspent his youth in India. He waseducatedat Eton inEngland.From
1922-27heserved inthe Indian ImperialPoliceinBurma.Throughhisautobiographical
work aboutpoverty in London(DownandOut inParis andLondon,1933), hisexperiences
in colonialBurma(BurmeseDays,1934)and in the SpanishCivilWar (Homageto
Catalonia,1938),andthe plight of unemployedcoalminersinEngland(TheRoadtoWigan
Pier, 1937), Blair(whowrote underthe nameGeorgeOrwell)exposedandcritiquedthe
humantendencyto oppressothers politically,economically,andphysically. Orwell
particularlyhatedtotalitarianism,andhismostfamousnovels, AnimalFarm (1945)and
1984(1949), areprofoundcondemnationsoftotalitarianregimes.Orwelldiedatthe ageof
47 after failingto treat a lungailment.
KEY FACTSABOUT ANIMAL FARM :
1. Full Title:AnimalFarm -AFairyStory
2. When Written:1944-45
3. WhereWritten:England
4. When Published:1945LiteraryPeriod:Modernism
5. Genre:Novel /FairyTale/Allegory
6. Setting:Afarm in Englandin thefirsthalfof the20th century
7. Climax:Thepigsappearstanding uprightand thesheep bleat"Fourlegs
good,two legsbetter!"
8. Antagonist:Napoleon
9. PointofView: Third person omniscient
What I have mostwantedto dothroughoutthe past ten years is to makepolitical writinginto
an art. My starting pointis always a feelingof partisanship,a sense of injustice.WhenI sit
downto write a book, I donot say to myself, ‘I am goingto produceawork of art’. I write it
becausethereis someliethat I want to expose, somefactto whichI want to draw attention,
andmy initialconcernistoget a hearing.
Historical ContextofAnimal Farm :In 1917,two successiverevolutionsrockedRussia
andthe world. Thefirst revolutionoverthrew the RussianMonarchy(the Tsar)andthe
secondestablishedtheUSSR, the world'sfirst Communiststate. Over the next thirty years
the Soviet governmentdescendedintoatotalitarianregimethatused andmanipulated

19. socialistideasof equalityamongthe workingclassto oppress its peopleand maintain
power.
Animal Farm is anallegoryof the RussianRevolutionand the CommunistSoviet Union.
Manyof the animal charactersinAnimalFarm havedirectcorrelationstofiguresor
institutionsin the Soviet Union.
OtherBooksRelatedto Animal Farm :OrwellsubtitledAnimalFarm "AFairy Story."
Charactersinfairy tales tend to be two-dimensionalstereotypesusedto reveal somebroad
observation aboutlife. As the critic C.M.Wodehousewroteina pieceonAnimalFarm in
1954,a fairy talehas no moral.It simplysays, "Life is likethat—take it or leave it." Animal
Farm usesthe format of a fairy tale to expose the evils of totalitarianexploitation.Rather
than attacktotalitarianism directly,the bookshows its offenses plainlyand clearlyandlets
the readerdeducethedangersposedby totalitariangovernments.
Theliteraryworkmost often mentionedalongsideAnimalFarm is1984,anotherOrwell
novel. 1984, publishedin1949,envisionsa future inwhichadictatorshipmonitorsand
controlsthe actionsofall of its citizens.Like AnimalFarm,1984depictedthehorrific
constraintsthat totalitariangovernmentscouldimposeonhumanfreedom.
Extra CreditforAnimal Farm :
Rejection.ThoughAnimalFarm eventuallymadeOrwellfamous,threepublishersin
Englandrejectedthenovel at first. Oneof those whorejectedit wasT.S. Eliot, the famous
poet andan editorat the Faber& Faberpublishinghouse.SeveralAmericanpublishing
housesrejectedthenovel as well.Oneeditor toldOrwellit was "impossible tosellanimal
stories in the U.S.A."
Outspoken Anti-Communist,Orwelldidn'tjustwriteliterature that condemnedthe
Communiststate of the USSR. He dideverything he could,from writingeditorialsto
compilinglistsof menheknew wereSoviet spies, to combatthewillfulblindnessofmany
intellectualsintheWest to USSR atrocities.
Animal FarmThemes :GeorgeOrwelloncewrote:"Every lineof seriouswork that I have
written since1936hasbeen… againsttotalitarianism."AnimalFarm isnoexception.
Totalitarianism isaform of governmentin whichthestate seeksto controlevery facet of life,
from economicsandpoliticstothe eachindividual'sideasandbeliefs. Differenttotalitarian
states have different justificationsfortheir rule. Forinstance,Mr.Jones runsManorFarm
basedon the ideathat humandominationofanimalsisthenaturalorder of things, while
Napoleonandthepigs run AnimalFarm withthe claim thatthey are fightingfor animals
againstevil humans.
THEMES: Orwell'sunderlyingpointis that the stated goalsof totalitarianism don'tmatter
becausealltotalitarianregimesarefundamentallythesame.Every type of totalitarianism,
whethercommunist,fascist,or capitalist,isfoundedon oppressionof the individualandthe
lowerclass.Thosewhoholdpowerintotalitarianregimescareonlyaboutonething:
maintainingtheirpowerbyany meansnecessary.Whilethe story of Napoleon'sriseto
poweris most explicitlyacondemnationoftotalitarianism intheSoviet Union,Orwell
intendsAnimalFarm to criticizealltotalitarianregimes.
TheSovietUnion underStalinism :AnimalFarm isa satire of totalitariangovernmentsin
their manyguises.But Orwellcomposedthebookfor a morespecific purpose:toserve as a
cautionarytale aboutStalinism.It wasfor this reasonthat he facedsuchdifficultyin getting
the book published;bythe timeAnimalFarm wasready to meetits readers,the Allies were
cooperatingwiththeSoviet Union.
Theresemblanceofsomeof the novel’s events to events inSoviet history is indubitable.
Forexample,Snowball’sand Napoleon’spowerstruggleisa directallegoryof Trotsky’s and
Stalin’s.Frederick’stradeagreementwithNapoleon,andhissubsequentbreakingofthe
agreement,representstheNazi-Soviet non-aggressionpactthatprecededWorldWar II.
ThefollowingBattleof the Windmill representsWorldWar II itself.
TheInevitabilityofTotalitarianism :Orwellheldthepessimistic beliefthattotalitarianism
was inevitable,even inthe West. AccordingtoRussellBaker, whowrote the prefaceto
AnimalFarm’s1996SignetClassicsversion,Orwell’spessimism stemmedfrom hishaving
grownup in anage of dictatorship.WitnessingHitler’sandStalin’smovementsfrom afar, as
wellas fightingtotalitarianism inthe SpanishCivil War, Orwellcametobelievein the rise of
a newspeciesof autocrat,worse even than the tyrants of old.Thiscynicism isreflectedin
both of his highlysuccessfulnovels,AnimalFarm and1984.
Orwellemphasizestheinsidiousnessoftotalitarianism earlyin the novel, whenthe pigs take
the fresh milkandapples.Thepigsjustify their actionsonthe basis of their superiority; they
are smartand needmorenutritionthanthe other animalstofuel their brainpower.Thereis
no scientific basisforthe pigs’claim—infact,if anyoneneedsmorefood to fuel their labor,
it is the manuallaborers—buttheycancountonthe animals’beingtooignorantto realize
that. In this way, Orwellmakesthe pointthat totalitarianism neednotbe blatantin order to
be operating.It canhideunderthe guiseof the “greater good”as it did inthe Soviet Union
beforethe totalitarianism becameobvious.
Orwellusesa cyclicalstructureinAnimalFarm,whichhelpsadvancetheideaof
totalitarianism’spredictability.Thenovelbeginswith Jonesas autocratic tyrant andends
with Napoleonnotonlyin Jones’sposition,but in his clothesaswell. Over the courseof the