Biography of George Orwell (1903-1950)

Upon return to England, Blair lived in the East End district of London, which was filled with paupers and the destitute, whom he saw as the spiritual kin of the Burmese peasants he had encountered as a policeman. In 1928, Blair moved to Paris to become a writer, where he again lived among the poor, and was eventually forced to abandon his writing temporarily and become a dishwasher. He returned to England the next year (1929), and lived as a tramp before finding work as a teacher at a private school. This position gave Blair time to write, and his first book, Down and Out in Paris and London, was published in 1933, under the pseudonym George Orwell. The publication of this first work, which was an account of his years living among the poor of Paris and London, marks the beginning of a more stable period for Orwell, in which he taught, opened a bookshop, and continued to write. His first fictional work, Burmese Days, appeared in 1934.

The next few years saw a steady stream of activity for Orwell, who produced A Clergyman?s Daughter in 1935 and Keep the Aspidistra Flying in 1936. During this period he also met Eileen Maud O?Shaughnessy, whom he married on June 9, 1936. That same year Orwell received a grant from the Left Book Club to produce a work dealing with the conditions of the poor, which resulted in the publication of The Road to Wigan Pier. In December of 1936, Orwell decided to enlist in the POAM, the Socialist military party in Spain, during the Spanish Civil War. Attracted by the vision of a society without class distinction, Orwell fought for socialism in Spain, but was wounded in the neck and forced to return to England in 1938. His account of his experiences in Spain was published as Homage to Catalonia that same year. Upon his return to England, however, Orwell fell ill with tuberculosis, which he neglected. In 1941, Orwell went to work for the BBC as a broadcaster for India, a post which he resigned to become the literary editor for The Tribune. This position was equally short-lived, however, as Orwell resigned in 1945 to begin work on Animal Farm. Orwell?s family life experienced significant upheaval during this period, marked by the adoption of a son, Richard, in 1944, and by the death of his wife Eileen during an operation in 1945. Soon after Eileen?s death, Animal Farm was published, and Orwell become "famous overnight". In reaction to the sudden glare of fame, Orwell moved to the island of Jura, off the coast of Scotland, with aggravated his tuberculosis considerably. While at Jura, Orwell wrote his last novel and perhaps most famous novel, 1984, and married Sonia Bromwell. In 1949 Orwell returned to England, but his tuberculosis was by that time painfully advanced. He eventually succumbed to the disease, dying on January 21, 1950.

About Animal Farm

Through a coincidence 727c22h of history, Animal Farm appeared in stores the same month that the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The irony of this publication date for one of the most politicized novels of the 20th century did not escape its early readers, or its author. Orwell made no secret of the fact that his writing, and Animal Farm

in particular, was single-mindedly focused on the obliteration of totalitarian regimes. Animal Farm, while obviously referring to the general scope of all forms of totalitarian governments, may be seen as a satire of the Russian Revolution of 1917 in particular. Because of this controversial subject matter, British publishing houses were loathe to take on Orwell's work, and he was rejected throughout his entire first round of publishing attempts. Upon the novel's eventual publication in 1945, however, Orwell was instantly famous. The reception of Animal Farm led to many different interpretations of its meaning, which Orwell perhaps clarifies best himself, in his article called "Why I Write":

"Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism...Animal Farm was the first book in which I tried, with full consciousness of what I was doing, to fuse political purpose and artistic purpose into one whole."

Characters

NOTE: Animal Farm is written in the form of a fable, and therefore its characters are often less important for their individual characteristics as for the more general types and specific historical figures they represent. While Animal Farm satirizes totalitarian regimes in general, it also refers more specifically to the Russian Revolution of 1917, and for this reason many of its characters represent specific figures from those events.

Old Major: Old Major is the old pig whose visionary dream inspires the animals with their first concept of revolution. He may be compared to Karl Marx, whose ideologies and writings eventually led to the Communist Revolution.

Snowball: The brilliant, idealistic pig who, along with Napoleon, assumes a loose leadership at the beginning of the Revolution. His ideas are not always practical, but they are always grand and far-reaching. He is run off the farm by Napoleon and subsequently vilified by the common animals.

Napoleon: The aggressive, shrewd pig who, along with Snowball, becomes the early leader of Animal Farm. After he successfully eliminates Snowball, he gradually increases his personal power and privileges, while simultaneously tightening the control over the other animals. By seizing onto a populist revolution and turning it into his personal regime, he may be compared to his namesake, Napoleon Bonaparte of France.

Squealer: This young pig is the persuasive speaker who is the liaison to the common animals, always convincing them to accept Napoleon's latest infringements on their rights. In this role, he represents the propaganda machine of a totalitarian government.

Boxer: Boxer is the hardworking cart-horse who becomes the strongest devotee of the Revolution, standing behind Napoleon through all of the outrages he commits. He symbolizes the downtrodden peasants who are lied to and mistreated by political figures out for personal gain.

Mollie: Mollie is the young mare who runs away because she cannot endure the loss of her precious sugar lumps and colored ribbons. Her departure is seen by some of the animals as a betrayal. Mollie represents the fickle class of nobles who fled Russia after the Revolution.

Benjamin: Benjamin is the gloomy, cynical donkey who never embraces the Revolution or stands in opposition to it. He represents the human tendency toward cynicism, apathy, and the belief that "things will never change".

Moses: Moses the raven always tells the animals fantastical tales of Sugarcandy Mountain, a marvelous place where no animals have to work. Moses, however, is free to fly away, and comes and goes from Animal Farm as he chooses. He symbolizes organized religion in general, and the Russian Orthodox Church more specifically.

Farmer Jones: Farmer Jones is the man who originally owned Animal Farm, and who is overthrown by the animals at the beginning of the Revolution. He symbolizes corrupt and fatally-flawed governments that create societies ripe for Revolution.

Muriel: Muriel the goat is the farm animal who reads better than the rest of the "common' animals. Though she does not always understand the meaning of what she reads, she often reads the altered Commandments to the other farm animals, and so to the reader she may symbolize a revelatory force.

Clover: The mare who, along with Boxer, becomes a loyal and devoted believer in the Revolution. After the executions on the farm, Clover assumes a motherly position, to which the other animals retreat for comfort and understanding.

Pilkington: The neighboring farmer who Napoleon plays off Frederick in negotiations for the pile of timber. Pilkington's nonchalance and apathy toward the situation at large is a commentary on a specific type of decadent and unpolitically-minded British gentleman, as well as on the slow response of the Allies during World War II.

Frederick: The evil and cruel farmer to whom Napoleon eventually sells the pile of timber; he pays in forged bank notes, thus cheating Animal Farm. The rumors of exotic and cruel animal tortures he performs on his "farm" are meant to echo the horror stories emerging from Nazi Germany.

Whymper Whymper is the man who acts as a trade agent for Animal Farm. His interests in the farm's affairs are purely business-minded, and his lack of concern for the animal rights issues behind the Animal Farm regime offer up a parody of the activities of countries which conduct business with communist regimes.

Short Summary

Animal Farm is set on an English farm named Manor Farm, owned by Mr. Jones. The fable-like story concerns the rebellion of the farm animals, and is told entirely from their point of view. The story opens with Mr. Jones stumbling into bed, unable to lock up the farm properly after a night of excessive whisky drinking. Old Major, the venerable and well-respected pig, has called all the animals together for a meeting to take place after Mr. Jones has gone to bed, and they gather outside the big barn on the farm. Old Major tells them all that he had a miraculous dream last night, in which he saw his approaching death, and also understood more clearly the life of animals. He wants to impart his realizations to the rest of the animals while he still can, as well as rouse them to take the action that he has come to feel is necessary.

Old Major points out to the animals that the cause of their miserable existences is the tyranny of Man, who is a lazy, incompetent creature who steals the fruits of animals' labor for his own benefit. Old Major describes his vision of an England where animals could live in peaceful and plentiful coexistence with each other, free from the cruel tyranny of Man. He exhorts the animals to band together to defeat their common enemy, and teaches them all "Beasts of England," the song which becomes their revolutionary anthem and battle cry. The animals are greatly moved by Old Major's speech, and rally around the rebellion idea, singing "Beasts of England" until Mr. Jones is roused from his sleep and fires a shot into the air, quieting the animals to sleep.

Three days later, Old Major dies and is buried. His revolutionary fervor lives on, and the animals begin to flesh in the revolutionary ideology with which they will overthrow Mr. Jones. Two of the pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, emerge as the leaders of the animals. Another pig named Squealer is also prominent for his persuasive speaking ability. These three pigs create a system of tenets and name it "Animalism," and begin imparting it to the rest of the animals, often simplifying and slowly reasoning with the less-intelligent animals such as the Sheep, or the frivolous animals, like Mollie the white mare.

Revolution comes earlier than anyone expected, when Mr. Jones gets so drunk that he is unable to go feed the animals. After a day and a half without food, the hungry animals finally riot and break into the feeding area themselves, prompting Mr. Jones and his field hands to come outside. The animals attack them with a vengeance, and the men flee, leaving Manor Farm to the animals. Mrs. Jones wakes up during the commotion, and when she discovers what has happened, she runs off with a suitcase of clothes herself. The animals rejoice, walking over the farm to examine their property, and celebrate with extra rations of food. The next morning, Snowball repaints the sign reading "Manor Farm" to say "Animal Farm," and he and Napoleon introduce the animals to The Seven Commandments, which form the tenets of their "Animalism":

Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.

Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.

No animal shall wear clothes.

No animal shall sleep in a bed.

No animal shall drink alcohol.

No animal shall kill another animal.

All animals are created equal.

The cows by this time need milking, so the pigs manage to milk them. Several of the animals want some of the milk for themselves, but Napoleon distracts them, saying that they have more important things to attend to and that he will take care of it. Later that day, the animals notice that the milk had disappeared.

The Animalism regime begins very promisingly, with all the animals working industriously to improve the farm, and enjoying the feeling of self-governance and "animal pride" which their regime produces. The animals observe a flag-raising ritual on Sundays, which is a day of rest for them. Snowball forms an array of committees aimed at social improvements, education, training, and the like. The education program achieves the greatest success. Boxer the horse becomes the most admired of all the animals for his zealous devotion to the cause and his personal motto "I will work harder". After the discovery that the stupider animals could not learn the Seven Commandments, Snowball reduces the tenets down to the maxim "Four legs good, two legs bad," which even the sheep can memorize, and bleat for hours on end. After the apple harvest, the pigs announce that they will reserve all the apples and milk for themselves, to fuel their strenuous efforts to manage the farm. The other animals reluctantly acquiesce.

News of the rebellion at Animal Farm spreads quickly to the rest of the animals in England, all of whom learn the words to "Beasts of England". Mr. Jones gathers some townsmen and attempts to reclaim his farm, but the animals successfully defend it. Snowball and Boxer are given medals for their courageous fighting. Soon thereafter, Mollie runs off to work pulling a dogcart for a man who feeds her sugar lumps, and she is never spoken of again. When winter comes, Snowball begins talking of a plan to build a windmill to increase the productivity of the farm. Napoleon, who by this times disagrees with Snowball about almost everything, is bitterly opposed, and the animals become divided into two camps of supporters. During a debate, Napoleon whistles for nine large dogs that he has trained, and they attack Snowball and drive him off the farm. Napoleon becomes the single leader of the animals, and announces that they will go through with the windmill scheme after all.

The animals begin working like slaves to complete the harvest and build the windmill. When Napoleon announces that Animal Farm will begin trading with the men who run nearby farms, the animals think they remember Old Major speaking against evil human habits such as trade. Squealer convinces the animals that they are only imagining it. The pigs then move into the farmhouse, and Squealer again convinces that animals that they are only imagining the earlier rules against sleeping in beds. Some of the animals go to check the Fourth Commandment, and discover that it now reads "No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets". The windmill is destroyed in a storm, and Napoleon blames it on Snowball, and places a reward on his head.

A hard winter comes, and the animals face near-starvation. Napoleon announces that the hens will have to give up their eggs to be sold for money to buy grain. The hens refuse at first, but Napoleon cuts off their food rations until they relent, after nine of them have died from starvation. Soon after, Napoleon announces that an attempted rebellion has been discovered, and has several of the farm animals executed. The remaining animals react with fear and horror, and huddle around Clover the mare for comfort. She reminds them of Old Major's glorious speech and leads them all in "Beast of England," which prompts Napoleon to forbid the singing of the song.

The animals discover that after the executions, another commandment is different from how they remembered it; the Sixth Commandment now reads "No animal shall kill another animal without cause". Napoleon has a long poem praising his leadership painted on the side of the barn. The farm is again attacked by neighboring farmers, who the animals repel, but only with great difficulty. Napoleon celebrates the victory by drinking lots of whisky, and the Fifth Commandment soon reads "No animal shall drink alcohol in excess". Boxer's injury sustained in the attack is slow-healing.

Rations continue to be reduced for the animals, except for the pigs, who are allowed to wear green ribbons on Sundays, drink beer daily, and actually seem to be gaining weight. Boxer falls ill and Napoleon promises to send him to a hospital, but the animals read the sign of the truck as he is hauled away and discover that he is being taken to the butcher's. Squealer eventually convinces the animals that they are mistaken.

Years pass, and many of the older animals die off. Squealer assumes a position of power, and learns to walk upright. He teaches the sheep to change their chant to "Four legs good, two legs better," and the Seven Commandments are replaced with a single commandment: "All animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others". The pigs invite the neighboring farmer to dinner to inspect the efficiency of Animal Farm, and the men congratulate the pigs on their achievements, noting that the animals at Animal Farm did more work and required less food than any farm in the county. As the animal watch the dinner proceedings through the window, they realize with horror that they can no longer tell the pigs' faces from the human ones.

Summary and Analysis of Chapter 1

Chapter One: Summary

As the story opens on Mr. Jones's farm, the farm animals are preparing to meet after Mr. Jones goes to sleep, to hear the words that the old and well-respected pig, Old Major, wants to say to them. The animals gather around as Old Major tells them that he had a dream the previous night and senses that he will not live much longer. As the animals prepare for his speech, the narrator identifies several of the animals which will become more important in the story: the cart-horses Boxer and Clover, the old donkey Benjamin, and Mollie the pretty mare. Before he dies, he wants to tell the animals what he has observed and learned in his twelve years. Old Major goes on to say that animals in England are cruelly kept in slavery by man, who steals the animals' labor and is "the only creature that consumes without producing". He describes his vision of an England in which animals are free and live in complete harmony and cooperation, free of the tyranny of man and his evil habits.

Old Major tells the animals that they must all band together to fight the common enemy, Man, and rise up in rebellion when the opportunity comes. He exhorts them to remain true to their animal ways, and then leads them in a rousing song of revolution, called "Beasts of England". They are stirred into a frenzy by Old Major's speech and sing the song five consecutive times, until Mr. Jones stirs and fires a shot into the air to quiet them down. Soon the whole farm falls asleep.

Chapter One: Analysis

Animal Farm is a satire on the Russian Revolution, and is one of the best 20th-century examples of allegory, an extended form of metaphor in which objects and persons symbolize figures that exist outside the text. As its title suggests, the setting for this fable-like novel is a farm, and the bulk of the characters are the farm animals themselves, all of whom symbolize various revolutionary figures or political ideologies.

The opening chapter introduces the theme of revolution that dominates Animal Farm, as well as introduces the farm animals who are less notable for their individual characters than for the political figures they will symbolize in later chapters. Old Major is the central figure in Chapter One. He lights the spark of revolution on the farm, and symbolizes the idealistic revolutionary leaders whose ideas served as the catalyst for revolution in Russia and more general within the Communist movement. His statement that "the life of an animal is misery and slavery" echoes the 17th-century philosopher Hobbes, who famously described human life as "nasty, brutish, and short".

The first chapter contains many examples of the whimsy which is scattered throughout Animal Farm, most notably in the way Orwell describes the various farm animals in semi-human terms. We meet Clover, the mare "who never quite got her figure back after her fourth foal," an example of Orwell drawing attention to the very "animalness" of the farm animals by juxtaposing it with traditionally human characteristics and foibles. Orwell's writing style here, as throughout the novel, is plain, spare, and simple, a technique which emphasizes the fable aspect of Animal Farm; by using minimalist language and short, simple sentence structure, Orwell draws the reader's attention to the animals' perspective, a point of view which will lead to great irony as the revolution unfolds.

Summary and Analysis of Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Summary

Three days later, Old Major dies and is buried. His revolutionary fervor lives on, and the animals begin to flesh in the revolutionary ideology with which they will overthrow Mr. Jones. Two of the pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, emerge as the leaders of the animals. Snowball is naturally vivacious, while Napoleon "has a reputation for getting his own way". Another pig named Squealer also becomes prominent for his persuasive speaking ability. These three pigs create a system of tenets and name it "Animalism," and begin imparting it to the rest of the animals, often simplifying and slowly reasoning with the less-intelligent animals such as the Sheep, or the frivolous animals, like Mollie the white mare. The cart-horses Boxer and Clover are the most responsive of all the animals, and Moses the tame raven is the most difficult animal for the pigs to persuade to join the revolution. Moses claims that he knows of the existence of a magical place called Sugarcandy Mountain, and his tales are a constant distraction to the other animals.

Revolution comes earlier than anyone expected, when Mr. Jones gets so drunk that he is unable to go feed the animals. After a day and a half without food, the hungry animals finally riot and break into the feeding area themselves, prompting Mr. Jones and his field hands to come outside. The animals attack them with a vengeance, and the men flee, leaving Manor Farm to the animals. Mrs. Jones wakes up during the commotion, and when she discovers what has happened, she runs off with a suitcase of clothes herself. The animals rejoice, walking over the farm to examine their property, curiously investigate the farmhouse interior, and celebrate with extra rations of food. The next morning, Snowball repaints the sign reading "Manor Farm" to say "Animal Farm," and he and Napoleon introduce the animals to The Seven Commandments, which form the tenets of their "Animalism":

Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.

Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.

No animal shall wear clothes.

No animal shall sleep in a bed.

No animal shall drink alcohol.

No animal shall kill another animal.

All animals are created equal.

The cows by this time need milking, so the pigs manage to milk them. Several of the animals want some of the milk for themselves, but Napoleon distracts them, saying that they have more important things to attend to and that he will take care of it. Later that day, the animals notice that the milk had disappeared.

Chapter Two: Analysis

With his death, Old Major symbolizes the idealistic, often intellectual or abstract vision that leads to a revolution. His death clears the path for other younger figures to seize the revolutionary fervor which is sweeping the farm and use it to propel themselves to position of power. Napoleon, Snowball, and Squealer are cleverer, sneakier, and more aggressive than the other animals, and they soon rise to power as the leaders of the revolutionary movement.

The other animals' hesitancy to accept the revolutionary ideology right away is symbolic of the peasants in Russia who were at first suspicious of the revolutionaries motives. The reservations they express, such as the plaint that "Mr. Jones feeds us. If he were gone, we would starve to death," symbolize the people's reluctance to abandon the security of their familiar forms of governance in favor of a self-determined, less secure future. Squealer's persuasive tactics in convincing the animals to unite in revolution symbolize the personable, persuasive speaking powers of a charismatic political leader.

The Seven Commandments are significant for their resounding censure not only of animal inequality, but less predictably of human habits at large. The first two and last two commandments are aimed at reinforcing the unity of the animal world and establishing some basic beliefs for the animals to share. Commandments 3-5, which explicitly forbid the animals to engage in human activities such as sleeping in beds, wearing clothes, or drinking alcohol, are fundamentally different. With these Commandments, the animal society attaches a significance and prestige to these vestiges of human life that they might have not developed otherwise. With no taboos against wearing the Jones's clothes, for example, one can imagine a scenario where the animals wear the clothes briefly as a curiosity, with no harm done. By forbidding these acts, the Revolutionary leaders turn the items into signifiers of prestige and social standing, making the pigs' eventual adoption of human habits particularly disillusioning.

Summary and Analysis of Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Summary

The Animalism regime begins very promisingly, with all the animals working industriously to improve the farm, and enjoying the feeling of self-governance and "animal pride" which their regime produces. Inspired by the idea that they would enjoy the fruits of their own labors for the first time, the animals overcome the challenges of farming without man and bring in the largest harvest Animal Farm has ever produced. Boxer the horse becomes a model of hard work and devotion to the cause, and adopts the personal motto, "I will work harder". The pigs do not actually perform any work, but instead supervise and coordinate the work for the rest of the animals. Mollie the mare is the only animal who shirks work. Benjamin, the old donkey, remains unchanged after the revolution, and cryptically says that "Donkeys live a long time." The animals observe a flag-raising ritual on Sundays, which is a day of rest for them. Snowball forms an array of committees aimed at social improvements, education, training, and the like. The education program achieves the greatest success, with all the animals achieving some degree of literacy. After the discovery that the stupider animals could not learn the Seven Commandments, Snowball reduces the tenets down to the maxim "Four legs good, two legs bad," which even the sheep can memorize, and bleat for hours on end. The dogs have a litter of nine puppies, which Napoleon takes under the guise of educating them. He keeps them secluded in the loft, and soon the other animals forget about them. After the apple harvest, the pigs announce that they will reserve all the apples and milk for themselves, to fuel the strenuous efforts required to manage the farm. The other animals reluctantly acquiesce.

Chapter Three: Analysis

In Chapter Three we begin to see the first unmistakable signs that the Revolution will drift away from the common animals' ideals, which were more aligned with Old Major's vision of a classless society. The exclusion of the pigs from the farm labor marks the beginnings of the social stratification which would have been anathema to Old Major. The animals go along with these developments out of fear that without the pigs, Mr. Jones will return, though these fears are implanted by Squealer, who early on recognizes the value of fear in persuading the animals.

Chapter Three also establishes the division between Snowball and Napoleon. Snowball is clearly the "thinker" of the movement, developing the flag-raising ritual and symbolism and creating the elaborate system of committees. To the reader, much of Snowball's activity seems benign, and even benevolent, as in the education efforts and improvement-minded groups like the Whiter Wool Movement for the sheep. These efforts establish Snowball as the symbolic descendant of Old Major's vision of animal life.

Napoleon, in contrast, becomes subtly malevolent in his interactions with the newborn puppies. Here, Orwell's use of perspective to create irony is significant. The scene (as is all of Animal Farm) is narrated from the unquestioning animals' point of view, and the narrator only remarks that Napoleon "kept [the puppies] in such seclusion that the rest of the farm soon forgot their existence". The tone of Orwell's animal perspective is, as always, noncommittal and unremarkable, but the more-perceptive reader is instantly alerted by this suspicious behavior on Napoleon's part, and is cued for the bolder violations which Napoleon will commit in subsequent chapters.

Summary and Analysis of Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Summary

News of the rebellion at Animal Farm spreads quickly to the rest of the animals in England, and the words to "Beasts of England" can soon be heard on farms everywhere. Emboldened by the Animal Farm revolution, other previously subdued animals begin displaying subversive behavior in subtle ways, such as tearing down fences and throwing riders. This development alarms the local farmers, who have listened to Mr. Jones's tale of woe at the Red Lion tavern where he now spends most of his time. Alarmed by the developments at Animal Farm and the threat of revolution spreading, the townsmen band together with Mr. Jones and attempt to reclaim his farm. The animals successfully defend it, led by the strategy and bravery of Snowball. A young farm hand is thrown to the ground by Boxer, and at first it appears that he has been killed, but he gains consciousness a few moments later and runs off. At the first gunshot, Mollie the mare runs into the barn in terror and buries her head in the hay. Snowball and Boxer are given medals for their courageous fighting.

Chapter Four: Analysis

One of the most notable features of this chapter is the conspicuous absence of Napoleon. This is the only post-revolution chapter in the book in which Napoleon is not mentioned even a single time. In contrast with Snowball's display of intelligence and bravery, Napoleon's absence can only mean that he was not a participant in the fighting, which supports the growing body of evidence in the reader's mind that Napoleon's fidelity to the revolutionary cause is questionable.

Throughout the battle scenes, Snowball is repeatedly shown leading the charge against the men and organizing the battle plan, after the narrator casually mentions that he has been studying a copy of Julius Caesar's battle plans, which he found in the barn. The significance of this understated fact is not lost on the reader, and it contributes to the growing identification of Snowball with scholarship and intellectualism. By bestowing a medal on Snowball, the animals unwittingly raise the Napoleon/Snowball tension to a climax, resulting in an ideological face-off which soon prompts Napoleon to take drastic measures.

Chapter Four also offers the reader a first telling look at the reaction of the townspeople to the revolution on Animal Farm. Their reactions, which range from disbelief to fear to self-interest, represent the attitudes of modern states to revolution in another country. This symbolism becomes even clearer when the townsmen begin spreading rumors of natural perversion at Animal Farm, in the form of cannibalism, torture, and immoral sexual practices. The remarks reveal the degree to which Animal Farm threatens the other farmers, and form a parody of the propaganda that states so often employ as weapons against each other's regimes.

Summary and Analysis of Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Summary

Unhappy with the new workload at Animal Farm Mollie runs away to work pulling a dogcart for a man who feeds her sugar lumps, and she is never spoken of again. When winter comes, Snowball begins talking of a plan to build a windmill to bring electricity to the farm. Snowball has spent much of his spare time reading Mr. Jones's old books on farming techniques, and he envisions an Animal Farm where increased productivity will result in less work and more comfortable lifestyles for all the animals. Napoleon, who by this times disagrees with Snowball about almost everything, is bitterly opposed, and the animals become divided into two camps of supporters. Napoleon and Snowball also disagree about the best course of defense for the farm, with Snowball advocating the spread of the revolutionary spirit to neighboring farms, while Napoleon feels the animals should procure weapons and develop a military force. The animals are set to vote, and after Snowball's impassioned speech, Napoleon whistles for nine large dogs (the puppies that he has trained), and they attack Snowball and drive him off the farm. Napoleon becomes the single leader of the animals, abolishes their weekly debates and meetings, and announces that they will go through with the windmill scheme after all. The animals are initially dismayed by these developments, but Squealer eventually smoothes things over.

Chapter Five: Analysis

In Chapter Five, the strife between Napoleon and Snowball reaches its climax. The two pigs represent two divisions of a post-revolutionary government, one (symbolized by Snowball) the more intellectual, visionary, and idealistic, and the other (represented by Napoleon) more economically-minded and authoritarian. With the appearance of the young puppies, now trained into killer attack dogs by Napoleon, the animals give their first strong sense of Napoleon's ideological betrayal; the dogs were the resources of the farm, and Napoleon seized them and then turned them against the farm animals themselves.

Squealer's role becomes more central to the political development of the farm in these scenes as well. His persuasive abilities are now used exclusively to pacify the animals after each of Napoleon's disturbing proclamations. In this sense, Squealer functions as the charismatic and eloquent mouth-piece of the increasingly tyrannical government that Napoleon quickly puts in place.

The reactions of Mollie the mare and Boxer the cart-horse can be contrasted in Chapter Five. Mollie is unable (or unwilling) to stand the strain of the new Animal Farm workload, and her love of luxuries such as sugar lumps and ribbons incline her more toward contact with humans anyway. Her flight can be seen as a portrayal of the flight of pampered nobles after a revolution. Boxer, on the other hand, responds to Napoleon's increasing control by giving himself a new mantra, "Napoleon is always right." Here Orwell satirizes the blind, unthinking devotion of the masses toward the political figure they originally supported, despite the leader's devolution into tyranny.

Summary and Analysis of Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Summary

The animals begin working like slaves to complete the harvest and build the windmill. Napoleon announces that the animals will now perform "voluntary" work on Sundays. Though the work is officially called voluntary, any animal who does not participate will have their food rations cut in half. To finance the completion of the windmill, Napoleon announces that Animal Farm will begin trading with the men who run nearby farms. The animals think they remember Old Major speaking against evil human habits such as trade. Squealer convinces the animals that they are only imagining it. The sight of Napoleon on four legs conducting business with the farm's trade agent Mr. Whymper, who stands upright, makes the animals so proud that they ignore their misgivings. The pigs then move into the farmhouse, and Squealer again convinces that animals that they are only imagining the earlier rules against sleeping in beds. Some of the animals go to check the Fourth Commandment, and discover that it actually reads "No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets". Rather than realizing that the Commandment has been altered, the animals accept that they must have forgotten the ending before. The windmill is destroyed in a storm, and Napoleon blames it on Snowball, and places a reward on his head.

Chapter Six: Analysis

Napoleon's reintroduction of trade to Animal Farm is his first step towards the reappearance of human customs. Not surprisingly, the pigs' move to the farmhouse follows shortly thereafter. Napoleon here proves himself willing to directly violate the Seven Commandments which had governed the animals since the revolution. His attempt to hide the illegality of this move by literally changing the wording of the commandments is quite telling, symbolizing a tyrant's disregard for truth and ethical considerations.

The specific rewording of the Fourth Commandment is also significant. Napoleon does not remove any of the commandment or substitute a new one for it, but rather adds a phrase to it to make it more specific; an injunction against sleeping in beds becomes an injunction against sleeping in beds with sheets. This narrowing of originally broader ideas is the key to Napoleon's slow transformation of the farm. He takes the revolution's original general ideas and language and alters, appends, and incorporates them into his own reign, so that they are barely recognizable to their original form.

By blaming the windmill destruction on Snowball, Napoleon avoids the realization among the animals that anything, including storms, is out of his control. The Snowball lie unites the animals against a common enemy, just as the original revolution had bound them together against Man. Ironically, though, the true leader of that revolution is twisted into their common enemy under Napoleon's propaganda.

Summary and Analysis of Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Summary

A hard winter comes, and the animals face near-starvation. To hide the food shortage from the outside world, Napoleon fills the grain bins with sand to fool Mr. Whymper. He also plants several animals at strategic locations during Mr. Whymper's visits so that he can hear them making "casual" (and false) remarks about food surpluses and increased rations. Napoleon announces the plan to sell a pile of timber to one of two neighboring farmers, Mr. Frederick or Mr. Pilkington. At Napoleon's bidding, Squealer announces that the hens will have to give up their eggs to be sold for money to buy grain. The hens refuse at first, but Napoleon cuts off their food rations until they relent, after nine of them have died from starvation. All sorts of acts of mischief and vandalism begin to surface, which are immediately attributed to Snowball. Soon after, Napoleon announces that an attempted rebellion has been discovered, and has several of the farm animals executed. The remaining animals react with fear and horror, and huddle around Clover the mare for comfort. She reminds them of Old Major's glorious speech and leads them all in "Beasts of England," which prompts Napoleon to forbid the singing of the song and replace it with the song "Animal Farm Animal Farm, never through me shall thou come to harm".

Chapter Seven: Analysis

Napoleon's decision to hide the food shortage from the outside world is meant to satirize the actions often taken by totalitarian regimes which experience internal crises. Reaching out to the capitalist/democratic powers for help would indicate the inferiority of authoritarian governments, and instead many leaders choose to sacrifice their citizens' welfare to save face. Napoleon's cover-up, as well as his personal gluttony, reflect the cruelty of his reign.

The propaganda that Squealer begins spreading concerning Snowball aims to completely sever all remaining ties with the original revolution. By saying that Snowball was a traitor from the beginning‹that he was never truly concerned with the animals' welfare and was fooling them all along‹Napoleon attempts to discredit the entire early history of the revolution. By convincing the animals to go along with this toughest ideological shift, Squealer and Napoleon pave the way for their future changes.

This ideological departure is further symbolized by the decision to abolish the singing of "Beasts of England." When the animals' traditional anthem is replaced by a tune praising Animal Farm as the ideal society, the animals never quite embrace the new song in the same way. This reluctance to accept the new song, especially when compared with the animals' relative ease at accepting new laws, work schedules, and ideologies, is a telling commentary on the enduring power of culture, and the difficulties faced by regimes that attempt to subvert a society's low-level cultural traditions.

Summary and Analysis of Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: Summary

The animals discover that after the executions, another commandment is different from how they remembered it; the Sixth Commandment now reads "No animal shall kill another animal without cause". Napoleon has a long poem praising his leadership painted on the side of the barn, and it is announced that the gun will be fired each year on his birthday. All orders are delivered through Squealer, with Napoleon living in near seclusion in the farmhouse and rarely appearing on the farm in person. When he does make public appearances, it is only while accompanied by a retinue of dogs and other servants. Napoleon announces the sale of the pile of timber to Frederick, a neighboring farmer whose acts of cruelty toward his animals are legendary. After the transaction, it is revealed the Frederick paid with forged bank notes. Napoleon pronounces a death sentence onto Frederick. Shortly thereafter, the farm is again attacked by neighboring farmers, led by Frederick himself. Napoleon appeals to Pilkington to help the cause of Animal Farm, but Pilkington's interest in the farm were only economic, and since he did not get the pile of timber, he refuses to help, sending Napoleon the message "Serves you right". The animals finally repel the farmers, but only with great difficulty, with Boxer sustaining a severe injury to his hoof and the windmill being destroyed in an explosion. Napoleon celebrates the victory by drinking lots of whisky, and despite his vicious hangover, the Fifth Commandment soon reads "No animal shall drink alcohol in excess".

Chapter Eight: Analysis

In light of Napoleon's increasing distance from the rest of the animals, the poem composed in his honor by the official poet Minimus is fraught with irony. Napoleon is described as the "Ducklings' Friend," the "Friend of the Fatherless" who watches over all. Napoleon's actual isolation from the animals makes these praises ironically empty at best.

Another important aspect of Napoleon's public persona is revealed by his actions after the farmers' last attack. He insists on firing the gun to celebrate the animals' victory, even though their collective mood can be gathered from Boxer's bitter question, "What victory?". Why does Napoleon insist on declaring the attack a victory for the animals? Thanks to the lionized persona he has built up for the masses, the acknowledgment of any kind of failure would represent a complete contradiction to his public image. His perceived perfection has been built up to such an extent that he can no longer afford anything less than complete success.

After Napoleon has Squealer change the Fifth Amendment to allow the consumption of alcohol, Muriel the goat notices that "their was yet another of them which the animals had remembered wrong". Again and again, the discrepancies between what the animals remember as law and what Napoleon and Squealer declare is explained by the animals "remembering wrong". The question of the reliability of memory is one of the major themes of Animal Farm, and represents the effectiveness of official propaganda at erasing and calling into question the collective memories of entire nations.

Summary and Analysis of Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: Summary

More and more, the animals begin to think about the generous retirement plans that had been part of the ideology of the early Revolution. Life is hard for the animals, and rations continue to be reduced, except for the pigs, who are allowed to wear green ribbons on Sundays, drink beer daily, and actually seem to be gaining weight. To keep the animals from complaining about the obvious discrepancies, Squealer continually reads the animals reports which detail how much better off they are now then before the Revolution. Animal Farm is declared a Republic and must elect a President. Napoleon is the only candidate and is elected unanimously. Moses the raven returns after an absence of several years, still talking about the mystical Sugarcandy Mountain. Boxer falls ill and Napoleon promises to send him to a hospital, but the animals read the sign of the truck as he is hauled away and discover that he is being taken to the butcher's. Squealer eventually convinces the animals that they are mistaken.

Chapter Nine: Analysis

Napoleon's sudden announcement that the farm is to become a Republic is a social commentary on the manner in which many totalitarian regimes establish puppet democracies. The animals go through the motions of voting, but with only Napoleon running in the election, there is no true choice to be made. The result is a farcical parody of democracy that sets up a chilling contrast to the open decision-making process of the farm's early Revolutionary days.

The language of the regime begins to play an important role in Chapter Nine as well. Squealer is always the bearer of bad news for the animals, and when he comes to tell them of yet another ration reduction, Orwell writes "Squealer always spoke of it as a Å’readjustment,' never as a Å’reduction' ". This aside plays up the uses of language to enforce and distort public perception.

Moments like Boxer's removal to the horse butcher are when Animal Farm's ironic point of view become most crucial. The animals slowly grasp that Boxer is being sold for glue, but Squealer is easily able to pacify them with a sloppy lie. The reader, however, is not so easily tricked, and this discrepancy between what the animals and the narrating voice believe to be true and what the reader knows creates a bitter sense of irony.

Summary and Analysis of Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: Summary

Years pass, and many of the older animals, who remember life before the Revolution, die off. Only cynical Benjamin remains just as he always was. The animal population has increased, but not as much as would have been predicted at the Revolution's beginning. Talk of retirement for the animals stops, and the pigs, who have become the largest group of animals by far, form a bureaucratic class in the government. As Napoleon ages, Squealer assumes a position of increasing power, and learns to walk upright. He teaches the sheep to change their chant to "Four legs good, two legs better," and the Seven Commandments are replaced with a single commandment: "All animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others". The animals are once again uneasy by the new political developments, but they comfort themselves with the knowledge that at least they have no human master. Squealer begins to seek out the approval of the neighboring farmers for his efficiency and order at Animal Farm. The pigs invite a group of townsmen to dinner to inspect the efficiency of Animal Farm, and the men congratulate the pigs on their achievements, noting that the animals at Animal Farm did more work and required less food than any farm in the county. Napoleon refers to the farm animals as "the lower classes" and announces that Animal Farm will take back its original name of The Manor Farm. As the animal watch the dinner proceedings through the window, they realize with horror that they can no longer tell the pigs' faces from the human ones.

Chapter Ten: Analysis

The aging of the animals with the passage of time removes much of the grumblings and covert dissent that the regime faced early on in its existence. This transformation returns to the earlier theme of the reliability of memory. With all cultural traditions from the Revolution (such as the song "Beasts of England") now eliminated, and the older citizens slowly dying out, the Animal Farm society is becoming increasingly harsh, bleak, and ignorant of the great claims the revolutionaries once made.

The rise of the bureaucracy offers a commentary on the nature of totalitarian governments which favor one class over the common citizens. Faced with a pig population growing much more rapidly than the rest of the animals, Squealer is forced to invent semi-secret and unnecessary "work" for them to perform. He explains to the other animals about the pigs' outputs, which "were large sheets of paper that had to be covered closely with writing, and as soon as they were so covered, they had to be burnt in the furnace."

The final, climactic scene, where the animals finally see the parallels between the pigs and the humans, is both chilling and poignant. The animals are honestly not as smart as the pigs, so it is with earnest and gullible faith that they have withstood the destruction of their revolutionary ideals and the advent of the totalitarian regime. The moment where they vividly recognize the pigs for the human-minded, and therefore hopelessly corrupted, rulers that they are, is a moment of disillusionment, and ultimately horror.