Animal Farm, by George Orwell

Animal Farm is a novel about the pigs leading a rebellion, overthrowing their farmer, and then taking control of the farm. The setting of the story is Manor Farm in England with Mr. Jones, the farmer. The main characters include Old Major, Snowball, and Napoleon. Each of these pigs helped to lead the animals into rebellion. Major was the initial one to start the movement and the other two were the main leaders that carried it on after he passed away.

When the animals became tired of Mr. Jones’s harsh and intense labor conditions, they plan to dethrone him by chasing him out of his farm. After the successful rebellion, the animals set up their own rules and regulations to follow. The pigs taught themselves how to read and write and reworked Major’s system into an elaborate strategy called Animalism. They formed their own new and improved living environment to harvest and do their chores. Napoleon soon becomes irritated at Snowball because he wanted to build a windmill and he does not. Napoleon thinks that getting food and water was more important so he sends nine vicious dogs to chase Snowball off the farm. Napoleon was now in complete control.

The pigs shortly after that began taking all of the apples that were harvested and all of the cows’ milk for themselves. They start living in the farmer’s old house, which was disobeying the original rules, called “The Seven Commandments”, along with drinking alcohol, sleeping in beds, and wearing clothes. Napoleon also started trading with humans for food and alcohol. The pigs would have meetings and parties, at which they got drunk, with the humans to discuss their ideas and plans. The animals tried to make what Major envisioned a reality, but in the end they became just as evil and s...

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...the actual idea of socialism and the effects it has on society. Napoleon was the dictator and had complete control over the entire farm.

This novel can also have the sub genre of a political novel. A political novel is “a novel in which aspects of political life are essential ingredients” (428). George Orwell based his novel partially on his thoughts on the Russian Revolution. He did not like the idea of one person in total control and he used the novel to represent a group of citizens being led or manipulated into a dictated life.

Works Cited

Orwell, George. Animal Farm. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1983. Print.

Moran, Daniel, and George Orwell. CliffsNotes, Animal Farm. New York, NY: Wiley Pub., 2001. Print.

Harmon, William, C. Hugh Holman, and William Flint Thrall. A Handbook to Literature. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2000. Print.