Animal Farm: Plot, Characters, and Historical Allegories
Old Major’s Vision
Humans are the reason animals suffer—they take everything and give nothing back. Animals need to unite, kick out the humans, and run the farm themselves.
All animals are equal and should work together for a fair life.
Key Characters
- Boxer (horse): Strong, hardworking, not very smart. Says, “I will work harder.”
- Benjamin (donkey): Old, wise, and grumpy. Notices everything but rarely speaks.
- Squealer (pig): A liar who convinces animals to believe Napoleon.
- Moses (raven): Talks about “Sugarcandy Mountain,” a paradise animals go to when they die.
Major Events
The Rebellion
Animals kick out Mr. Jones because he starved and overworked them. They take over the farm but end up worse off as the pigs become corrupt.
Battle of the Cowshed
Mr. Jones and other farmers try to take the farm back, but Snowball leads the animals to victory.
Snowball vs. Napoleon
Education
Snowball wants to teach all animals; Napoleon only trains dogs to stay in power.
Windmill
Snowball plans it to make work easier, but Napoleon steals the idea after chasing Snowball away.
Snowball’s Expulsion
Napoleon uses his trained dogs to attack and chase Snowball off the farm. Then, he lies, saying Snowball was a traitor.
Broken Rules
- “All animals are equal”: Pigs take all the power and privileges.
- “No animal shall drink alcohol”: Pigs drink all the time.
- “No animal shall sleep in a bed”: Pigs sleep in beds and change the rule to allow it.
Windmill’s Destruction
Reality
A storm knocks it down because it was badly built.
Napoleon’s Lie
He blames Snowball to distract everyone.
Battle of the Windmill
Frederick and his men destroy the windmill. The animals fight back and win, but they lose a lot, and the windmill is gone.
Why it’s worse than the Cowshed Battle
The animals win, but they’re left with heavy losses and no windmill, unlike the first battle, where they felt stronger after.
Ending
The pigs act like humans, eating and drinking with them. The animals see no difference between the pigs and humans, showing how power corrupted them.
Historical Events and Allegories
- Rebellion: Russian Revolution (1917).
- Mollie leaving: Rich people leaving Russia after the revolution.
- Snowball’s expulsion: Trotsky’s exile by Stalin.
- Battle of the Windmill: WWII and the Nazi invasion of the USSR.