Written by: George Orwell

Genres: political satire; allegory

First Published: August 17, 1945

Setting: Mr. Jones’ Manor Farm

Character	Animal Type	Traits	Role in the Story
Old Major	Pig	Wise, visionary, inspiring	Inspires the rebellion and teaches animals about equality and freedom.
Napoleon	Pig	Power-hungry, manipulative, cruel	Becomes the dictator and corrupt leader of Animal Farm.
Snowball	Pig	Intelligent, brave, idealistic	Helps lead the rebellion and plans improvements like the windmill; later exiled.
Squealer	Pig	Persuasive, clever, dishonest	Spreads propaganda and justifies Napoleon’s actions to control the animals.
Boxer	Horse	Loyal, hardworking, innocent	Works tirelessly for the farm and represents dedication and sacrifice.
Clover	Horse	Caring, gentle, loyal	Supports Boxer and senses the corruption but cannot stop it.
Benjamin	Donkey	Wise, cynical, quiet	Understands the truth but rarely speaks or acts.
Mollie	Horse	Selfish, materialistic, weak	Leaves the farm because she prefers comfort and human care.
Moses	Raven	Lazy, manipulative	Talks about Sugarcandy Mountain to distract animals from their suffering.
Mr. Jones	Human	Neglectful, irresponsible	Original owner of the farm; represents human oppression.
Mr. Frederick	Human	Cruel, greedy	Cheats Napoleon and destroys the windmill.
Mr. Pilkington	Human	Lazy, opportunistic	Neighboring farmer who later becomes friendly with Napoleon.
The Dogs	Dogs	Violent, loyal to Napoleon	Act as Napoleon’s secret police and enforce his authority.
The Sheep	Sheep	Obedient, unintelligent	Repeat slogans and help spread propaganda.

The story of Animal Farm begins on a quiet farm in England called Manor Farm, owned by a careless and often drunk farmer named Mr. Jones. One night, an old and respected pig named Old Major gathers all the animals in the barn. He tells them something important he explains that their lives are full of suffering, hunger, and hard work, and the real cause of their misery is humans. Humans, he says, exploit animals for their own benefit and give nothing back.

Old Major inspires the animals with the idea of rebellion. He tells them that one day they must rise up, overthrow humans, and create a society where animals can live freely and equally. He teaches them a powerful song called “Beasts of England,” which becomes a symbol of hope and unity. Shortly after this speech, Old Major dies, but his ideas live on in the minds of the animals.

After his death, two intelligent pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, take leadership roles. They develop Old Major’s ideas into a system called Animalism. They begin teaching the other animals about freedom, equality, and rebellion. Many animals, especially the strong and loyal horse Boxer and the gentle horse Clover, believe deeply in these ideas.

The rebellion happens sooner than expected. One day, Mr. Jones forgets to feed the animals, and they become extremely hungry. Driven by desperation, they break into the food storage. When Mr. Jones and his workers try to stop them, the animals fight back and drive the humans off the farm. This moment is a turning point the animals have taken control of their own lives.

They rename the farm “Animal Farm” to symbolize their independence. The pigs write Seven Commandments on the barn wall, which establish the rules of Animalism. The most important commandment is: “All animals are equal.” The animals are filled with excitement and hope. For the first time, they work for themselves, not for humans.

In the beginning, life improves greatly. The animals work hard, and the harvest is successful. Everyone feels proud and happy. Boxer becomes a symbol of dedication with his personal motto, “I will work harder.” The pigs take leadership roles because they are the most intelligent animals, but they do not do physical labor. At first, the other animals trust them completely.

However, early signs of corruption begin to appear. The pigs secretly take extra food, such as milk and apples, claiming they need it to maintain their intelligence. They argue that their leadership benefits everyone. Although some animals feel uncomfortable, they accept this explanation.

Soon, Mr. Jones and other farmers attempt to retake Animal Farm. The animals bravely defend their home in what becomes known as the Battle of the Cowshed. Snowball leads the defense courageously, and the animals win. This victory strengthens their belief in Animalism.

As time passes, tensions grow between Snowball and Napoleon. Snowball is creative and wants to improve life by building a windmill that will generate electricity and reduce labor. Napoleon, however, opposes the idea. He is more interested in gaining personal power.

One day, during a meeting, Napoleon suddenly unleashes a group of fierce dogs puppies he had secretly raised and trained. The dogs chase Snowball off the farm. Snowball is never seen again. Napoleon becomes the sole leader.

Napoleon begins to change the system. He cancels meetings where animals could vote and makes decisions himself. He uses another pig, Squealer, as his spokesperson. Squealer is very persuasive and convinces the animals that Napoleon’s leadership is necessary for their survival.

Napoleon later announces that they will build the windmill after all, claiming it was his idea from the beginning. The animals work extremely hard, especially Boxer, who pushes himself to exhaustion. However, life becomes more difficult. Food becomes scarce, and the animals suffer, while the pigs live comfortably.

When the windmill is destroyed by a storm, Napoleon blames Snowball, calling him a traitor. He uses fear and lies to control the animals. Soon, Napoleon begins holding public executions. Animals who are accused of betraying the farm are forced to confess and are killed by Napoleon’s dogs. This event shocks and terrifies everyone.

The original ideals of equality begin to disappear. The pigs move into the farmhouse and sleep in beds. They start drinking alcohol and trading with humans. Each time they break a commandment, Squealer secretly changes the wording on the barn wall to justify their actions.

Meanwhile, Boxer continues working faithfully. He believes in Napoleon and repeats his new motto: “Napoleon is always right.” Boxer represents loyalty and sacrifice. He works harder than anyone, believing he is helping build a better future.

Eventually, Boxer becomes old and weak. One day, he collapses while working. Napoleon promises to send him to a hospital. However, instead of helping Boxer, Napoleon secretly sells him to a glue factory for money. Boxer dies, betrayed by the leader he trusted. The pigs use the money to buy alcohol.

Years pass, and most of the animals who remember the rebellion grow old or die. The pigs become more and more like humans. They begin walking on two legs, carrying whips, and living luxuriously. The Seven Commandments are gradually reduced to just one:

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

This statement completely destroys the original meaning of equality.

In the final scene, the pigs invite human farmers to visit Animal Farm. They eat together, drink together, and celebrate their success. Napoleon even changes the farm’s name back to Manor Farm.

The other animals watch through the window. They look from pigs to humans and from humans to pigs but they cannot tell the difference anymore. The pigs have become exactly like the humans they once rebelled against.

The animals realize that their dream of freedom and equality has been destroyed. They are once again oppressed, but this time by their own leaders.