Animal Farm By George Orwell

Summary: Animal Farm is about farm animals that rebel against the farmer and begin to run the farm themselves. They rename the farm to Animal Farm showing they have taken control, and then they create an idealistic goal of how to coexist with each other. The story continues to show the systematic destruction of the idealism that was originally created as Animalism.

CHARACTERS:

Old Major (AKA Willingdon Beauty) - Old pig all the animals look up to, inspires the other animals to rebel one day

Mr. Jones - The head farmer on Manor farm

Boxer - The work horse, laborer ; personal motto "I will work harder"

Napoleon - Pig, takes over as the dictator of Animal Farm

Squealer - The pig that gives the speeches to persuade animals

Snowball - Pig that likes to learn to make things better, also becomes the pig blamed for everything that is wrong once he is ran out

Molly - The girl horse that likes things that make her pretty, also likes attention from humans

Clover - A cart horse like Boxer, works hard

Benjamin - the donkey, can read as well as the pigs doesn't let them know though, he is also cynical

Mr. Whymper - Human the animals start to trade with

Mr. Frederick -A neighbour, buys wood from Napoleon

Mr. Pilkington -A neighbour that is betrayed by Napoleon during trading

Chapter 1:

Old Major Calls a meeting, tells all the farm animals their problems (Hunger and Overwork) are caused by humans; calls for the overthrow of humans
Old Major warns that farm animals must not do anything humans do after the overthrow (IE money, cloths, houses, beds, alcohol, smoking, trade)
The farm animals vote that all animals are comrades when walking on 4 legs; and 2 leg walkers are enemies.

Chapter 2:

Old major dies; of the pigs that are left, three become the leaders (Snowball,Napoleon, Squealer)
The three pigs Create "Animalism" - based after Old Major's Speech it has 7 commandments 1) Walking on two legs means you are an enemy 2) Walking on 4 legs or flying you are a friend 3) Animals shall not be clothed 4) Animals shall not sleep in a bed 5) Animals shall not drink Alcohol 6) No animal will kill another animal 7) All animals are equal
The animals rebel against Mr. Jones; he and his wife run away
Some animals are not sure of Animalism yet

Chapter 3:

The animals at first follow Animalism closely, having good results with the harvest; However the milk from the cows are secretly being taken and not shared by the pigs
The dogs have puppies which are taken away by Napolean to be taught properly
Some of the animals begin to slack on their work, while some work even harder to maintain levels. Boxer is among the working class, while the pigs assume the leadership roles.
Boxer and the animals that are not as intelligent follow the pigs blindly, the pigs decide to reduce the 7 commandments to 1 to make it easier for them. "4 legs good 2 legs bad"
The pigs are caught taking apples and milk for themselves, they tell everyone they need it to stay healthy and if they are not kept healthy they will die which will result in Mr. Jones returning; the animals agree they should have milk and apples

Chapter 4:

The humans are upset the animals are running a farm, they gather to try and take it back.
There is a battle of some nature which Snowball is the leader due to reading about Cesar , a sheep dies
The battle causes the animals to decide on Military ranking
Snowball declares that the only good human is a dead one

Chapter 5:

Snowball calls for a windmill to be made which he promises will incur a 3-day work week, Napoleon says no to it.
The animals have the right to vote about topics that are debated on by the pigs, just before the windmill is voted on Napoleon has Snowball chased off by the 9 puppies he raised privately
Napoleon declares himself the leader, Squealer makes persuasive speeches for him
Napoleon decides the windmill should be built after all and Squealer tells the animals it was his idea to begin with and that Snowball had stolen them
Napoleon uses the dogs to scare the other animals, he appoints some pigs in place around him, the farm is now a dictatorship

Chapter 6:

The pigs move into the house, the animals seem to remember this is not allowed - but the house is more suited for their status so it is ok
The pigs decide to sleep in beds, Clover recalls that beds are not allowed by the commandments so checks them; The commandment now reads Animals shall not sleep in a bed with sheets
Napoleon decides it is time to trade with humans for the stuff they are running out of; The pigs that start to reject the idea are silenced by the dogs Napoleon raised
Squealer explains to all the animals why the pigs can do what they are doing, basically just confusing them to accept it
There is a storm, the windmill is destroyed ; Napoleon blames Snowball puts out a warrant for him in the form of apples

Chapter 7:

There are food shortages, and many other problems at the farm; it is all blamed on Snowball who is not there; the animals are told to act as if they are all well fed, and the food stores are high.
Napoleon declares that Snowball sneaks around causing havoc, that the food shortage will be fought by selling the hens eggs; the hens have a protest, Napoleon will not feed them and tells the other animals they will be hurt if they feed the hens; the hens give up
Napoleon says there are traitors in league with Snowball, kills four pigs after forcing them to confess; ask for others to come forward if they did bad, kills each after they confess to something Snowball told them to do. (Snowball has never told them to do anything)
The animals are sad, but decide they must continue forward in the name of Animalism and everything they have done already; they begin to sing Beats of England, but in a sad way; The song is abolished in its place they will now say "Animal Farm, Animal Farm, Never through me shalt thou come to harm!" (They have moved from a song that is in support of animals to a song in support of the farm. The individual is not important any more )

Chapter 8:

The commandment No animal shall kill any other animal is changed to No animal shall kill any other animal without cause; the animals take it as true again like the first change
A wood pile that was to be sold to either farm Pilkington or Frederick is said to be sold to Pilkington but at the last minute sold to Frederick
Frederick buys the wood with fake money, Napoleon declares war on Frederick
The animals attack, Frederick is ready with his man driving them to the barn; Napoleon ask Pilkington for help which is denied;Frederick blows up the windmill that was just finished; in rage the animals drive Frederick away.
The animals including Boxer begin to feel like they are worse off than before, but can not recall accurately to know for sure
Alcohol is found in the cellar, the pigs drink all night
There is a crash in the barn at night , Squealer is found next to a broken ladder with paint; The commandment Animals shall not drink Alcohol has the addition to excess

Chapter 9:

The pigs gain more and more while they take away from the other animals on they farm; example they get all the barley and drink alcohol
Moses the crow shows up and starts to tell everyone stories of candy mountain and how great it is; the pigs say it doesn't exist but give him beer everyday for some reason.
Boxer is pulling a wagon when his old age finally causes his lung to give out; it is known he will not be able to work anymore. Napoleon sees him personally telling everyone he will send boxer to a vet; Benjamin notices that the cart says Horse Slaughterer and Glue Boiler, Willingdon on the side; They can't stop the cart.
Boxer is said to have died at the vet by Squealer, he tells everyone the cart was previously owned by a Horse Slaughterer and the sign had not been repainted yet.

Chapter 10:

The animals have fallen into the habit of animal farm, forgetting the ideals that were originally chased during the rebellion
The pigs teach themselves to walk on two legs; train the sheep to say a new saying of "Four legs good, Two legs better"
The 7 commandments now read only one rule "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others"
The pigs have now started to wear clothes, and use whips on the animals
The humans and pigs are seen meeting in the farmhouse by the other animals; The animals hear the humans and pigs remark how they are equal and the animals are a lower class.
Napoleon changes the name of Animal Farm back to Manor Farm
The pigs and the humans are now indistinguishable even in looks

OTHER NOTES:

The pigs become the class leaders
The dogs are the soldiers that follow the pigs orders
The rest of the animals are the labor that can only take pride in accomplishments and are continually treated worse by the higher classes (the pigs and dogs)
The pigs take the form of the humans as the masters
It is a systematic destruction of the ideals of Animalism that result in the class division
The story is directly written to be compared to the soviet union; ideals are nice but the people have been lead away easily to something that does not resemble the ideals