« prev	next »
Edition:	Archeion Press, LLC (Hardcover)
Author:	George Orwell
Published:	January 2008
Pages:	112
ISBN 10:	1605120618
New:	$89.95 (2)
Used:	$96.76 (1)
+ add to my profile

Book Summary

A pig by the name of Old Major gathers all of the animals residing at Mr. Jones’ Manor Farm for an important meeting at which time he describes an ideal society where all animals are free from the tyranny of their human masters. Three days later, Old Major dies but his philosophy of Animalism has successfully taken root in the minds of the animals of Manor Farm.

Two young boars, Snowball and Napoleon, become especially enamored with Old Major’s ideas and on a day when Mr. Jones neglects to feed the animals of the farm, they initiate a spontaneous ‘battle of revolution’ that results in Mr. Jones, his wife, and his pet raven, Moses, being banished from the farm. The remaining animals rename the property “Animal Farm” and begin the work of making Old Major’s dream a reality.

First and foremost, a set of rules called “The Seven Commandments” is drafted and painted in large letters on the side of the barn. Of these commandments, the seventh, “All Animals are Created Equal”, is considered the most important. By virtue of their superior intelligence, the pigs are appointed as Farm Supervisors. Sunday meetings are organized to discuss farm policy. Through cooperation and adherence to the commandments, the animals are able to complete the harvest and food is plentiful for everyone.

Napoleon, however, has personal ambitions. He wants sole leadership of the farm—a superior and elevated position above the other farm animals. To accomplish this objective, he secretly takes the puppies from the farm dogs and trains them privately. He furthers his campaign by recruiting Squealer, a pig with an uncanny ability to persuade others through convoluted and essentially faulty reasoning.

Mr. Jones does eventually return to the farm and with the assistance of his friends, attempts to regain possession. He is once again defeated by the combined efforts of the farm animals in what is forever referred to as “The Battle of the Cowshed”.

As time passes, Snowball and Napoleon emerge as the ‘untitled’ leaders of the farm. Napoleon’s secret ambitions and feelings of superiority become more open and purposeful. Snowball, still enthralled with the true ideals of Animalism, proposes the idea that the animals build a windmill in order to provide electricity to the farm. This convenience will provide more leisure time for all of the animals. Napoleon counters this proposal with the argument that the construction will severely reduce the time necessary for the production of food for all of the animals. The farm gathers for their Sunday meeting in order to vote on the windmill proposal. Prepared, Napoleon calls forth his puppies, now full grown and trained to fight, to remove Snowball from the farm forever.

Napoleon announces there will be no further debate on the issue of the windmill. It will be built. He explains to the animals that the windmill had been his original idea from the beginning and that Snowball had stolen it from him.

The animals begin the construction of the windmill. All of the animals, excepting the pigs, who as supervisors manage to avoid the heavy work, contribute to the undertaking. Boxer, an incredibly strong but rather dimwitted horse, puts all of his loyalty and strength into the project. The task is only half-finished when a powerful storm strikes the area and topples the windmill. Napoleon, with the help of Squealer’s double talk, manages to convince the animals that this disaster was orchestrated by the banished Snowball.

Napoleon’s lust for power increases and his actions begin to exhibit the traits of a totalitarian dictator. He redistributes the food supply and modifies the division of labor in favor of the pigs. He and the pigs move into the Jones’ house and begin to sleep in beds and drink whiskey. In his effort to thoroughly enforce his totalitarian control, Napoleon coerces confessions from innocent animals, subsequently orders their executions and has his trained dogs kill the ‘criminals’ before the entire assemblage of the farm.

Life on the farm becomes increasingly more difficult for the majority of the animals. The removal of the pigs from the work force increases the other animals’ portion of the work load. The increased allotment of food to the pigs decreases the amount necessary to feed all the animals. Despite these hardships, Squealer’s double-talk continues to convince all of them that they are better off being ruled by Napoleon than under the yoke of human tyranny.

The windmill is completed. Napoleon sells a pile of timber to Mr. Frederick, a neighboring farmer who swindles Napoleon by paying him with forged banknotes. Mr. Frederick further antagonizes the situation by blowing up and destroying the windmill with blasting powder and with the assistance of other farmers, attacks the animals of Animal Farm. The animals win the battle, but many are injured. Boxer, due to his valiant defense, incurs the most serious wounds but once again offers his strength to rebuild the windmill.

Despite his growing weakness, Boxer throws himself to the task, working harder and longer than any other animal on the farm until he collapses in sickness and exhaustion. The following day, Boxer is taken away from the farm in a van lettered with the words “Alfred Simmonds, Horse Slaughterer and Glue Boiler”. In order to calm them, Squealer utilizes his silver tongue to convince the animals that it was truly the van of the Veterinarian, who had purchased it used and had not yet re-lettered it. When news reaches the farm that Boxer has died, the animals are convinced he died peacefully in the care of the doctor. Known only to the pigs, Boxer’s life was traded to the knacker for a case of whiskey.

Many years pass under Napoleon’s rule. Although seemingly prosperous and enlarged through the purchase of neighboring farms, the animals of Animal Farm continue to work long hours of drudgery and reap few of the benefits. They are hungry, exhausted, and dispirited. The ideals of Animalism—leisure, freedom, and abundance—are long forgotten. The pigs now walk upright, carry whips and wear clothing. The Seven Commandments have been reduced to four codified remnants, the most important being: “All animals are created equal, but some are more equal than others”.

The novel concludes with Napoleon holding a dinner party for the neighboring human farmers at which he announces his intentions to form a permanent alliance with them and symbolizes this grand gesture by revoking the name “Animal Farm” and reinstituting the original, human name, “Manor Farm”. As the ‘lesser’ animals of Manor Farm watch through the windows of the house, they begin to notice change in the faces of the ruling pigs. As an argument ensues between Napoleon and Mr. Pilkington over a game of cards, the watching animals realize that they cannot see the difference between the human and the pig.

The Seven Commandments of Animalism

• 1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
• 2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
• 3. No animal shall wear clothes.
• 4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
• 5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
• 6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
• 7. All animals are equal.

The modified version… Additional words in italics.

• 1. No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets.
• 2. No animal shall drink alcohol to excess.
• 3. No animal shall kill any other animal without cause.
• 4. All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.