-
1 CE
Chapter 1
After Mr. Jones gets drunk and passes out, the oldest pig, Old Major calls all the animals to the barn where he gives a big speech about a rebellion and animals being free and ruling themselves. He explains to the animals the ways humans have treated them badly. -
2
Chapter 2
Old Major dies. Led by the pigs Napoleon, Snowball, and Squealer, the animals plan and do a rebellion against Mr. Jones and all humans on the farm. They are successful and run off all humans from the farm. They change the name of the farm from Manor Farm to Animal Farm. -
3
Chapter 3
The pigs become the supervisors of the other animals. Most efforts at educating the animals fail except for Snowball teaching them to read and write. He is only successful though to the degree of each animal’s intelligence. For example, Clover, a horse learns the entire alphabet, but can never put the letters together into words, and Boxer, another horse, can never remember any letter past the letter D (Orwell 33). The first commandment is reduced to: Four Legs Good, Two Legs Bad. -
4
Chapter 4
After learning of the rebellion on Jones' farm, the neighboring farmers become worried their own animals might try to do the same to them, so they plan to overthrow Animal Farm. Snowball suspected this would happen, so he and the animals are prepared. He first puts the geese on the humans, and then the rest of the animals. Boxer’s heart is shown when he is devastated because he kicked a stable boy forgetting he had on steel shoes. The animals of Animal Farm beat the humans and keep control. -
5
Chapter 5
Some of the animals are unhappy with the new lifestyle of nothing but work. Mollie, a mare, misses her human attention--being brushed, given sugar lumps, etc., so she runs away never to return. Snowball and Napoleon argue about the windmill Snowball wants the animals to build. Napoleon's big problem is that he wants total control and power over AF. Snowball is run off Animal Farm by Napoleon's dogs. Squealer spreads lies (propaganda) that Snowball is disloyal so had to be kicked off AF. -
7
Chapter 7
Food shortage and starvation become a serious problem on AF. Napoleon and Squealer blame it on Snowball lying that he is sneaking back on the farm at night destroying the fruits of their labor. Mr. Whymper spreads lies to the other farms that all is good on AF. Napoleon orders the hens to hand over their eggs. The hens refuse and protest unsuccessfully ending with nine deaths. Napoleon forces confessions from all animals who have questioned him and his power and has them killed by the dogs. -
8
Chapter 8
The seven commandments are down to five. Some commandments have been revised. The commandment about no animal being allowed to kill another animal now has "without cause" (Orwell 91) added to the end of it. The animals don't remember the last two words being there before because they weren't. Napoleon continues to separate himself above all the others. He gets involved more deeply in deals with the human farmers around them. The animals hear of it but all rumor is squashed by Squealer. -
9
Chapter 9
Boxer becomes too old and feeble to do the work anymore and admits he is ready to retire to the pasture because his lungs have gone bad. Napoleon tells the animals he is sending Boxer to the hospital to get treated. The animals see Boxer leaving in a trailer, and donkey reads the side that says "slaughterhouse." The animals run and catch up to the trailer and tell Boxer what is really going on, but he cannot escape. Later Squealer lies and tells the animals that Boxer died in the hospital. -
10
Chapter 10
The corruption of Napoleon and the pigs is complete. They walk on two legs, get excessively drunk, and mingle with the humans. Napoleon has become the very thing he hated in Mr. Jones at the beginning of the story. He even dresses as the humans do. Finally all commandments are gone except for one: "ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS." Finally, Napoleon even changes the farm name back to Manor Farm. The animals basically end right back where they started.