Animal Farm · GCSE English Literature

Plot

Old Major, a prize boar, tells the animals of Manor Farm about his dream of a world without humans. After his death, the pigs Snowball and Napoleon lead a rebellion that drives out the drunken farmer, Mr Jones. The farm becomes Animal Farm, run by Seven Commandments, including 'All animals are equal'.
The pigs take charge. Snowball plans a windmill; Napoleon uses his trained dogs to chase Snowball away and becomes leader. Squealer uses propaganda to justify everything Napoleon does.
Napoleon rules through fear, with forced confessions and executions, and blames Snowball for every problem. The pigs move into the farmhouse and secretly change the commandments.
Boxer, the loyal, hard-working horse, collapses and is sold to the knacker (horse slaughterer); Squealer claims he died in hospital.
The commandments are reduced to one: 'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.' The pigs walk on two legs, and at the end the animals can't tell the pigs from the humans.

It is an allegory of the Russian Revolution and Stalin's rule. Old Major represents Marx and Lenin; Napoleon, Stalin; Snowball, Trotsky; Squealer, Soviet propaganda; Boxer, loyal workers; the dogs, the secret police; Mr Jones, Tsar Nicholas II; Moses the raven, the Church; the windmill, the Five-Year Plans; and Mr Frederick, Hitler.

Power and corruption, propaganda and the misuse of language, equality and class, revolution and betrayal, and education and ignorance.

George Orwell published it in 1945. He was a democratic socialist who opposed dictatorships, and he wanted to show how Stalin had betrayed the ideals of the Russian Revolution.

'Four legs good, two legs bad' (the sheep). 'I will work harder' and 'Napoleon is always right' (Boxer).
'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others' (the final commandment).

Allegory: A story in which characters and events represent real people and events.
Propaganda: Information designed to persuade people and control what they think.
Satire: Using humour and exaggeration to criticise people or ideas.
Fable: A short story, often with animals, that teaches a lesson.
Totalitarianism: A system in which one ruler or party controls every part of life.
Revolution: The overthrow of a government or ruler.
Corruption: Dishonest or immoral use of power.