KEY TERMS

Allegory – a story with two levels of meaning – the surface of the story (the obvious) and the
symbolic level (the deeper meaning below) the surface; a narrative which involves characters
and events which stand for an abstract idea or real event

Satire – a literary work holding up human vices to ridicule or scorn

Fable – a brief, succinct story that is meant to impart a moral lesson

Animal Farm is allegorical of Russia - it uses animals on a farm to describe the overthrow of the
Russian Czar and the Russian Revolution and its effects. Orwell uses satire to poke fun at the
system of government and the misuse of power. Orwell wrote the novel to caution against the
dangers of having absolute power.

CHAPTER 1-SUMMARY

After Mr. Jones, the owner of Manor Farm, falls asleep in a drunken stupor, all of his animals
meet in the big barn at the request of old Major, a 12-year-old pig. Major delivers a rousing
political speech about the evils inflicted upon them by their human keepers and their need to
rebel against the tyranny of Man. After elaborating on the various ways that Man has exploited
and harmed the animals, Major mentions a strange dream of his in which he saw a vision of the
earth without humans. He then teaches the animals a song — "Beasts of England" — which they
sing repeatedly until they awaken Jones, who fires his gun from his bedroom window, thinking
there is a fox in the yard. Frightened by the shot, the animals disperse and go to sleep.

Advantages of Old Major’s speech – he addresses the animals as comrades, he says he will not
be with them for much longer so he establishes his age therefore his wisdom, he presents the
animals as victims, he uses rhetorical questions, rich language, he uses a song that unifies the
animals and gives them a goal.

Disadvantages – he speaks for long, he assumes only humans are capable of evil.
CHAPTER 2-SUMMARY

Summary - After the death of old Major, the animals spend their days secretly planning the
rebellion, although they are unsure when it will occur. Because of their intelligence, the pigs are
placed in charge of educating the animals about Animalism, the name they give to the
philosophy expounded by Major in Chapter 1. Among the pigs, Snowball and Napoleon are the
most important to the revolution. Despite Mollie's concern with ribbons and Moses' tales of a
place called Sugarcandy Mountain, the pigs are successful in conveying the principles of
Animalism to the others. The rebellion occurs when Jones again falls into a drunken sleep and
neglects to feed the animals, who break into the store-shed in search of a meal. When Jones and
his men arrive, they begin whipping the animals but soon find themselves being attacked and
chased off the farm. The triumphant animals then destroy all traces of Jones, eat heartily, and
revel in their newfound freedom. After a tour of Jones' house, they decide to leave it untouched
as a museum. Snowball changes the sign reading "Manor Farm" to "Animal Farm" and paints the
Seven Commandments of Animalism on the wall of the barn. The cows then give five buckets of
milk, which Napoleon steals.
ANIMALISM

Animalism is a communist philosophy of all of the animals being treated equal and sharing
equally in both the responsibilities and rewards of the farm.

Communism is defined as follows:

Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of

a classless, moneyless,stateless and revolutionary socialist society structured uponcommon
ownership of the means of production. (enotes reference, communism)

The principles of Animalism are espoused (EMBRACED) by Old Major in his speech to the
farm and then modified by the pigs as they see fit.  The pigs tell the other animals that “by their
studies of the past three months the pigs had succeeded in reducing the principles of Animalism
to Seven Commandments” (ch 2).  These commandments are intended to keep all of the animals
equal.

THE SEVEN COMMANDMENTS

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. (chapter 2)

The pig said that everyone would follow the commandments and “they would form an
unalterable law by which all the animals on Animal Farm must live for ever after” (ch 2). Of
course, it does not quite work out this way.  Soon the pigs began changing the commandments. 
For example, commandment 4 is changed to forbid not beds, but beds with sheets.  Some
animals realize the commandments are being changed.