Animal farm chapters

Old major calls a meeting of all the animals. We meet all the main characters as they enter the barn. The pigs rushed to the front. Clover and Boxer are careful not to tread on smaller animals. Benjamin doesn't believe anything he hears but says little. Molly is vain, so some of the personalities are established immediately.

Old Major in his speech points out that no animal knows the meaning of happiness and that all the hard work and produce goes to the benefit of man. If man was removed the animals would not have to work so hard and would have a more to eat. He ends the meeting by assuring them that the revolution to remove man would come eventually and teaches them the song ‘Beasts of England’ which becomes their ‘national anthem’.

Old Major dies in his sleep in early March. The pigs are recognised as being the cleverest of the animals - particularly Snowball, Napoleon and Squealer. Snowball is a lively, appealing pig, Napoleon is quieter and thought to be more of a thinker and squealer is a brilliant talker.

We also meet Moses, the tame raven who says he knows the existance of a place called Sugarcandy Mountain (heaven).

The revolution happens more quickly than expected. One night Jones the farmer gets drunk in the Red Lion and forgets to feed the animals. One cow broke into the store shed and all the animlas started to help themeselves. When Jones and 4 of hia farmhands started whipping the animals to get them under control, they turned and butted and kicked, driving Jones off his farm. His wife packed her bags quickly and followed.

The animaks destroy everything that remindes them of human domination. They celebrate and the pigs, who have learnt to read and write, paint the 7 commandments on the barn wall. The pigs manage to milk the cows, who are rather uncomfortable by this time, and Napoleon guards it while they all go off to survey the farm. When they return the milk has disappeared.

The pigs have taken charge of the farm which is now called Animal Farm rather than Manor Farm. The harvest is good, and everyone works hard knowing that the produce is theirs. Boxer works harder than anyone. they fly a flag over the farm green with a hoof and a horn to symbolise their ownership. Meetings are held every week where the pigs outline their ideas and hold debates. Snowball and Napoleon never agreed on what should be done.

Snowball organisers lots of committees to make everyone feel involved in the running of the farm but really the pigs are in control. Nine puppies are born and Napoleon takes them aside to rear them himself. it is announced that the milk and apples are to be reserved for the pigs alone. Squealer is sent to explain that the reason for this is because the pigs do all the brain work without which Jones would probably return. This terrifies the animals and is used frequently to keep them from complaining about the preferential treatment for the pigs.

Pigeons start to spread the word about the rebellion to other farms. We meet the owners of the two neighbouring farms Foxwood owned by Mr Pilkington and Pinchfield owned by Mr Frederick. They fear that the rebellion will spread to their farms so join with Jones to mount an attack on animal farm to regain control. The animals unite to face them in the Battle of the Cowshed. All the animals fight except for Molly who hides.

They later make medals to be presented for bravery. Snowball and Boxer receive Animal Hero first class medals and a sheep who was killed is posthumously awarded an Animal Hero second class medal. Nobody seems to notice the irony of dividing animals into classes when they're all supposed to be equal.

Molly disappears. she cannot bear to live without her ribbons and sugar which the other animals regard as being the sweeteners used by man to control them.

The winter is a hard one. Snowball puts forward the idea of a windmill to provide electricity to heat their stalls and ease their workload. Napoleon disagrees and trains the sheep to bleat ‘four legs good, two’ legs bad every time Snowball tries to speak. These two pigs are obviously competing for leadership of the farm and Snowball is certainly more popular.

When he appears to be losing the argument Napoleon calls up the nine puppies, he had taken away some months earlier. They chase Snowball off the farm and Napoleon assumes complete control. Squealer convinces of the animals that Snowball has always been a traitor, that he was not brave in the Battle of the Cowshed, and that he stole the idea of the windmill from Napoleon himself.

The animals work harder to build the windmill. Boxer being the only one who did most of the heavy work. His two slogans are introduced : ‘I will work harder’ and ‘Napoleon is always right’.

Napoleon decides to start trading with the neighbouring farms Foxwood and Pinchfield. he uses a middleman Whymper to conduct business with them. When the animals see in Napoleon ordering Whymper around it makes them forget that they are not supposed to deal with humans.

The pigs move into the farmhouse and start to sleep in beds. commandment 4 has ‘with sheets' added to it and Squealer convinces the animals that they must have forgot that bit.

Because the other animals never learned to read properly they believe Squealer and agree that the pigs must have more comfort than they do, if they are to prevent Jones coming back.

A violent storm destroys the windmill Napoleon blames Snowball and tells the animals to rebuild it with stronger walls.

There is a severe food shortage but to convince the outside world that all is well, the food bins are filled with sand and merely topped up with grain. The hens are ordered to give up their eggs for the pigs to sell. when they staged a small protest by dropping their eggs from the rafters, Napoleon a starves them until they give in. Napoleon is rarely seen in public anymore and announcements are always made by Squealer. The animals are told that Snowball was always in league with Jones and that even now Snowball is plotting with Jones to overthrow the farm. To prove his point he makes four pigs confess to having secret meetings with Snowball. They are immediately slaughtered. Then three hens, a goose and three sheep also confessed to similar crimes and received a similar fate.

‘Beast of England’ is banned and Minimus composes another song in praise of Napoleon to replace it. Napoleon awards himself medals

The 6th commandment is changed to ‘No animal shall kill any other animal without cause.’ The animals work harder than ever for less food though the pigs and dogs always have plenty. Napoleon decides to sell timber to Pilkington. The windmill is finished and called Napoleon mill. When Napoleon discovers that Pilkington has paid for the timber with forged notes he becomes friendly with Frederick instead.

Pilkington then attacks the farm one night and blows up the windmill with dynamite.

When Napoleon is seen in public. he always has a black cockrel walking in front of him like a trumpeter. A gun is fired on his birthday, and he eats from the best China dinner service with a food taster to try his food to make sure it is not poisoned. He now behaves like a king or emperor.

Rations are reduced once again and work on the windmill starts for a third time. Boxer’s ambition is to finish it before he retires so he works even harder any usual.

A school is built for the piglet and they are encouraged to avoid the other animals who now have to step aside to let them pass.

Despite the food shortage produce is sold to provide machinery for the windmill and whisky for Napoleon's table. The barley is reserved to brew beer for the pigs.

Moses returns to the farm with tales of Sugarcandy Mountain. The animals, now starving and desperate, are more inclined to listen- there may be a better world after death. The pigs view him as dangerous. Boxer collapses through overwork. Napoleon assures the other animals that he is being taken to a hospital to be cared for but he sells him to a glue manufacturer in return for whiskey. When Benjamin points out the van in which he was taken away said ‘Horse Slaughterer’ on the other side Squealer replies that it used to belong to the horse slaughterer but now it belongs to the vet.

Years later few of the animals are alive who remember the days before the rebellion. The windmill is finished but is used for milling corn to be sold as profit rather than for electricity to make the animals’ lives easier. 

Squealer takes away the sheep for a week. On their return, they bleat ‘four legs good, two legs better’ as the pigs appear walking on their back legs and carrying whips. the commandments are scrubbed off the barn wall and replaced with just one – ‘All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.’ The pigs start to wear clothes and the farm is called Manor Farm once again. One evening the animals looked in the farmhouse window where the pigs and local farmers are drinking and playing cards. As they look from pig to man and back, it becomes hard to tell which is which.