Animal Farm by George Orwell

The Dream of Old Major

On Manor Farm, the animals lived under the rule of Mr. Jones, a farmer who didn’t treat them well. They worked hard every day, but they never got to enjoy the results of their hard work. Among these animals was a wise and old pig named Old Major. One night, Old Major gathered all the animals in the barn to share a special dream he had.

In his dream, Old Major imagined a world where animals were free from the control of humans. He spoke of a farm where animals worked for themselves and shared everything equally. There would be no more hunger or overwork, and every animal would live in peace and happiness. Old Major’s dream was about a place where all animals were equal and lived together without the harsh rule of humans.

Old Major’s words inspired the animals. They began to imagine what it would be like to run the farm on their own. The idea of being free and equal excited them, and they started to think about a rebellion against Mr. Jones. Old Major warned them that they must always remember their common enemy – the humans – and never adopt their evil ways. He also taught them a song called “Beasts of England,” which became their anthem of hope and freedom.

Sadly, a few days after sharing his dream, Old Major passed away. But his dream didn’t die with him. It lived on in the hearts of all the animals. Two pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, who were the smartest of the animals, took charge of turning Old Major’s dream into a plan. They started secretly meeting with the other animals to plan a rebellion. They didn’t know when or how it would happen, but they were determined to make Old Major’s dream a reality.

The Rebellion and New Beginnings

After Old Major’s passing, the animals, led by Snowball and Napoleon, began preparing for the rebellion. They secretly met at night, learning to read and write, and discussing their plans. The farm’s other animals, like Boxer the strong horse and Clover the motherly mare, listened eagerly to Snowball and Napoleon’s teachings. They all dreamed of a day when they would be free from human control.

Then, one day, the opportunity for rebellion arrived unexpectedly. Mr. Jones, the farmer, forgot to feed the animals, leaving them hungry and restless. The animals couldn’t bear their hunger anymore. Spontaneously, they broke into the store-shed to get food. When Mr. Jones and his men tried to stop them, the animals fought back with all their might. To their own surprise, they won! Mr. Jones and his men ran away in fear, leaving the farm in the animals’ control.

The animals were ecstatic. They had won their freedom! They immediately set about making the farm their own. They changed its name from Manor Farm to Animal Farm, symbolizing their new beginning. The pigs, being the cleverest animals, took leadership roles. Snowball and Napoleon organized the animals and set up committees to manage different tasks.

The animals also created the Seven Commandments, which were rules to ensure equality and fairness on the farm. The most important commandment was, “All animals are equal.” They painted these commandments on the barn wall for everyone to see. The farm’s work was divided among all animals, and for the first time, they worked for themselves, not a human.

Those first few months were like a dream come true. The animals worked harder than they ever had, but they were happy because they knew they were working for themselves. The harvest was the best they had ever had. Every animal contributed in their own way, and they all shared the fruits of their labor equally. It seemed like Old Major’s dream had become a reality.

Conflicts and Power Struggles

As time passed on Animal Farm, not everything was as perfect as it seemed. The pigs, who had declared themselves the leaders, started to make decisions without consulting the other animals. Among the pigs, Snowball and Napoleon always disagreed on how to run the farm. Snowball was enthusiastic and had many ideas, like building a windmill to generate electricity and make work easier for everyone. Napoleon, however, was more cunning and often opposed Snowball’s plans.

The biggest conflict arose over the windmill. Snowball passionately argued that the windmill would bring great benefits, like reduced labor and more comfort for all. But Napoleon was against it, thinking it was a waste of time and resources. The animals were divided, but many were inspired by Snowball’s vision and supported him.

Then, one day, something shocking happened. During a heated debate about the windmill, Napoleon gave a strange signal, and suddenly, nine fierce dogs – the puppies Napoleon had raised and trained in secret – attacked Snowball. Snowball managed to escape, but he was forced to leave the farm forever. With Snowball gone, Napoleon declared himself the supreme leader of Animal Farm.

Napoleon started to change the way the farm was run. He said that the pigs would make all the decisions for the good of everyone. Meetings were no longer held, and instead, Napoleon’s orders were given through another pig, Squealer, who was very persuasive. Napoleon decided to go ahead with the windmill after all, claiming it was his idea all along.

Under Napoleon’s rule, life on the farm started to change. The animals worked harder and longer hours, especially on the windmill, which kept collapsing and needed to be rebuilt. The pigs, meanwhile, took on fewer physical tasks and began to enjoy more privileges, like better food and living conditions. The other animals started to realize that the equality they had dreamed of was disappearing.

The Betrayal of Ideals

As time went on, life on Animal Farm grew harder for most animals, except for the pigs and the dogs who enforced Napoleon’s rules. The windmill was finally completed after much hard work, but instead of being used to generate electricity for the animals, Napoleon used it for milling corn to trade with neighboring farms. This was a big change from the original ideals of the farm.

Napoleon started to behave more like a human than an animal. He walked on two legs, wore clothes, and even started drinking alcohol. The other pigs followed his lead. The Seven Commandments, which were the foundation of Animal Farm, were gradually altered by the pigs to justify their actions. The most significant change was to the commandment, “All animals are equal,” which was sneakily changed to “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

The other animals were confused and disheartened. They had worked so hard for a dream that now seemed lost. The farm was more prosperous, but the animals themselves weren’t happier or freer. They had less food than during Mr. Jones’s time, and they worked harder.

The final blow came when the pigs invited human farmers to visit Animal Farm. The animals watched in horror as the pigs mingled and laughed with the humans. They realized that the pigs had become just like the humans they had once rebelled against. The animals outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.