Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm is an allegorical novella by George Orwell(Eric Blair), first published in England on 17 August 1945. The book tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer, hoping to create a society where the animals can be equal, free, and happy.

About the Author

Eric Blair was born and spent his youth in India. He was educated at Eton in England and from 1922-27, he served in the Indian Imperial Police in Burma. Through his autobiographical work about poverty in London (Down and Out in Paris and London, 1933), his experiences in colonial Burma (Burmese Days, 1934), and in the Spanish Civil War (Homage to Catalonia, 1938), and the plight of unemployed coal miners in England (The Road to Wigan Pier, 1937), Blair, who wrote under the name George Orwell, exposed and critiqued the human tendency to oppress others politically, economically, and physically. Orwell particularly hated totalitarianism, and his most famous novels, Animal Farm and 1984 are profound condemnations of totalitarian regimes. Orwell died at the age of 47 after failing to treat a lung ailment.

Though Animal Farm eventually made Orwell famous, three publishers in England and several American publishing houses rejected the novel at first. One of the English editors to reject the novel was the famous poet T.S. Eliot, who was an editor at the Faber & Faber publishing house. One American editor, meanwhile, told Orwell that it was “impossible to sell animal stories in the U.S.A.”

Orwell didn’t just write literature that condemned the Communist state of the USSR. He did everything he could, from writing editorials to compiling lists of men he knew were Soviet spies, to combat the willful blindness of many intellectuals in the West to USSR atrocities.

Historical Context of Animal Farm

In 1917, two successive revolutions rocked Russia and the rest of the world. The first revolution overthrew the Russian monarchy (the Tsar) and the second established the USSR, the world’s first Communist state. Over the next 30 years, the Soviet government descended into a totalitarian regime that used and manipulated socialist ideas of equality among the working class to oppress its people and maintain power. Animal Farm is an allegory of the Russian Revolution and the Communist Soviet Union. Many of the animal characters in Animal Farm have direct correlations to figures or institutions in the Soviet Union.

Other Books related to Animal Farm

The literary work most often mentioned alongside Animal Farm is Orwell’s own 1984. It envisions a future in which a dictatorship monitors and controls the actions of all its citizens. Like Animal Farm, 1984 depicts the horrific constraints that totalitarian governments can impose on human freedom. Other popular novels with antitotalitarian themes include Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Animal Farm specifically critiques Communism, as put forth by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels’s The Communist Manifesto, through its allegorical Animalism ideology. In his autobiographical writing, Orwell cited the British author W. Somerset Maugham as a major influence on his work, though he also wrote about his love of the works of Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, as well as the work of some of his contemporaries including T. S. Eliot and D. H. Lawrence.

Chapter 1

The owner of Manor Farm, Mr. Jones, locks his henhouses for the evening—but he's too drunk to remember to shut everything before he goes to bed. As soon as the lights are off in the farmhouse, the animals all stir and make their way to the big barn, where the old boar, Old Major, wants to address everyone. Old Major lies on a raised platform. The three dogs and all the pigs come in first and settle right in front of the platform. The hens and pigeons perch in windows and the rafters; the sheep and cows settle behind the pigs; and Boxer and Clover, the carthorses, lie down in the back. Clover settles a brood of orphaned ducklings in the crook of her leg as the cantankerous old donkey, Benjamin, and the goat Muriel join the horses. The foolish mare Mollie shakes her braided and beribboned mane while she munches sugar, and the cat finds the warmest spot between Boxer and Clover. The cat doesn't listen to Old Major at all. Seeing that everyone but old Moses, the tame raven, is present, Old Major begins. He addresses everyone as "comrades" and announces that he's going to die soon but wants to share his wisdom and a dream he had with everyone before he does. He says that the nature of their lives is horrendous: they only get enough food to keep them going, and once they're no longer useful, Mr. Jones kills them. Animals, he insists, are slaves, though they don't have to be. Manor Farm would support many animals comfortably if only humans didn't steal the products of their labour. If they remove man, they won't be hungry or overworked.

Old Major insists that humans are the only creatures who consume without producing anything, like milk or eggs. He asks the animals to consider all they've given up, from gallons of milk to hundreds of eggs to Clover's four foals, gone forever. Old Major points out that Mr. Jones butchers pigs will someday sell Boxer to the glue factory when he can't work, and drowns dogs when they get too old. Man, Old Major suggests, is the root of all evil. Getting rid of men through rebellion would free the animals, and Old Major insists that the rebellion will come in due course. He warns everyone that they can't entertain the idea that humans and animals have common interests; they must believe that all men are enemies and all animals are comrades. Suddenly, the dogs catch sight of four rats listening in and chase them back to their holes. Old Major calls for silence and insists that they must vote on whether wild animals are enemies or comrades. The assembly votes overwhelmingly in favour of wild animals being comrades. Only the cat and the dogs vote no, but some discover later that the cat voted on both sides. Solemnly, Old Major insists again that they can't forget that man is their enemy, but they also can't ever come to resemble man by drinking alcohol, sleeping in beds, or trading. He also says that animals cannot terrorize each other, as they're all equal.

Old Major explains that he's going to teach everyone a song that his mother taught him part of long ago. It's called "Beasts of England" and it speaks of a "golden future time" in which animals will be free from human tyranny. All the animals, both the highly intelligent and the less intelligent, learn it quickly and they sing it all together five times through. They only stop when Mr Jones shoots his gun into the side of the barn, breaking up the meeting.

Analysis

All the animals exist under Mr. Jones’s somewhat totalitarian regime, and therefore are on somewhat equal footing at this point. However, pay attention to how the animals arrange themselves. That the pigs and the dogs go to the front naturally suggests that they already hold an important place on the farm, while the fact that a pig is giving this speech is another indication that these two species are somehow superior to the others. In this sense, this represents the beginnings of class distinctions on the farm.
Mollie and the cat are representative of the middle classes who, before the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917; were already pretty comfortable with their lot in life, as represented by Mollie’s ability to obtain sugar and the cat’s beeline for the best, warmest spot, and lack of interest in what happens.
Major's speech as a whole mirrors The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, in that the problem is the ruling class and that the lower classes are allowing themselves to be subjugated. Again, the idea that humans are the only creatures who don’t produce anything is a direct parallel to The Communist Manifesto, as Marx proposes that the real evil is that people don’t get to enjoy the fruits of their labour—rather, they make chairs or farm for others who then profit off of their labour.
Notice that Old Major uses absolutes when he warns the animals that they cannot ever think that animals and humans might be able to work together. This means that if the animals take this seriously, there will be little room for nuance.
Despite the absolutist language Old Major uses, it’s important to keep in mind his warning that once the animals achieve a revolution, they cannot come to resemble those who once oppressed them. With this, he alludes to the idea that revolution and rebellion are, to a degree, cyclical and it’s normal for those who seize power to want to have all of it—while also warning everyone to be on the lookout for corruption.
“Beasts of England” represents the unifying power of language: every animal, no matter how smart, can learn it, rally around it, and take heart in its revolutionary content. However, note that it idealizes the coming revolution, which leaves little room for the realities of human (or animal) nature to complicate things.

Chapter 2

Old Major dies three nights later, in early March. Over the next three months, his ideas capture the imaginations of the more intelligent animals on Manor Farm, specifically the pigs. Two young boars, Napoleon and Snowball, see that they must prepare for the promised rebellion. With a small fat pig named Squealer, who is a brilliant orator and can convince listeners of anything, they hold secret meetings and develop Old Major's teachings into a system they call Animalism. They try to explain the theory to others, but it's slow going. Many animals suggest they owe loyalty to Mr. Jones and others point out that they'll starve without Mr. Jones to feed them. Others insist simply that they don't need to care about what might happen long after they're dead. Mollie asks the silliest questions, such as if there will be sugar after the rebellion and if she'll still be able to wear ribbons in her mane. Snowball patiently tries to impress upon her that she doesn't need sugar and that the ribbons are a badge of slavery, but Mollie seems unconvinced. The pigs also have issues with the tame raven Moses. Though he doesn't work and therefore isn't well-liked, he also tells tales about a place called Sugarcandy Mountain, a beautiful place where animals go when they die. Many animals believe in Sugarcandy Mountain, and the pigs work hard to convince those believers otherwise. Boxer and Clover, however, prove to be the pigs' best disciples. They're not incredibly intelligent, but they distill the pigs' ideas into simple arguments that they share with the other animals.

The rebellion arrives much earlier and happens much more easily than anyone expected. Mr. Jones has, in the last few years, begun drinking more, so he neglects his animals and property. In June, when the hay is almost ready to cut, Mr. Jones goes to Willingdon, gets extremely drunk, and is gone for a full 24 hours. His lazy farmhands hunt rabbits and don't feed the animals, and when Mr. Jones gets back, he falls right back to sleep. The hungry animals snap, break down the door of the storage shed, and eat. Mr. Jones wakes up and leads his farmhands in whipping the animals, but the animals revolt and turn on the men. Terrified, the humans race down the drive and Mrs. Jones packs a bag and slips out a back way. The animals slam the gate behind Mr. Jones. The animals first gallop gleefully around the farm and then destroy evidence of Mr. Jones's power. They throw bits, dog chains, and knives down the well, and they burn halters and whips. Snowball even throws the horses' mane and tail ribbons into the fire, insisting that ribbons are clothes and the mark of humans. Animals, he suggests, should go naked. At this, Boxer throws the straw hat he wears in the summer to protect his ears from flies on the fire. Napoleon serves everyone a double ration, and the animals sing "Beasts of England" seven times and sleep well.

In the morning, the animals all rush to the top of a hill to gaze upon the farm. They inspect every building and pasture, ending with the farmhouse. Napoleon and Snowball lead the animals into the house for a tour. They're in awe of the luxury until they realize Mollie is missing, but they find her playing with Mrs. Jones's hair ribbons and reprimand her. The animals agree to maintain the farmhouse as a museum; no animal should live there. After breakfast, Snowball and Napoleon call everyone together for an announcement. They reveal that the pigs have been teaching themselves to read and write over the past few months. Everyone watches as Snowball covers up "Manor Farm" on the gate with "Animal Farm." Then, at the big barn, the pigs explain that they've come up with the Seven Commandments, which convey the ideals of Animalism. Snowball climbs a ladder and paints the rules on the side of the barn. They read that anyone on two legs is an enemy, while anyone on four legs or with wings is a friend. Animals shouldn't wear clothes, sleep in a bed, drink alcohol, or kill other animals. The final rule is that all animals are equal. Snowball reads it aloud for everyone and then calls everyone for the hay harvest. The cows protest as they haven't been milked. The animals wonder what to do with the milk, but Napoleon gallantly tells everyone not to worry about it. When the animals return that evening from the hay fields, the buckets of milk are gone.

Analysis

The differences between how the pigs begin to think about the revolution and how the other animals think about the revolution again start to show how the class will develop on the farm.
The pigs are already becoming part of an intellectual class concerned with abstract ideas and education, while the concerns of the masses—or in this case, the lower classes—are mostly concerned with making it through the day and don’t have the energy to consider the possibility that things will ever get better.
As a parallel to the comfortable middle class, Mollie’s main concern is whether she’ll be able to maintain her comparatively decadent lifestyle after the rebellion—a lifestyle that Snowball suggests is indicative of Mollie having bought into the idea that being “enslaved” by the upper classes and trying to move up is fine.
Moses is a parallel to organized religion, which in the pigs’ mind distracts people from thinking about what truly matters—the rebellion in this life, not heaven in the next one (as represented by Sugarcandy Mountain).
One of the most important things to note here is that the rebellion happens when animals use their physical strength as one to overthrow their leader, something that, unfortunately for those in the lower classes, the animals will go on to forget. This event as a whole is a parallel to the Bolshevik Revolution, in which the Red Army—as well as Tsar Nicholas’s guards—turned on him and ousted him quickly. As in the novel, the revolution grew out of dissatisfaction with the way Tsar Nicholas was running the country.
Boxer’s choice to throw his very useful straw hat on the fire again shows how absolutist the ideology guiding this revolution is, as there’s no room for nuance and the possibility that purely useful things should be able to remain.
The farmhouse itself is a symbol of decadence and totalitarian rule, as it contains all the fruits of Mr. Jones’s illegitimately or immorally amassed wealth. The proposal to make it a museum, meanwhile, will in theory offer the animals a touchstone of what not to do, thereby saving them from corruption. The revelation that the pigs taught themselves to read and write throws a wrench in things, as it means that they’ll be more powerful than the other illiterate animals. Renaming the farm is only the first instance of the pigs rewriting history.
The Seven Commandments encapsulate the idealistic nature of the rebellion as, in theory at least, they set out the groundwork for the animals to celebrate themselves. Vilifying everything that makes humans human, however, leaves little room for the animals to advance, given that the novel has already laid out the expectation that as individuals become more powerful (as through literacy, for one), they effectively become more human.
The missing milk is an early clue, too, that this revolution isn’t as rosy as it might seem at first.

Chapter 3

Every animal, down to the ducks and the hens, works hard to bring the hay in. The pigs are clever enough to figure out how to do this without tools that involve standing on two legs, while Boxer and Clover know the intricacies of bringing hay in. Because the pigs are so intelligent, they don't work and instead assume leadership positions. It takes the animals less than time than it ever did Mr. Jones to bring in the hay, and the harvest is bigger than it's ever been. Throughout the summer, things work perfectly. The animals are thrilled to eat food that they produced for themselves and not have to share it with humans. Some things prove difficult, such as threshing the corn without a threshing machine, but the pigs are clever enough to figure it out and Boxer is strong enough to pull them through. Everyone admires Boxer, as he seems as strong as three horses and even gets up 30 minutes earlier than everyone else to labour where he's needed most. His motto becomes, "I will work harder!" All the animals work as hard as they can, save for Mollie and the cat. Mollie struggles to rise in the morning and often leaves work early because of stones in her hooves, while the cat disappears during work time and shows up for meals with excellent excuses. Benjamin seems unchanged since the rebellion. He cryptically repeats that donkeys live a long time and that no one else has seen a dead donkey when asked if life is better without Mr. Jones.

On Animal Farm, there's no work on Sundays. After a late breakfast, the animals hoist a flag that Snowball painted with a white hoof and horn on a green field. The animals then attend a meeting in the big barn, where they discuss the work for the week ahead and put forth resolutions for debate. The pigs are the only ones who propose resolutions and Napoleon and Snowball are the most active debaters. However, they never seem to be able to agree on anything. The meeting ends with a round of "Beasts of England." The pigs adopt the harness room as their headquarters and study books from the farmhouse in the evenings. Snowball organizes committees such as the Egg Production Committee for the hens and the Whiter Wool Movement for the sheep, but these projects fail. His only success is with the reading and writing classes—every animal is somewhat literate by fall. The dogs learn to read well, but only read the Seven Commandments. Muriel learns to read and reads newspapers out loud, while Benjamin is completely literate but refuses to read. Clover learns the whole alphabet but cannot read words, while Boxer learns the first four letters and nothing more. Mollie, meanwhile, learns only to spell her name.

The less intelligent animals, such as the sheep, learn only the letter A and struggle to memorize the Seven Commandments. Snowball reduces them to the maxim "Four legs good, two legs bad." At first, this goes over poorly with the birds, who have only two legs, but Snowball explains to them that what makes humans evil is their hands—and birds don't have hands. Everyone else also learns the maxim and the sheep take to repeating it for hours on end. Napoleon takes an interest in the nine puppies born to the dogs, which arrive soon after the hay harvest. He takes them to educate himself, believing that it's more important to educate the young than teach everyone else to read. The other animals soon forget about the puppies, but they do discover that the missing milk ends up in the pigs' mash. The pigs insist that they should get all the fallen apples, which the other animals assumed would be divided evenly. Squealer makes the case that the pigs are "brain workers" and therefore need the milk and apples to care for everyone else—if they don't get them, Mr. Jones will come back. The animals see his point and say nothing when the main crop of apples also goes to the pigs.

Analysis

Though it seems like everything is going smoothly, note that the pigs are already elevating themselves above the rest of the animals by assuming leadership positions rather than labouring physically. This again is an indicator that class divisions are developing on Animal Farm and that the pigs are the ones who will end up assuming privileged, upper-class roles in this society.
Boxer is a representation of male peasants in the USSR. The success of Animal Farm—which represents the Soviet Union—rests on these peasants performing as much labour as possible, something that Boxer throws himself into with gusto. His motto suggests, however, that he’s overly idealistic and is putting the ideals of the revolution above his self-interest in a way that, in the end, won’t serve him.
Benjamin broadly represents intellectuals who, the novel suggests, could see what was going to come—his cryptic answers suggest that he’s aware that revolutions happen on a cycle and that the farm will inevitably find itself right back where it started.
On paper, the system that the animals work out should work for everyone. In theory, everyone gets a say in what happens. However, it’s still telling that the pigs are the only ones who ever speak up. They do this because of their education and their rising class status, while the animals’ willingness to go along with this suggests that they’ll be easily manipulated into giving up their voices in the future.
The different animals’ varying degrees of literacy, as well as what they choose to read once literate, speak to how the class will continue to develop thanks to language.
The dogs’ choice to read only the Seven Commandments suggests that they’ll become loyal to the cause and are uninterested in truly educating themselves, while Muriel’s willingness to read newspapers suggests an interest in the outside world—and possibly, in other ideas of how life should be.
Coming up with this maxim illustrates how easy it can be to distill somewhat complex ideas into an easily digestible, easily repeatable phrase that lacks nuance. It’s impossible to tell, from the phrase, that Snowball’s explanation should actually be correct—but because of his grasp of language, he can essentially make the maxim mean whatever he wants it to.
Notice that when Napoleon insists on educating the young, the only “young” he seems truly interested in educating are the puppies—that is, children of a literate, somewhat powerful class, not the offspring of any of the cows, sheep, or chickens. Doing this allows Napoleon to start to dictate who’s worthy of education and through doing so, dictate who’s able to move up the class system and gain power. Squealer’s insistence that the pigs need the milk and apples because of their work shows that the pigs are already beginning to take advantage of the system they’ve set up.

Chapter 4

By late summer, half of England knows about Animal Farm. Snowball and Napoleon send out pigeons to spread the word to other animals and teach them "Beasts of England," while Mr. Jones sits in the bar in Willingdon and complains about his fate. The other farmers sympathize but refuse to help—they all want to make his misfortune work for them. Luckily for the animals, the owners of the two neighbouring farms hate each other. The gentlemanly Mr. Pilkington owns Foxwood, an overgrown and old-fashioned farm on one side, while the shrewd Mr. Frederick owns Pinchfield on the other side. They hate each other too much to agree on anything, even if it's in their best interests. Despite this, they're terrified of what happened on Animal Farm. Mr. Pilkington and Mr. Frederick try to keep their animals in the dark about what happened there and insist on continuing to call it Manor Farm. None of the rumours that Mr. Frederick or Mr. Pilkington spread about Animal Farm, however, land well with their animals. Over the next year, animals that were once easygoing begin to act out and the humans cannot stop their animals from singing "Beasts of England." In October, pigeons arrive with the news that Mr. Jones and men from Foxwood and Pinchfield are coming up the driveway to retake the farm. Mr. Jones has a gun. Snowball is prepared and sends animals to their posts. First, the pigeons and geese dive-bomb and harass the men. Then, Muriel, Benjamin, and the sheep converge to butt and kick them. The men are too strong, so at Snowball's signal, the animals race into the barnyard.

To the men, this looks like a retreat, so they rush after the animals. In the yard, however, the horses, cows, and pigs charge. Mr. Jones shoots at Snowball, but only grazes his back. Snowball flattens Mr. Jones as Boxer strikes at men with his front hooves. Even the cat leaps on a man and the animals send the men racing for the main gate. Boxer, however, mournfully paws at a stable boy who appears to be dead and insists that he didn't mean to kill anyone. Snowball insists that Boxer was right to kill the boy; he's better off dead. The animals realize that Mollie is missing and find her hiding in her stall, terrified of the gun. When the animals return to the barnyard, they discover that the stable boy wasn't dead and ran off. Nerves give way to excitement and a celebration of their victory. They run up the flag, sing "Beasts of England," and bury the one sheep who died in the battle. Snowball gives a speech emphasizing that animals must be willing to die for Animal Farm, and the animals create the honour of "Animal Hero, First Class," which they give to Snowball. They also give the deceased sheep the honour of "Animal Hero, Second Class." Together, the animals decide to call this conflict the Battle of the Cowshed, and when they find Mr. Jones's gun, they decide to set it up and fire it twice per year on the anniversaries of the battle and the rebellion.

Analysis

The other farmers’ desire to make Mr. Jones’s misfortune work in their best interests suggests that when it comes to leaders like these farmers, it’s natural for them to want to amass as much power as possible with little regard for how their power might negatively affect those below them—in this case, the animals all over the country.
Mr. Pilkington and Mr. Frederick’s terror at what happened on Animal Farm shows that it’s possible for rebellion like what happened there to happen anywhere; in essence, these leaders are aware that they’re in a precarious and easily-toppled position.
The miniature rebellions on the part of the other farmers’ animals speak again to the power of language to unify people around a common cause, especially since the rebellious atmosphere is spreading due to “Beasts of England.” At this point, it still looks hopeful that the revolution might go in a good direction and avoid too much corruption.
The attack by the men on Animal Farm mirrors the Russian Civil War, which took place not long after Tsar Nicholas was forced out.
Though the cat does participate in this battle, it’s implied that there’s little risk to the cat. In this sense, it becomes clear that the cat is only interested in supporting the revolution if the revolution is in line with what it wants anyway.
Snowball’s advice to Boxer shows how it’s possible for leaders to corrupt people’s strength and use it for their gain, ethical or not.
Unlike the cat, whose reasons and motives are somewhat less clear, it’s obvious to Mollie that participating in the battle would put her at risk of losing out on ribbons and sugar, so she’s not going to participate.
Snowball’s speech in its entirety begins to illustrate how he’s starting to train the lower classes to be entirely loyal to the state—and even willing to die for it.
Establishing holidays commemorating the revolution and the Battle of Cowshed creates built-in times for Snowball to remind the animals of their duty to the state, as well as their pride in what they’ve created.

Chapter 5

As winter approaches, Mollie becomes more difficult to deal with. She's often late for work and complains, but she spends most of her time gazing at her reflection in the drinking pool. One day, Clover takes Mollie aside and quietly asks if she saw Mollie allowing a man from Foxwood to pet her nose. Mollie denies this accusation, but she can't look Clover in the eye. Secretly, Clover goes to Mollie's stall and discovers a stash of sugar and ribbons. Mollie disappears, and after a few weeks, pigeons report that they've seen her in Willingdon happily pulling a dogcart and wearing ribbons. The weather becomes bitterly cold in January, so the animals can't do anything in the fields. They attend many meetings and the pigs plan out the coming season, something the animals accept as natural given how intelligent the pigs are. The other animals still get to ratify the pigs' decisions, however. The system would be perfect, except that Snowball and Napoleon disagree on every point. Snowball is better at speaking and convincing animals at meetings, but Napoleon is better at convincing animals individually between meetings. He's especially successful with the sheep, who begin bleating "Four legs good, two legs bad" in the middle of meetings—and especially in the middle of Snowball's speeches.

Snowball speaks often about farming theory and develops complicated schemes. Napoleon comes up with no ideas of his own but quietly insists that Snowball's schemes are silly. Their biggest dispute, however, is over the windmill. Snowball proposes that they build one on the highest point on the farm, as it would be able to give the farm electricity, which would then allow the animals to enjoy leisure time while machines work for them. It takes Snowball a few weeks to develop the plans in chalk on the smooth floor of a shed. The other animals can't make sense of the drawing, but it looks impressive, so everyone visits daily—except for Napoleon. Napoleon does visit once, contemplates the plans, and then urinates on them. Snowball is upfront that building the windmill will be difficult. They'll have to carry stone, build walls, and somehow procure cables, but he insists they can do it in a year. After this, he says, the animals will only have to work three days per week. Napoleon argues that they need to increase their food production and that focusing on the windmill will lead to starvation. The farm is deeply divided over the windmill, but the only animal who doesn't take a side is Benjamin. He insists that no matter what happens, life will continue to be awful.

The other question that occupies the animals is that of the farm's defense, as they all recognize that their conflict with humans isn't over—they expect humans to try to reinstate Mr. Jones, especially since news of the animals' victory at the Battle of the Cowshed has spread. Napoleon insists they must train the animals to use firearms, while Snowball proposes they send out more pigeons to stir up revolution elsewhere. The other animals can't make up their minds and agree with whoever's talking at any given time. Snowball finishes his plans for the windmill and brings it to a vote at the Sunday meeting. He makes his case logically. Napoleon then stands and says only that the windmill is nonsense, and nobody should vote for it. In response, Snowball jumps up, shushes the sheep, and passionately explains why they need the windmill. His passion wins over the animals as he talks about how electricity can operate farming machinery, as well as equip stalls with lights, hot and cold water, and heat. Just as everyone seems decided, Napoleon stands, looks at Snowball, and whimpers oddly. Suddenly, nine ferocious dogs bound into the barn and chase Snowball through a hedge. The animals realize that these dogs are the nine puppies Napoleon educated.

Napoleon stands on the raised platform, surrounded by the dogs. The other animals notice that these dogs wag their tails at Napoleon just like other dogs used to wag at Mr. Jones. Napoleon announces that there will be no more Sunday meetings, as they're unnecessary and waste time. Farm policy will be decided by a special pig committee that he oversees, and the committee will convey their decisions to the others when they all sing "Beasts of England." There will be no more debates. The other animals, even Boxer, are dismayed. Four young pigs squeal in disapproval, but the dogs growl and silence them. The sheep bleat "Four legs good, two legs bad!" for 15 minutes. Later, Squealer makes the rounds to explain the new rules. He points out that Napoleon is sacrificing himself by taking on the difficult job of leadership, and he must do so because the other animals might make the wrong decisions. Squealer asks where they'd be if they'd followed Snowball, but someone points out that Snowball fought bravely at the Battle of the Cowshed. Squealer insists that bravery isn't as important as loyalty or obedience and implies that Snowball's role in the battle was exaggerated. He reminds everyone again that if they're not disciplined, Mr. Jones will return. This convinces the animals entirely—anything that might help Mr. Jones must stop. Boxer declares that if Napoleon says it, it must be right.

Winter turns into spring and the plowing begins. Every Sunday, the animals gather in the barn to get their orders for the week. Napoleon disinters Old Major's skull and asks everyone to walk past it reverently, while during meetings, the animals sit separated. Napoleon, Squealer, and a pig named Minimus sit together surrounded by the nine dogs, while the other pigs sitting behind them. The rest of the animals sit in the body of the barn, looking at the pigs. Three weeks after Snowball's departure, Napoleon announces that they'll build the windmill. It will take two years and will require everyone's rations to be reduced. Later, Squealer explains privately that Napoleon never opposed the windmill—it had been his idea and Snowball stole his plans. Napoleon only appeared to oppose the windmill to get rid of Snowball, whom he declares is dangerous and a bad influence. Squealer says that this is called "tactics," a word the other animals don't understand. Squealer is persuasive and has three dogs with him, so the animals don't ask questions.

Analysis

Mollie leaving is a parallel to how many in the middle class simply left the USSR while they still could. She became a member of the ruling class to have a comforting life.
When the animals accept outright that the pigs should make decisions because they're smarter, it shows how the uneducated lower classes essentially give away a lot of their power by not recognizing their right to an opinion—or, for that matter, their ability to voice it.
The relationship between Snowball and Napoleon mirrors that between Trotsky and Stalin, especially in the way the two were able to connect (or not) with potential supporters.
Trotsky had grand plans to modernize the USSR and bring it into the modern world, plans symbolized by the windmill. Note that with Snowball, he makes it clear that modernization like this is actually in line with the ideals of the revolution in that all the animals will benefit from putting in this work on the front end. They'll all enjoy electricity and the ensuing leisure time. This suggests that in an ideal situation, there would be fewer class distinctions since leisure time is a mark of being higher-class—one can only enjoy leisure time if they don't have to work all the time.
Snowball makes the case here that if Animal Farm can incite rebellion all over England, they'll effectively get rid of all the people who might want to stop them—and then, there will be no reason to fight, since there's no one to fight in the first place. This represents a more idealistic take on things, as it holds that rebellion like this is always good and will always end well if only the rebellion keeps going.
The events in this passage make it clear that while it's possible to use language persuasively to bring someone to one's side, what will win in the end is brute strength and fear, as represented by the nine attack dogs. Napoleon doesn't have to say anything, he just has to make it clear that anyone who agrees with Snowball's rhetoric will be chased down and possibly killed. Removing Snowball also means that Napoleon has a clear path to declaring himself leader, which will allow him to turn Animal Farm into a terrifying totalitarian state.
The fact that the young pigs' disapproval is so quickly silenced by the dogs again shows the power of brute force and fear over language and illustrates how leaders like Napoleon shut down open communication to take power.
Using Squealer like this essentially allows Napoleon to employ a good cop, bad cop strategy, as he terrified the animals during the meeting—but now, Squealer can make everything okay by "explaining" it to everyone. However, Squealer is clearly on Napoleon's side, as he insists that the other animals aren't capable of making good decisions. Specifically, spreading misinformation about Snowball allows Napoleon to make the case that he is the only one the animals can trust.
Digging up Old Major's skull is a nod to the fact that Stalin disinterred Lenin's skull and treated it similarly. The way the animals sit in the barn, however, shows clearly that there are major class divisions at play. The dogs and the pigs have all the power, while the others have little or none.
When Squealer insists on calling Napoleon's scheming "tactics," a word the other animals don't know, it shows how he's beginning to use language to make himself seem smart and competent. But really, using language like this is just a way to scare the other animals and impress upon them how unintelligent he thinks they are.

Chapter 6

The animals work like slaves that year, but they're happy knowing that humans won't profit from their efforts. They work 60-hour weeks through the summer, and in August, Napoleon announces that they'll work on Sunday afternoons. This is voluntary, but animals who don't work Sundays will see reduced rations. The harvest is less successful this year and mishaps mean that the animals missed planting certain crops. The winter is guaranteed to be difficult. Construction on the windmill proves difficult as well. There's a quarry on the farm and a stash of other building materials, but the animals cannot break the rocks in the quarry without standing on their hind legs. After a few weeks, the animals begin hauling huge boulders to the top of the quarry and toppling them over the edge to shatter. The horses, sheep, Muriel, and Benjamin all haul stone to the site of the windmill. The process is exhausting. Boxer seems stronger than ever; he singlehandedly keeps the other animals from sliding back down the hill, begins getting up 45 minutes before everyone else to work, and carries loads of stone to the windmill alone. He ignores Clover's warnings to not strain himself.

The summer is reasonable for the animals. They don't have more food than they had under Mr. Jones, but they don't have less. The animals find that their methods of performing tasks are more efficient than human methods, and since the animals don't steal, they don't have to worry about maintaining fences and hedges. Despite all of this, late in the summer, the animals realize they need things like oil, nails, dog biscuits, and horseshoes. Later, they'll need tools, machinery, and seeds. Nobody knows how to get these things. One Sunday morning, Napoleon announces that Animal Farm will trade with the neighbouring farms for the items they need. He's going to sell hay, wheat, and later, possibly eggs. Napoleon tells the hens that they should welcome this sacrifice. The other animals are vaguely uneasy, as they remember the Seven Commandments stating that the animals shouldn't engage in trade or use money. The four young pigs speak up timidly, but the growling dogs silence them, and the sheep begin bleating "Four legs good, two legs bad!" Napoleon explains that the animals won't have to see much of the humans, as he's hired a solicitor named Mr. Whymper to deal with their affairs. After the meeting, Squealer sets everyone at ease by telling them privately that they must all be imagining that they can't engage in trade or use money, but that this was just a rumour started by Snowball. This is comforting for the animals to hear.

Mr. Whymper visits every Monday. The animals avoid him as much as possible, but they do pridefully watch Napoleon—on four legs—giving orders to a two-legged human. Other humans hate Animal Farm more than ever. They all believe that Animal Farm will go bankrupt at some point and that the windmill will fail—but against their will, they do develop a grudging respect for the animals' efficiency. They even begin to call it Animal Farm instead of Manor Farm. Rumours circulate that Napoleon is going to strike a deal with either Mr. Pilkington or Mr. Frederick, but not with both. About this time, the pigs move into the farmhouse. Squealer circulates to assure everyone that it's not true that there was a resolution forbidding animals living inside—it's necessary, since the pigs are the brains of the farm, for them to have a quiet place to work. Referring to Napoleon as "Leader," Squealer also insists that it's more dignified for Napoleon to live in a house. Despite Squealer's insistences, some animals are disturbed to learn that the pigs eat in the kitchen and sleep in the beds. Boxer brushes this off, but Clover remembers that there was a rule against sleeping in beds. She asks Muriel to read her the commandment about beds to confirm, but it now reads that no animal will sleep in a bed with sheets. Clover doesn't remember this, but since it's in writing, she reasons that it must've always been this way.

Squealer, accompanied by a few dogs, passes by and helps put things in perspective for Clover. He points out that there never was a ruling against beds since the word "bed" just refers to a place to sleep. Sheets are the problem, as they're a human invention. He assures Clover that the beds are only as comfortable as they need, and the pigs need their sleep since they need to keep their wits about them—if they don't, Mr. Jones might return. Knowing that Mr. Jones's return would be disastrous, the animals agree with Squealer and say nothing when days later, the pigs announce that they'll get up an hour later than everyone else. The animals are tired but happy when fall arrives. The stores of food for the winter are low after the sale of the hay and corn, but the windmill is almost halfway done and that bolsters their spirits. After the harvest, the animals dedicate themselves to building up the walls of the windmill. Boxer even spends hours at night working alone, and everyone except Benjamin spends their spare time admiring the structure. In November, however, a storm blows through. One morning, the animals wake and see that the windmill is in ruins. They run to the windmill and mournfully look at the fallen stone.

Napoleon rushes to the site and snuffles around sharply. He suddenly stops and quietly says that Snowball came in at night and destroyed the windmill. Napoleon sentences Snowball to death and announces rewards for anyone who captures him. They discover pig prints leading to a hole in the hedge near Foxwood, and Napoleon declares that they're Snowball's footprint. He cries that they must build all winter to show Snowball up.

Analysis

The problem with an isolated state, the novel shows, is that it's impossible to create everything the state needs—thus, it will at some point become necessary to trade with others. Remember, however, that trading with neighbouring farms would technically be forbidden by Old Major, as he made it very clear that the animals shouldn't have common interests with humans—and trading with them qualifies as such. This shows, then, how those ideals are consistently being corrupted as the needs of the state evolve.
By offering Mr. Whymper as a character, Orwell can critique the capitalist countries and individuals who got rich working with the USSR while ignoring the humanitarian atrocities. Blaming Snowball for the rumours, meanwhile, saves Napoleon from having to admit how hypocritical and corrupt he's becoming.
Notice how Squealer frames his argument: the pigs are doing such important and necessary work for the farm that they don't just deserve, but truly need to live in the luxury of the farmhouse. Essentially, he insists that the pigs have to be corrupt and continue to improve the markers of their class by moving into the farmhouse, while the other animals remain hungry and living in the barns.
When Clover decides everything is fine since the Commandment is in writing, it shows how easy it is to dupe an uneducated population with a poor memory—there's little understanding that just because something's in writing doesn't make it true.
Though Squealer is splitting hairs here when he makes the distinction between beds and sheets, it feels impossible for Clover to push back at all because of the dogs. This shows how the fear and violence of an organization like the secret police (as represented by the dogs) allows powerful individuals to not have to make total sense in what they say since what they say doesn't matter that much. Because of the threat the dogs pose, Squealer could say almost anything, and nobody would object.
Everyone admires the windmill, in this sense, the windmill comes to represent the state and how it refocuses attention onto its strengths to detract from very real problems within it. The storm destroying the windmill foreshadows what's to come: the windmill and the things it promises will be far more difficult to achieve.
Blaming the windmill's destruction on Snowball is a smart move for Napoleon, as it means that nobody is going to blame him for shoddy planning and not having a plan B. Further, he's then able to use this deflection to unite the animals against Snowball as a common enemy—and in doing so, comes up with a way to convince the animals to work even harder in support of the state.

Chapter 7

The winter is bitter and cold, but the animals toil on the windmill knowing that the humans will be thrilled if they don't finish on time. The humans spitefully pretend that the windmill fell because the walls were too thin, not because of Snowball. The animals know better, but they decide to build three-foot-thick walls just in case. Snow stops their progress for a while and the animals struggle to feel hopeful. Squealer gives many speeches on the dignity of labour, but the animals find more inspiration in Boxer. In January, rations are reduced when they discover that the potatoes went bad. The animals don't have much to eat and fear they'll starve to death, but they conceal this from the outside world. Napoleon devises strategies to make it seem to Mr. Whymper that there's lots of food. Near the end of January, Napoleon recognizes that he has to find grain somewhere. He spends most of his time in the farmhouse guarded by the fierce dogs. When he occasionally comes out, it's a ceremonious affair and dogs surround him. Squealer conducts the Sunday meetings. One morning, he announces that the hens will need to surrender their eggs: Napoleon entered into a contract to trade 400 eggs per week for enough grain to support them until summer. The hens are enraged, as they all plan to raise spring chicks, so they rebel. Hens lay eggs in the rafters at first, but Napoleon cuts their rations. The rebellion lasts five days, during which time nine hens die before the hens give up. Napoleon insists that the nine hens died of the disease.

Rumours circulate that Snowball is hiding at Foxwood or Pinchfield, while Napoleon's relationships with both farms improve. Animal Farm has a pile of timber that Mr. Whymper suggests selling, and both Mr. Pilkington and Mr. Frederick want to buy it. Napoleon deliberates in his decision to sell, and whenever it seems he's close to selling to one farmer, rumours fly that Snowball is on that farmer's farm and he changes his mind. Early in the spring, the animals discover with horror that Snowball has been sneaking onto the farm. He supposedly comes in nightly to trample eggs and steal, and the animals begin to blame everything wrong or upset Snowball. This continues even when the animals find the key to the storage shed (which Snowball supposedly threw down a well) under a sack of meal. Napoleon announces an investigation into Snowball's activities. He and his dogs tour the farm, finding evidence of Snowball's scent everywhere. This frightens everyone. One evening, Squealer calls the animals to tell them that they've discovered something terrible: Snowball sold himself to Mr. Frederick and Pinchfield, and he plans to lead their attack on Animal Farm. Further, Snowball was in league with Mr. Jones all along, which they know because of newly discovered documents. Squealer insists that Snowball's attempt to destroy them all at the Battle of the Cowshed makes sense now. The animals are dumbfounded, as most of them remember that Snowball fought valiantly for them and that Mr. Jones shot Snowball.

Boxer questions this and shares his recollection of events, but Squealer insists he's mistaken—they have, in Snowball's writing (which Boxer, unfortunately, cannot read) that Snowball was going to give them all away. His plot would've succeeded if Napoleon hadn't leaped at Mr. Jones crying "Death to Humanity" and bit Mr. Jones's leg. This graphic description helps the animals remember that Squealer's recollection is the correct one, but Boxer uneasily says that he still thinks that Snowball was on their side at the Battle of the Cowshed. Firmly, Squealer insists that according to Napoleon, Snowball was in league with Mr. Jones long before the rebellion took place. This satisfies Boxer since Napoleon said it, but Squealer gives him an ugly look as he tells the animals to keep an eye out for Snowball's secret agents, who are all over the farm. Four days later, Napoleon orders the animals to assemble in the yard and emerges from the farmhouse, wearing both his first- and second-class Animal Hero medals and surrounded by the dogs. The animals cower as Napoleon whimpers. The dogs drag the four young pigs to the front and three dogs leap at Boxer. Boxer slings them aside and pins one before looking at Napoleon for what to do next. Napoleon tells Boxer to let the terrified dog go. The four pigs are the same ones that protested when Napoleon did away with the Sunday meetings, and they confess crimes without hesitation. They say that they've been working with Snowball and planned to help him give Animal Farm to Mr. Frederick. They also corroborate that Snowball worked with Mr. Jones. When they're done, the dogs tear their throats out.

Napoleon asks who else has something to confess. Three hens confess that in a dream, Snowball told them to disobey Napoleon. A goose confesses to stealing corn and a sheep confesses that they urinated in the drinking pool on Snowball's orders. Others confess crimes and Napoleon slaughters them all. When it's over, the other animals slink away, unsure which is more shocking: the fact that the dead animals were in league with Snowball, or their punishment. This is the first time since Mr. Jones's departure that there's been bloodshed on the farm. The animals—except for the cat, who disappeared—lie down together near the windmill while Boxer paces. Boxer announces that he wouldn't have believed that this could happen on Animal Farm, but it must've happened because they're at fault. He vows to get up an hour earlier and promptly rushes to the quarry. Clover and the other animals remain by the windmill. They look out over Animal Farm and remember that they own all of it. Tears fill Clover's eyes and though she can't formulate her thoughts, if she could, she'd think that this wasn't the goal when they rebelled. Her idea of the future was animals free from abuse and hunger, working together, the strong protecting the weak. Instead, now nobody can speak their mind, dogs growl, and they have to watch their friends be killed for confessing to awful crimes. She doesn't think of rebellion or disobedience, however, as she still recognizes that this is better than Mr. Jones's return would be. She'll accept Napoleon's leadership, even if this wasn't what she hoped for.

Clover begins to sing "Beasts of England" and the other animals join in and sing it mournfully. When they finish their third time through, Squealer and two dogs arrive and announce that "Beasts of England" has been abolished. Stiffly, he explains that it's no longer necessary since the rebellion ended earlier with the execution of the traitors. The society portrayed in "Beasts of England" is now established, so the song is useless. The animals are frightened, and some consider protesting, but the sheep begin to bleat "Four legs good, two legs bad" and this ends any discussion. Minimus composes a song that begins "Animal Farm, Animal Farm, / Never through me shalt thou come to harm!" For most animals, the new song doesn't measure up to "Beasts of England."

Analysis

When Napoleon covers up the fact that they don’t have food, it speaks also to the way that Napoleon feels he must look big and powerful to his enemies who may take advantage of his weakness.
Napoleon’s current living conditions begin to situate him as a tried and true totalitarian leader: the constant guard of dogs suggests that he’s somewhat paranoid that people are out to get him, while the ceremony surrounding his outings creates an even bigger cult of personality.
The hens’ rebellion can be seen as a parallel to a variety of rebellions that took place in the USSR in response to Stalin’s Five Year Plans. These included rebellions by sailors and farmers, specifically those farmers who were victims of the Holodomor genocide in Ukraine (Stalin cut off their food, resulting in millions of deaths).
In the years preceding World War II, Stalin flirted with making deals with both the Allies (Mr. Pilkington) and with Hitler (Mr. Frederick). This is symbolized in the novel by the sale of the timber, which (in theory, at least), would improve relations with whomever Napoleon chooses to sell to.
Continuing to cast doubt on Snowball’s loyalty at all gives Napoleon a way to make the animals trust him and him alone—which also has the effect of making the animals trust no one else, even those who might genuinely want to help.
These confessions and executions, especially those of the four young pigs, mirror Stalin’s “show trials,” in which many people confessed to all sorts of crimes and were killed for it.
When Boxer blames the animals—or the working class—instead of recognizing that Napoleon is turning into a bloodthirsty, power-hungry tyrant, it shows how successful Napoleon has been in manipulating the situation to favor him over anyone else.
Pay attention to the narrator’s assertion that Clover cannot formulate her thoughts. This, the novel suggests, is why Clover and her fellow working-class animals aren’t able to stand up to Napoleon: they’re too tired, overworked, and uneducated to be able to effectively formulate their thoughts and voice their concerns. Because of this, they can, to a degree, recognize that there are hypocrisy and corruption at play—but if they’re not able to harness language to talk about it, it’s meaningless.
The song, "Beast of England" might stir them to rebellion all over again, necessitating this censorship to keep the pigs and dogs in power.

Chapter 8

A few days later, some animals think they remember that the Sixth Commandment said that animals shouldn't kill other animals. Nobody says anything to the pigs or the dogs, but Clover feels that the executions aren't in line with this rule. She asks Benjamin to read her the Commandment, but he refuses so, Muriel reads instead. The Commandment reads, "No animal shall kill any other animal WITHOUT CAUSE." She sees that the Commandment wasn't violated. The animals work harder than they ever have. The windmill, in addition to regular farm work, means they sometimes wonder if they work harder now than they did for Mr. Jones, but possibly for less food. On Sunday mornings, Squealer reads lists of figures that prove production is up by at least 200 percent and sometimes up by 500 percent. The animals don't question this, especially since many don't remember clearly how things were before—but they also think some days that they'd rather have more food and less of the figures.

Napoleon is now seldom seen in public. He never goes out without the dogs, and now, a black rooster that marches ahead and trumpets. In the farmhouse, he lives alone and eats off of the Crown Derby dinner service. Squealer and the other pigs relay his messages, and it's decided that the farm will fire the gun on Napoleon's birthday. These days, Napoleon is referred to as "our Leader, Comrade Napoleon," and the pigs refer to him as Father of All Animals, Protector of the Sheep-fold, and other such titles. Animals credit Napoleon for everything, from good laying rates to clean water. Minimus expresses these feelings in a poem, which reads that Napoleon cares for everyone and everyone is faithful to Napoleon. Napoleon asks Squealer to paint it on the big barn next to a portrait of him. Napoleon busies himself negotiating with Mr. Frederick and Mr. Pilkington about the timber. Mr. Frederick wants it badly, but he won't offer a good price—and rumours still circulate that he wants to attack Animal Farm and destroy the windmill. 'Pinchfield' supposedly still houses Snowball too, and in the summer, three hens confess that Snowball inspired them to try to murder Napoleon. After their execution, Napoleon begins sleeping guarded by dogs and appoints a pig to taste his poison food. Napoleon eventually agrees to sell the timber to Mr. Pilkington and agrees to trade regularly with him. As the windmill's completion approaches, rumours of an impending attack from Mr. Frederick grow stronger, and rumours circulate of all the cruel things Mr. Frederick does to his animals.

One Sunday, Napoleon announces that he never considered selling the timber to such a horrible human as Mr. Frederick. He commands the pigeons to leave Foxwood alone and also to spread the slogan "Death to Frederick." Later in the summer, the animals discover that with the help of a goose, Snowball mixed the wheat and corn seeds with weeds. The goose commits suicide, and the animals learn that Snowball never received "Animal Hero, First Class." Rather, he was punished for cowardice after the Battle of the Cowshed and made up the story of the honour to make himself look better. Squealer convinces everyone that their memories were faulty. The animals finish the windmill in the fall, though Mr. Whymper is still in the process of negotiating for the machinery. The animals are tired but proud of their work, and they think of what the windmill will be able to do for them. Napoleon announces that they'll name the windmill Napoleon Mill. Two days later, Napoleon announces that he sold the timber to Mr. Frederick. He changes the pigeons' message to "Death to Pilkington," says the rumours about Mr. Frederick's cruelty are untrue, and insists that Snowball is living in luxury at Foxwood. The pigs are thrilled, as Napoleon's dealings made Mr. Frederick raise his price by £12, to be paid in cash. The money will buy the machinery for the windmill.

Mr. Frederick's men cart away the timber quickly and when it's gone, the animals gather to reverently inspect the banknotes. Three days later, Mr. Whymper arrives with horrible news: the banknotes are forgeries. Napoleon immediately sentences Mr. Frederick to death and warns that Pinchfield might attack Animal Farm. He also sends pigeons to Foxwood with nice messages. The next morning, Mr. Frederick's men attack. There are 15 men, many with guns, and the animals cannot stand up to the bullets. They're forced to hide, and even Napoleon looks nervous. The pigeons return with a note from Mr. Pilkington reading, "Serves you right." Mr. Frederick and his men gather around the windmill. At first, it looks like they're going to try to knock it down, but Benjamin nods in amusement and notes that they're going to blow it up. He's right: after a deafening explosion, the windmill is gone. The enraged animals' charge. Boxer kills three men and the dogs' bite and terrifies the rest. The animals win, but they're bloody and tired. They gather around the windmill's foundations and note that they won't even be able to reuse the stones. Squealer skips up to them looking satisfied as to the gun booms in the distance. Squealer cries that it's to celebrate their victory. Boxer points out that this wasn't a victory since the men destroyed the windmill. He insists that they just won back what they had before, which Squealer says is a victory.

At the barnyard, Boxer feels the pellets in his leg and begins to mentally prepare himself to rebuild the windmill. It occurs to him that he's 11 now and maybe isn't as strong as he once was. However, when he and the other animals see their flag, hear the gun, and listen to Napoleon's speech, they all agree that this was a great victory. They solemnly bury the killed animals, name the battle the Battle of the Windmill, and Napoleon confers the new Order of the Green Banner on himself. Everyone forgets the forged banknotes. A few days later, the pigs discover a case of whiskey. That night, the animals hear loud singing that sounds suspiciously like "Beasts of England" coming from the farmhouse, and Napoleon inexplicably gallops around the yard in Mr. Jones's hat. In the morning, Squealer is the first to emerge at nine a.m. He announces that Napoleon is dying because Snowball poisoned his food. Squealer says that Napoleon's final pronouncement that drinking alcohol is punishable by death. By the next afternoon, Napoleon is entirely well and asks Mr. Whymper to purchase books on brewing and distilling, and orders that the pasture for retired animals should be planted with barley.

One night at about midnight, the animals wake to a crash. They discover a broken ladder by the Seven Commandments along with Squealer, who is stunned on the ground next to a lantern, a paintbrush, and white paint. The dogs surround Squealer and escort him back to the farmhouse. No one but Benjamin seems to understand anything. A few days later, Muriel sees that the Commandment that she thought forbade drinking alcohol forbids drinking alcohol to excess.

Analysis

Everything that Napoleon asks for and begins to do in this passage continues to situate him as a totalitarian leader, in power because he works hard and strategically to cultivate a cult of personality that reveres him above all else—and gives him the credit for everything good happening on Animal Farm, true or not. That animals revere Napoleon so much speaks to his success in this endeavor, while Minimus’s poem and Squealer’s portrait mirror the role that portraits like these have played in totalitarian regimes worldwide, from Chairman Mao in China to Hitler in Nazi Germany.
Making the deal with Mr. Frederick is a reference to the non-aggression pact that Stalin signed with Hitler, which said that Hitler wouldn’t attack the USSR—something that Hitler promptly went on to do.
The attack by Mr. Frederick and his men parallels the opening of the Eastern Front of World War II, in which Hitler’s armies began to invade the USSR, and within months were within 40 miles of the capital city of Moscow. Stalin’s men were unable to effectively fight back, and the Allies were understandably unwilling to work with Stalin after he signed the non-aggression pact with Hitler.
The destruction of the windmill and the animals’ ensuing victory continues to parallel the German occupation of the Soviet Union, though the Soviet forces did eventually emerge victoriously.
Notice that the animals—the ones who did the hard work of fighting off the armed men—have a far more realistic view of what happened and what will happen going forward. Squealer, however, has to spin this to look like a grand victory, as that’s the only way to lift spirits and trick the animals into thinking that this is far more meaningful than they suspect it is.
This makes it clear that the purpose of these celebratory exercises is to remind the lower classes what exactly they’re fighting for—the state—and distract from whatever injuries, illness, or other wrongs they’re suffering at the hands of the state.
This is the first and only real proof that the reader ever gets that the pigs are tampering with the Commandments. When the animals cannot figure out what’s going on, it shows that they’re entirely loyal to Napoleon and his rule—and cannot fathom that the person leading them could want to hurt him. That would, after all, be against the Seven Commandments.

Chapter 9

Boxer's split hoof takes a long time to heal. He refuses to take time off from work on the windmill, but in the evenings, he shares with Clover that his hoof is painful. Clover and Benjamin encourage Boxer to be careful, but Boxer insists he wants to see the windmill done before he retires. The age of retirement for horses is 12 on Animal Farm, and though no animal has yet retired, they'll all receive a generous pension when the time comes. Boxer's 12th birthday is next summer. The winter is cold and hard. The animals, except for the pigs and dogs, suffer reduced rations. Squealer explains that equality in rations isn't in line with Animalism—and that they're not short on food and are doing better than they did in the days of Mr. Jones. He points out all the things that are better now and the animals believe him, in part because they barely remember Mr. Jones. They're also thrilled that they're free, not slaves. That spring, the four sows give birth to 31 piglets, all Napoleon's children. Napoleon announces plans for a schoolroom for them but teaches them himself in the farmhouse kitchen. The piglets aren't allowed to play with other animals, and it becomes law that other animals should step aside for pigs. Pigs can also wear ribbons in their tails on Sundays.

The farm is fairly successful this year, but it's still short on money. The animals need building materials and sugar for Napoleon, so Napoleon increases the hens' egg quota to 600 per week. He reduces rations twice over the winter, though the pigs seem to put on weight. In late winter, the animals smell cooking barley from the brew-house and wonder if they'll get a warm mash for supper. However, the pigs announce that the pigs will get all the barley—as well as a pint of beer per day. Napoleon gets a half-gallon. Despite the hardships, life has more dignity. Napoleon holds "Spontaneous Demonstrations" weekly to celebrate Animal Farm. This often takes the form of a military-style parade, followed by speeches and songs. The animals enjoy the celebrations, as it helps them forget that they're hungry. In April, Animal Farm becomes a Republic in need of a president. Napoleon is the only candidate and wins the election unanimously. He uncovers more documents detailing Snowball's dealings with Mr. Jones, including some saying that Snowball led the human forces and shouted, "Long live humanity!" Moses returns and continues to not work while talking about Sugarcandy Mountain. The animals like the idea of Sugarcandy Mountain since their lives are so hard, and oddly, the pigs allow Moses to stay and even give him an allowance of beer.

Boxer works harder than ever once his hoof heals—though all the animals work like slaves. His coat begins to look somewhat dull and he seems to function on determination alone, but the animals' reason he'll pick up once summer comes. Clover and Benjamin warn him to take care of himself, but Boxer ignores them. One summer evening, however, Boxer falls while dragging stone to the windmill. The animals rush to him and Boxer weakly tells Clover that his lung has collapsed, but he doesn't care—his work means the others will be able to finish the windmill without him. He's looking forward to retirement now. Except for Benjamin and Clover, all the animals run to tell Squealer what happened. Squealer concernedly tells Boxer that Napoleon is going to send him for treatment at the Willingdon veterinary hospital. This disturbs the animals, but Squealer convinces them that the vet is better able to help Boxer. Boxer manages to limp back to his stall and remains there for two days. Benjamin and Clover stay at his bedside when they're not working and listen to Boxer talk about studying the alphabet once he's retired.

The van arrives to take Boxer away in the middle of the day, while the other animals are working. The animals are astonished when Benjamin races for them, for taking Boxer away. The animals race back to see Boxer in a big horse-drawn van with lettering on the side. They yell goodbye to Boxer, but Benjamin reads the writing on the van: "Alfred Simmonds, Horse Slaughterer, and Glue Boiler." The man whips his horses and they race down the drive. Clover shouts for Boxer to get out, and Boxer kicks a few times—but he's too weak. They never see Boxer again. Three days later, Squealer announces that Boxer died in the hospital and that he was with Boxer to the end. Boxer's last words were in support of the windmill, Napoleon, and Animal Farm. Suspiciously, Squealer notes that he's heard rumours that some animals believe Boxer went to the glue factory. This isn't true: Napoleon would never do that, for one, and for another, the veterinary hospital had just purchased a van from the glue factory and hadn't yet had the opportunity to repaint it. Squealer's descriptions of Boxer's death and the misunderstanding calm the animals. On Sunday, Napoleon gives a speech commemorating Boxer and orders a wreath for Boxer's grave. He announces a banquet in Boxer's honour in a few days. On the day of the banquet, the pigs receive a crate at the farmhouse and spend the night singing. Rumours circulate that the pigs came up with the money to buy whiskey.

Analysis

When Napoleon insists on only educating these 31 piglets and insists that other animals should step aside, he gives these piglets a leg up in the world while reminding the other animals that they’re of a lower class than the pigs.
The “Spontaneous Demonstrations” are, again, a way for Napoleon to focus his subjects’ attention on the state and how awesome it is, while also detracting from all the things that are going wrong. That the pigs are getting beer while the other animals get nothing is another mark of corruption, while the success of Napoleon’s rule is evident when the narrator insists that life has more dignity. In many ways, life is the same as it was under Mr. Jones—the animals feel like there’s more dignity just because Napoleon tells them so.
Moses—and the religion he represents—isn’t such a huge threat. Indeed, the idea of Sugarcandy Mountain makes the animals even more likely to continue to submit to Napoleon’s demands, as they now have hope that things will get better in the afterlife. In this sense, Moses gets his beer because he’s giving the pigs another tool to hang onto their power.
It takes the impending death of his best friend to rouse Benjamin to action, but at this point, it’s too late. Boxer’s unthinking loyalty to Animal Farm, which robbed him of knowledge of his strength—combined with Benjamin’s silence—means that Benjamin never alerted Boxer to the fact that if he’d chosen to do so, he could’ve stopped Napoleon’s reign of terror long ago with a single kick. Boxer’s weak kicks are a stark contrast to his former strength, symbolizing how the state used and abused him until he was no longer useful to them—or able to survive for himself.
The speech Napoleon gives in Boxer’s honour is simply lip service designed to make the animals believe he feels sorry for Boxer—while the cask of whiskey suggests that selling Boxer to the glue factory just gave the pigs the cash to keep profiting.

Chapter 10

Years pass, and soon, only Clover, Benjamin, Moses, and some of the pigs remember life before the rebellion. Everyone else dies and even Boxer is forgotten. Clover is now 14, but she's still not retired. Napoleon and Squealer are both huge and fat. There are many animals on the farm, but not as many as they'd projected to have by this time. Because of this, most of the animals don't grasp the importance of the rebellion. There are three other horses besides Clover, none of whom are intelligent. The farm is prosperous, bigger than ever, and better organized. The windmill is done, but they use it for milling profitable corn, not for electricity as Snowball had proposed. Napoleon insists that Animalism is about working hard and living frugally, not about electricity and a three-day workweek. Though the farm seems richer, the animals, except for the pigs and the dogs, don't feel any richer. Squealer talks often about how much work the pigs must do to supervise and organize the farm, though he insists the other animals are too ignorant to understand what the pigs do. Regardless, the pigs and dogs don't produce food, but they eat a lot. The other animals are still hungry, sleep on straw, and labour in the fields. The older ones try to remember if life was better immediately after Mr. Jones disappeared, but they can't remember. They have nothing to compare their present to except for Squealer's figures, which show that life is getting better. Benjamin is the only one who supposedly remembers everything, but he insists that things have never been better or worse. Life, he suggests, is about being hungry and disappointed.

The animals never give up hope and are proud to be a part of Animal Farm. They still feel immense pride at the sight of their flag, and they all believe that Old Major's foretold Republic of the Animals will still come. They secretly hum "Beasts of England" and take pride in the fact that all animals are equal on Animal Farm. One summer day, Squealer takes the sheep to an overgrown part of the farm to browse and leaves them there for a week. He tells everyone that he's teaching the sheep a new song. Just after the sheep return, Clover neighs in shock: Squealer is walking on his hind legs. The other pigs file out of the farmhouse on two legs as well. The dogs bark and the black cockerel announces Napoleon's entrance. Napoleon haughtily looks at the other animals and carries a whip in his trotter. The animals consider saying something, but at once, the sheep loudly bleat "Four legs good, two legs better!" The pigs go back inside.

Clover nuzzles Benjamin and leads him to the barn where the Seven Commandments are written. She says that she still can't read, but she thinks the wall looks different. Benjamin reads the entirety of the text: "ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS." With this, it doesn't seem strange when the pigs all carry whips, purchase a radio, and install a telephone. It's not odd when Napoleon starts to wear clothes and smoke a pipe. A week later, several dogcarts containing neighbouring farmers drive up to the farm for a tour. They admire everything, especially the windmill. The animals aren't sure whether to be more afraid of the pigs or the humans. That night, the animals hear laughter and singing from the farmhouse. They creep up to the house and the tall animals look in through the window. They see Napoleon sitting at the head of the table, surrounded by pigs and men all with mugs of beer. A card game is in progress. Mr. Pilkington stands to make a speech and says that he's thrilled that the era of hostility between Animal Farm and the human farmers is over. The farmers believed that pigs couldn't run a farm, but today, they saw that they were wrong—and the pigs are setting an example.

Mr. Pilkington says that the "lower animals" on Animal Farm perform more work and get less food than animals elsewhere—and he and his companions intend to copy Animal Farm's methods. He emphasizes that there's no reason for animosity between Animal Farm and the other farms. Mr. Pilkington chokes up on his joke and then manages to say that if Animal Farm has its lower animals to deal with, the humans have their lower classes. Everyone roars with laughter and they toast to Animal Farm. Napoleon stands to make a speech. He says that the rumours that Animal Farm is rebellious and subversive are false; they just want to coexist peacefully and would never consider stirring up rebellion elsewhere. Though he knows nobody is suspicious anymore, he's going to make some changes. Animals will stop addressing each other as "Comrade," and they'll no longer observe the odd custom of marching past a boar's skull on Sundays. The flag is now plain green too. Napoleon's only criticism of Mr. Pilkington's speech is that he spoke of Animal Farm, which isn't the correct name anymore—the farm will go by its original name, Manor Farm. They drink to Manor Farm.

The animals outside see something strange happening to the pigs but can't figure out what it is and creep away. They hear an uproar inside and return to the window. They see that Napoleon and Mr. Pilkington each played an ace of spades at the same time, and everyone is shouting. The animals can't tell the difference between the pigs and the men.

Analysis

Notice that at this point, the pigs don’t do much—so in this sense, they’ve become much like the humans they worked so hard to overthrow in that they don’t produce anything themselves. This shows that while the rebellion may have had noble beginnings, thanks to Napoleon’s corruption and his totalitarian rule, aren’t any better. In this sense, Benjamin is right: things for the animals have always been horrible, as they’ve seldom understood their power to rebel or been able to use it to create a society that serves them equally, as Old Major envisioned.
The power of the state to make the populace feel nationalistic pride. That pride distracts them from all the things that are going wrong in their own lives, as they’re encouraged to think only about the bigger picture—which, for the pigs, looks great.
The shift to walking on two legs represents one of the pigs’ final steps toward becoming more human than animal. The maxim that Squealer teaches to the sheep shows again how easy it is to corrupt this kind of simplified language and twist or alter it to mean almost anything. Now, Squealer has come up with a phrase that, by all counts, actually supports human, two-legged superiority over everyone else—despite the stated ideals of the initial revolution.
This dinner is parallel to the Tehran Conference, in which Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Stalin met to talk about how to create peace after World War II. Orwell mocks everyone involved here by showing how the people who sought to get rich working with the Soviet Union made Stalin and the Soviet Union legitimate by giving them a stage like this—when, in Orwell’s opinion, the pigs and Stalin have and had no business in such a negotiation. Pilkington’s praise of Napoleon suggests that lording over a totalitarian state like this is appealing to many.
When Napoleon and Mr. Pilkington both play an ace at the same time, it shows that both of them are more than willing to cheat—in this sense, Napoleon is truly no better than any of the humans. The other animals are back exactly where they started: under the thumb of cruel, power-hungry, and cheating humans.

Here it ends; the long analytical study of Animal Farm with its rejuvenating points of the identical real world. So after reading this if you have any queries concerning the text, characters, themes, or any other issues, please consider commenting below with your detailed questions; I will surely try to explain or describe them further. Thank you for staying this long with me. Hope it will prove beneficial to you!

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Animal Farm by George Orwell

About the Author

Historical Context of Animal Farm

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Chapter 1

Analysis

Chapter 2

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Chapter 3

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Chapter 4

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Chapter 5

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Chapter 6

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Chapter 7

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Chapter 8

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Chapter 9

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Chapter 10

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