Animal Farm
Key ideas
 Animal Farm is a dystopian novel written by George Orwell, published in 1945. The
book is an allegory, reflecting the events leading up to and during the Stalin era
before World War Two.
 Orwell was a critic of Stalin and was suspicious of the Stalinist movement.
 The novel addresses the corruption of revolution by its leaders and how the innate
wickedness, indifference, ignorance and greed of man destroy any possibility of a
utopian society.
 While corrupt leadership is in the spotlight in the novel, it also highlights how
ordinary people can allow atrocities to happen as a result of indifference or ignorance.
Plot
 The story is set on the Manor Farm, owned and operated by Mr Jones.
 One night prize boar, Old Major, tells all the other animals on the farm that he had a
dream that has made him realise that the misery of their daily lives is all due to the
tyranny of mankind. If they overthrow man their lives will be easier and more
comfortable. He then dies.
 Two boars Snowball and Napoleon begin teaching Old Major’s ideas (dubbed
Animalism) to the other animals.
 A few months later Mr Jones gets drunk and forgets to feed the animals and they
become so hungry and angry they rebel and drive the human beings off the farm.
 The animals rename the farm “Animal Farm” and write the Seven Commandments of
Animalism on the wall in the barn, they also create their own song that is spread
across the countryside as a way of promoting the rebellion.
 Jones comes back to the farm and using his knowledge of war tactics, Snowball and
the other animals defeat the men.
 Snowball and Napoleon fight constantly over plans for the farm, never able to agree,
especially over a windmill that Snowball wants to build to provide the farm with
electricity.
 Napoleon calls in nine dogs he has been training since their birth to chase Snowball
off the farm.
 Squealer, a persuasive pig who relays all the information Napoleon gives him tell the
animals that Snowball was a traitor in league with Mr Jones.
 Napoleon tells the other animals that the windmill was his idea all along and the
animals work really hard to build it.
 Boxer, the cart-horse, works harder than any of the other animals. Napoleon goes
against the initial decrees of Animalism and begins trading with nearby farms and the
pigs move into the farmhouse and sleep in the beds there even though this is against
the Commandments.
 The winter is difficult and the animals have hardly any food and are still forced to
work hard. Napoleon and Squealer blame Snowball for everything, saying that he has
sabotaged the crops and blocked drains.
 Napoleon’s dogs attack four pigs who then confess to plotting with Snowball and
start a series of confessions from the other animals for ‘crimes’ – all of which are
slaughtered by the dogs.
 The windmill is finally completed and to get money to buy the machinery for it
Napoleon decides to sell a pile of firewood. He offers it to two neighbours – Mr
Pilkington and Mr Frederick. He sells it to Frederick only to find that the cash he has
paid with is forged.
 Frederick and his men then come and try to take over Manor Farm, blow up the
windmill, but then they are driven out again after a bloody battle.
 A few days after the battle the pigs find a barrel of whisky in the cellar of the
farmhouse and drink it, despite this also being against Animalism. The animals of the
farm are constantly told by Squealer they are remembering the Commandments
incorrectly and when one of the animals who is able to read checks the
commandments have been changed slightly to meet the needs of the pigs.
 Boxer is injured while working on repairs for the windmill and Napoleon promises to
send him to the hospital. Instead he is sent to the knackers yard. Benjamin, Boxer’s
old friend saw the van coming to get Boxer said “Horse Slaughterer” on the side but
again Squealer was able to explain this away. Squealer tells the animals Boxer passed
away in hospital, but the pigs mysteriously have enough money to buy a new case of
whiskey.
 After many years life is just as hard as it ever was for the animals. The pigs start
walking on two legs and dressing in human clothes. The commandments have now
been changed to one overriding principal “All animals are equal, but some animals
are more equal than others”.
 A group of humans come to the farm and play cards with the pigs at which time
Napolelon is commended by the humans as having such a good scheme with the
animals working for less food and for more hours. The animals looking in the
window realise they can no longer tell the difference between the humans and the
pigs.
Characters
Napoleon
 Napoleon doesn’t play much of a role in the rebellion, which happens mostly by
chance, but he’s introduced, along with Snowball, as one of the most intelligent
pigs.
 “…a large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar, the only Berkshire on the farm, not
much of a talker, but with a reputation for getting his way” (2.2).
 Napoleon is treacherous and cunning and manages to manipulate circumstances to
get his own way.
 Napoleon manages to stifle discussion about issues on the farm by banning the
animals from having public meetings (censorship).
 Napoleon controls how often he is seen in public, and has an entourage to protect
him wherever he goes.
 With the help of Squealer and the other pigs Napoleon rewrites history to suit his
own ends (making Snowball a villain rather than a hero) increasing his own role in
the rebellion.
 Capitalises on the ignorance or gullibility of some of the animals – such as Boxer –
and the apathy of the wisest – Benjamin the donkey.
 Napoleon has the sheep chant loudly whenever anyone protests any of his ideas or
actions.
 Napoleon is ruthless, violent and cunning.
 Displays his unfeeling nature when he cuts off the hens’ food supply when they
refuse to give him their eggs, demands animals make false confessions and then has
them killed.
 Napoleon’s character is drawn directly from Orwell’s view of Russian communist
dictator Joseph Stalin.
 Napoleon metaphorically tears the throats out of the animals (by taking away their
right to free speech), then forces them to confess to crimes they didn’t commit
(losing their dignity) then has the dogs literally tear their throats out. (7.25)
 Napoleon seems motivated by power, not money or the prophecy that has been
decreed by Old Major. His interests are not with the other animals but entirely
selfish. Almost as soon as the animals seize power Napoleon takes away some of
the milk that the other animals find out the pigs have been drinking.
How Napoleon is linked to Joseph Stalin:
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Stalin served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party in Russia from
1922 until his death more than 30 years later.
Stalin, like Napoleon, was a master at pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Stalin developed a secret police force (NKVD, later KGB), which behaved in
ways similar to Napoleon’s dogs. This force was responsible for the death of Leo
Trotsky (Snowball’s double), one of Stalin’s chief rivals.
Stalin had a tight control over the media, and commissioned paintings of himself
to be displayed prominently (similar to the actions of Napoleon).
Stalin used his power to rewrite Russian history, giving himself a larger role in
the revolution of 1917 than he was due, and later suggesting he was solely
responsible for winning WWII.
Stalin disrupted agricultural production with his “Five Year Plans”. This lead to
widespread starvation in Russia – just as Napoleon tried to cover up when the
animals were suffering from lack of food, so did Stalin.
Napoleon’s ruthless behaviour reflects Stalins “Great Purge” or “Great Terror” of
the 1930s. Some Russians would just disappear, some were sent to prison camps
and others were forced to discredit themselves publicly for crimes they never
committed.
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Like Napoleon, Stalin lived a lavish lifestyle even while the people in Russia
suffered through famines.
Napoleon’s namesake is Napoleon Bonaparte, who fought the French Revolution
1789-99. Karl Marx when writing the Communist Manifesto was inspired by the
ideas at the heart of the French Revolution; liberty, equality and fraternity.
Snowball
 Should not be seen as an entirely good character as he does go along with the initial
schemes in setting up the dictatorship (agrees with Napoleon that the milk should go
into the pigs mash for their “brainwork”)
 Snowball is a better speaker than Napoleon but isn’t as good at canvassing support
(5.8)
 Snowball is the scapegoat of the story, everything that happens on the farm that hurts
the animals is put down to Snowball.
 Snowball sends out more pigeons to try to spread the message of revolution to other
farms rather than consolidating power like Napoleon does (5.12)
Snowball as Leon Trotsky
 Snowball initially looks like he might be the double for Lenin, the leader of the
October revolution of 1917, however, as the story continues it becomes clear that he
is intended to be Leon Trotsky, Stalin’s main opposition, and second in command to
Lenin during the revolution.
 Immediately after the Revolution, Trotsky was an important person in Russia, just
as Snowball is in Animal Farm.
 Trotsky led the Red Army to victory in the Russian Civil War (like Snowball’s role
in the Battle of the Cow Shed)
 After Lenin’s death, Trotsky led the opposition party and was hugely critical of the
hierarchical and closed nature of Stalin’s Communist Party.
 Trotsky was in favour of spreading the communist revolution to the rest of the world
(as with Snowball).
 The windmill in the novel could be seen as a symbol for the hopes and dreams of
the communist country.
 The attack on Snowball reflects Stalin’s attack on Trotsky which forced him out of
the Communist Party in 1928.
Squealer
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Squealer’s name reflects his nature – an extremely clever orator (2.2)
Very persuasive and charismatic
The voice of Napoleon
Continuously explains away the changes Napoleon is making on the farm that go
against the Commandments set up straight after the revolution. (example 5.19)
 Tricks the other animals with his backwards logic and sharp mind.
 Appeals to the animals’ gut instincts and prejudices. “Surely, comrades, you do not
want Jones back?” (5.21)
 Perhaps Squealer’s most despicable act is his deception regarding Boxer’s death.
Covers up the fact that Boxer has been sent to the knackers, saying that he died in
hospital (9.25)
Squealer’s double?
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Some critics suggest that Squealer is meant to stand in for Vyacheslav Molotov
who was a constant supporter of Stalin and was Stalin’s Prime Minister in the
1930s.
Like Squealer Molotov remained loyal to his leader until the bitter end, and used
his intelligence to further policies that oppressed the Russian people.
More generally Squealer serves as an allegorical figure for the power of
propaganda in Stalin’s regime.
The last image of Squealer “Squealer was so fat that he could with difficulty see
out of his eyes” (10.2) reflects that fact that Squealer doesn’t see the world around
him and the suffering he has caused because he is entirely self-serving.
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The Nine Dogs
 The dogs are a direct reference to Stalin’s secret police force, the NKVD.
 NKVD participated in executions and assassinations, rounded up those seen as a
threat to the Russian regime.
 Used to foreshadow how Napoleon is becoming like Mr Jones “It was noticed that
they wagged their tails to him in the same way they had been used to do to Mr
Jones.” (5.15)
Boxer
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Boxer is the strongest and probably the most admired animal on the farm.
Introduced as an enormous beast (1.3)
Boxer is a hardworker but his unquestioning loyalty get him into trouble,
Old Major warns Boxer about what will happen to him the day his strength
leaves him, Mr Jones will send him to the knacker (1.10) which is what happens
at the end of the novel except it is Napoleon’s regime that sends him to his death.
“I will work harder” is his personal motto (3.3)
Fights hard in the battle of the cow shed (4.8)
Boxer feels a faint sense of worry when things start to go array on the farm and
although he is intelligent enough to figure out that something isn’t right he is
stubbornly loyal. “Napoleon is always right” (5.22)
Even in the face of atrocity Boxer puts it down to a fault of the animals and says
the answer is to work harder (7.28)
Boxer as the proletariat
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As an allegorical figure Boxer is supposed to represent the powerful but often
simple-minded working class.
Could be seen that Orwell blames the working class for what happened in Russia,
his representation of Boxer is a harsh one.
Mollie
 Mollie is painted as being stupid, vain and materialistic. Rather than freedom she
is interested in ribbons and sugar cubes from the very beginning.
 Admires herself in the mirror wearing a ribbon, described as foolish (2.18)
 Doesn’t seem to care who is in power as long as she can do as little work as
possible.
 Runs off to be with humans again and none of the other animals ever mention her
again (5.7)
Mollie as the bourgeois
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Mollie is a symbol for the bourgeois class in Russia, who were not outright
faithful to the Bolsheviks, but who contributed very little to the revolution.
Whereas many Russians were actually anti-Bolshevik and fought against them in
the Russian Civil War, the bourgeois were often happy enough to nod along to the
ideology so long as they didn’t have to make sacrifices in their own lifestyles.
When asked to make sacrifices many fled to the West.
Benjamin
 Described as the wisest but also most bad-tempered animal on Animal Farm (1.3).
 Acts detached and uninterested in the events on the farm and refuses to be
involved.
 For all his wisdom Benjamin refuses to act, and seems to regard things as “fate”.
 When he realises the humans are going to blow up the windmill he doesn’t do
anything (8.19) and seems to actually enjoy the destruction.
 Does try to protect his friend Boxer but acts too late (9.16)
 After Boxer’s death Benjamin is “more morose and taciturn than ever” (10.2) and
remains as cynical as ever – although this might be his way of covering up for the
guilt he feels at letting the pigs get away with taking over the farm.
 Some suggest that Benjamin represents Orwell himself, but this could be unfair as
it seems Orwell is more willing to act than Benjamin is.
Old Major
 Old Major is describe as a prize white boar (1.2) and well respected on the farm.
 Comes up with a solution to the “human problem”
 Is meant to represent Karl Marx who wrote the Communist Manifesto.
 Marx promoted a classless society
 In Animal Farm the humans represent capitalist society who take advantage of the
working class (animals) and take all the benefits.
Clover
 Clover is Boxer’s companion a “stout motherly mare approaching middle life (1.3).
 Good natured and loyal.
 Has the capacity for doubt in the pigs. (6.13 she has Muriel read the Commandments
back to her)
 “If she could have spoken her thoughts” (7.30) reminds the reader that Clover isn’t
well equipped to speak up for herself.
Moses
 Jones’ favourite pet and as the pigs first begin to educate the animals about
Animalism it is Moses’ lies that they have to overcome. (2.8)
 Sugarcandy Mountain promised after death (reference to heaven) (2.8)
 During the rebellion Moses disappears but returns at the Battle of the Windmill. And
brings more stories about Sugarcandy Mountain.
 Moses represents the Russian Orthodox Church which was closely aligned with
Nicholas II. After the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, the separation of church and
state was declared for the first time in Russia. The Bolsheviks claimed something like
freedom of the press, saying anyone could profess their religious or anti-religious
opinions.
 Many priests were executed as a result of Stalin’s Great Purge, and churches were
defiled – Stalin’s campaign became anti-religion.
 Only once Stalin realised religion could be useful for his needs did he reinstate it, just
as Napoleon begins to use Moses for his own ends.
Mr and Mrs Jones
 Mr. Jones presented as being a drunk who neglects his duties (1.1)
 Stand ins for the last tsar of Russia – Nicholas II, though he was not a drunk, he was
an extremely unpopular leader who was seen to be out of touch with his people.
 Nicholas II was the reason Russia got drawn into WWI, and grossly mismanaged the
war.
 Mr Jones is a tool for propaganda by the pigs.
The Sheep
 Napoleon teaches the sheep simplistic chants to have his way when it comes to public
speeches (5.8)
 The sheep are susceptible to the abuses of language – taught to say “two legs good,
four legs better” (10.13)
 Sheep could be allegorical for the propaganda that Stalin spread or the masses who so
easily swallowed the propaganda and never questioned the power of their ruler.
 The sheep unthinkingly spread the totalitarian regime.
Mr Pilkington and Mr Frederick
 Described as an easy-going character (4.2)
 He is on bad terms with his other neighbour, Mr Frederick (4.2)
 Mr Pilkington is a symbol for the United States and United Kingdom and the
neighbour he quarrels with is a stand-in for Germany.
 Napoleon tries to play the two neighbours off one another when selling a pile of
timber, and ends up selling to Frederick even though he seems to hate him as much as
Pilkington does (8.7)
 This whole sequence is an allusion to the non-aggression pact Stalin signed with
Hitler in 1939. Hitler and Stalin had been enemies for years.
 Earlier Stalin had nearly signed on to an anti-German alliance with Britain and France
before negotiations broke down.
 The non-aggression pact with Germany came as a huge shock to Britain and left
people disillusioned.
 Only when Hitler broke the non-aggression pact in 1941 by invading Russia did
Stalin suddenly return to his anti-fascist stance, seeking alliance with the West.
 At the end of the novel Mr Pilkington is invited over to the farm for dinner which is
probably a reference to the Tehran Conference in 1943 where the leaders of the
United Kingdom, United States and Soviet Union came together.
 In the novel Mr Pilkington and Mr Frederick end by scowling at each other as during
a game of cards they both have an ace (10.31), Orwell is predicting that the alliance
between Russia and the West is artificial and won’t last.
 Mr Frederick spreads his own propaganda to the animals on his farm about Animal
Farm to discourage revolution (4.3), such as Hitler did with his people in the lead up
to WWII.
Mr Whymper
 Mr. Whymper is an intermediary between Animal Farm and the rest of the world
 He shows up many times in the novel but only as a minor character.
 Whymer is in it for the money, which makes him an easy man for Napoleon to take
advantage of.
 Napoleon uses Whymper to spread runours that all is still going well on Animal
Farm.
 Whymper is an allusion to all the Westerners that catered to Soviet interests and
help spread the Soviet myth for personal profit or out of gullibility.
 One key double for Whymper is Lincoln Steffens, who after visiting Russia said “I
have seen the future and it works.”
Structure of the novel
Initial situation
Submission under the tyrannical human Mr Jones. This has been the case for a long
time.
Conflict
The animals want to run things themselves. Old Major has a dream and shares it with
the other animals before his death. Rebellion is conflict.
Complication
There are problems with the new leaders. Equity amongst the animals has not occurred
as it should.
Climax
Starvation and windmills. The animals are fighting both internal battles (hunger and a
lack of power) and external (humans trying to take over the farm again, trying to
complete the windmill against all odds.)
Suspense
Boxer dies. As the trucks pulls away up the road the reader is hoping that by some
miracle Boxer will be saved. Benjamin is forced into action for the first time.
Denouement
Time passes and the animals become resigned to their new, even more difficult lives.
Conclusion
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. The final chapter of the book sees the pigs and
humans coming together for a meal, and joking around the table. The animals outside
the house can’t tell the difference between the pigs and the humans anymore.
Key themes – power, corruption and propaganda
 Mr. Jones demonstrates that being in power does not necessary mean one is
responsible or worthy of that power. Mr Jones is often drunk and forgets his
responsibility to the farm animals and as a result incites the rebellions. (example
1.1)
 The pigs originally derive power from their intellect (5.13)
 The speeches of Napoleon and Snowball let the reader see conflict not just
between the pigs but between the different approaches to power – persuasion and
brute force. (6.2)
 The pigs misuse terms such as “voluntary” in order to give the animals the illusion
of freedom. (6.10)
 The pigs begin to seek luxurious items and prestige as their power increases. (7.5)
 Napoleon derives power by separating himself from the other animals (9.7)
 The pigs’ power comes from their fake democracy, giving the illusion that the
animals have power (10.4)
 Napoleon uses the principles of Animalism to hide his own manipulations. (10.25)
 The humans and pigs measure their power by their ability to oppress. (10.35)
 Power over those intellectually inferior – The birds don’t understand Snowball’s
long words (3.10, 3.11)
 The maxim “four legs good, two legs bad” is a controlling device and arises
because of the ignorance of the working animals. (5.8)
 As Snowball displays, the ignorance of the masses can overcome the brilliance of
an individual.
 The noise of the sheep silences the animals, just as metaphorically the bland
repetition of a simple phrase silences any counter argument.
Acknowledgements:
www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/eastern_front_01.shtml
www.shmoop.com/quote/literature/george-orwell/animal-farm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Farm
http://www.george-orwell.org/Animal_Farm/index.html
http://www.novelguide.com/animalfarm/novelsummary.html