Animal Farm Summary - George Orwell - Schooling Online

Welcome to Manor Farm. But perhaps you might not be so welcome. The animals are fed up with humans, especially the lazy, alcoholic owner of the farm, Mr. Jones. One night, Mr. Jones, prize boar, Old Major, summons the animals together to share an important message. They have all suffered for too long. He offers the animals a vision of the future without the tyranny of man. No more whips, exhaustion or starvation. To achieve this, they must work together as comrades to overthrow the human race. He teaches the animals the anthem Beasts of England and commands them to shun man's evil ways. A few days later, Old Major passes away peacefully. In the months that follow, the animals prepare for rebellion. The pigs, who are now literate, have turned old mages teachings into a new system of thought called animalism. They work hard to teach animalism to the other animals. Most get it, but some struggle. Moses and his stories about the afterlife on Sugarcandy Mountain don't help at all. The day of the rebellion comes sooner than expected. One day, Mr. Jones and his men forget to feed the animals. By nightfall, the animals are starving and furious. So they break into the store shed and help themselves to the grain. That's fair, don't you think? But Mr. Jones and his men bear down on the animals with whips. This is the last straw. The animals respond violently, causing every human on Manor Farm to flee for their lives. Even Moses flaps off. Hooray. The animals take control of the farm, turn the farmhouse into a museum and rename the farm Animal Farm. Snowball, one of the two cleverest pigs, inscribes the seven commandments of Animalism on the barn. Not that many animals can read it though, except old Benjamin, the cynical donkey. Then it's time to get to work. There's a farm to run. But before the harvest gets underway, the pigs milk the cows. Unfortunately, all the creamy, frothy milk disappears before the other animals can get a taste. What's that all about? Since they're the smart ones, the pigs supervise the harvest. But the real champion of the farm is Boxer, the cart horse who lives by his motto, a I will work harder. Sunday meetings are held to discuss plans for the farm. The two alpha pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, lead the debates, although they often disagree. Trouble in paradise already, boys? Soon the pigs set up their headquarters in the harness room. They also write a basic version of the seven Commandments for the simpler souls. The sheep appreciate this immensely. When nine puppies are born, Napoleon takes on the role of their sole guardian. How selfless of him. Meanwhile, the mystery of the missing milk is solved. According to scientific proof. The pigs need all the milk and apples to maintain their health. The future of Animal Farm depends on it. You don't want Mr. Jones to come back, do you? News of the rebellion spreads across the countryside. Soon, animals everywhere are singing Beasts of England, and it's driving the humans nuts. When Mr. Jones storms the farm and tries to take back control, the animals are ready for him. Snowball leads a coordinated attack and the men are defeated. Victory. This glorious day will forever be known as the Battle of the Cowshed. The following winter, Snowball proposes that they build a windmill. Napoleon is against it and piddles all over Snowball's detailed plans. Gross. When it comes time for the animals to vote on it, Napoleon has the last word. He summons nine ferocious dogs to attack Snowball, who barely escapes the farm with his life. Hey, are those Jessie and Bluebell's puppies? Yep, They're Napoleon's in forces now. Well played, Napoleon. Snowball is never seen again and the Sunday meetings are abolished. From now on, there will be no more debates. The pigs will decide what's best for the farm and give orders to the animals during Sunday assemblies. Welcome to the new normal, comrades. Three weeks later, Napoleon announces that the windmill will go ahead. Apparently, it was his idea all along, but Snowball had tried to take the credit. That villain. Gosh, that windmill is hard work. It's a good thing they have Boxer, bless him. He's like three horses in one. He'd better not overdo it. When the farm runs short on supplies, Napoleon starts to trade with the humans to raise money. Hey, didn't old Major forbid dealings with humans? Napoleon gets around this by employing a lawyer, Mr. Whymper, to act as the go between. Seems legit. By now, the humans have started to vaguely respect Animal Farm and withdrawn their support of Mr. Jones, who's moved away. Napoleon is also in trade talks with one of the neighbours. It's just never clear which one. One day, the pigs move into the farmhouse. A minor adjustment to the fourth commandment gets them around the rules against this, or maybe that commandment always read that way. It's hard to remember. A few months later, a violent storm pulverises the windmill. All their hard work gone with the but Napoleon sniffs out sabotage. This is all Snowball's doing. Death to Snowball. Napoleon puts a bounty on Snowball's head and orders the animals to rebuild the windmill. Forward, comrades. When a food shortage threatens the entire farm, Napoleon orders increased food production for trade. When the hens rebel against the punishing new egg quota, Nine of them lose their lives. Back to your boxes, ladies. In other news, it turns out that Snowball has sold himself to Mr. Frederick of Pinchfield Farm. What's worse, he was in league with Mr. Jones from the beginning. Even during the Battle of the Cowshed. Wait, wasn't Snowball injured in that battle? Didn't he receive a medal? When Boxer raises these questions, Squealer assures him that Napoleon is always right. Watch out, big guy. A few days later, Napoleon starts publicly executing Snowball's alleged conspirators. It's execution by Dog attack. And the only animal to survive is Boxer, thanks to his giant iron hooves. Boxer, an agent of Snowball? Surely not. Surely old Major forbid this, didn't he? Maybe we misread the Sixth Commandment. No animal shall kill another animal without cause. It's a good thing the pigs wrote out the Commandments for us. What a capable leader Comrade Napoleon is. It's time he got the recognition he deserves. Minimus writes a poem in his honour. His portrait is painted, his security detail is beefed up. And the windmill, when it's finally completed, is named Napoleon Mill. What a triumph. When Napoleon strikes a surprise deal with Mr. Frederick. It's revealed that Snowball has been hiding out on Mr. Pilkington's farm for years. That Pilkington is a scoundrel. Except Mr. Frederick then cheats Napoleon with forged banknotes and invades Animal Farm. A deadly battle is fought in which animals die and the windmill is blown to smithereens. Dear dog, not again. The animals narrowly defeat the humans in what becomes known as the Battle of the Windmill. Napoleon is awarded another medal and the pigs enjoy a whisky bender in the farmhouse. After he recovers from a filthy hangover, Napoleon orders manuals on how to brew alcohol. And that's all fine because the Fifth Commandment actually reads, no animal shall drink alcohol to excess. Gosh, aren't we forgetful? The following winter is a bitter one and the animals suffer the cold with empty bellies. But Squealer reminds them that their quality of life is better than ever. Few, except they. Their rations need to be readjusted so the pigs can afford supplies, including luxury items and beer. Cheers, then. Wonderful news. Napoleon is unanimously elected President of Animal Farm. Congrats, Napoleon. But real heartbreak lurks around the corner. One evening, Boxer, the farm's most dedicated comrade, collapses in the field. When the pigs organise a van to pick him up. It's not from the vets. Boxer is sold to slaughter. That is, unless you believe Squealer. According to Him. The vets recently bought that van and hadn't repainted it yet. Whatever you say, squealer. Years pass, Animal Farm expands and becomes better organised. The windmill is functioning well, but it's used to mill corn for profit, not make electricity for the animal's ease and comfort. Few animals now remember the rebellion, Snowball or Boxer. But they all retain pride in the farm and faith in Old Major's vision. All except Benjamin. He's seen too much in his time. One day, Clover raises the alarm. The pigs are walking on their hind legs, Napoleon is carrying a whip. The sheep have a new song, and the Seven Commandments have now become one. All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. From then on, all the pigs carry whips, dress in human clothing and use human gadgets. When the pigs invite the neighbouring farmers to tour Animal Farm, their dinner is a raucous affair. When the animals peep through the farmhouse window, they witness the pigs and men raising a toast to their new friendship. In a brief speech, Napoleon announces some changes, including the renaming of the farm to the Manor Farm. Hang on, isn't that similar to its original name? Can anyone remember? As the animals look on, they witness a chilling transformation. The faces morph until it's impossible to tell who's a pig and who's a man. Oh, the horror. We wish we could say that all the animals lived happily ever after, just as Old Major imagined. But this isn't that kind of story. In fact, we suggest you check your modern history books, because Animal Farm isn't really a fairy story at all. Sweet dreams, everyone. We hope you enjoyed this schooling online production. For more easy lessons, check out our other videos.