Animal farm

• All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others

  Final commandment
• Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely

  Central theme
• Four legs good; two legs bad/better

  Sheep use this very simplified slogan. They silence protest. With one word, the chant is transformed into a completely opposite meaning
• Squealer could turn black into white

  Squealer's propaganda, effortless manipulation of language
• Napoleon is always right


  Boxer's maxim. Whenever Napoleon does something that is he begins to challenge, he quickly reminds himself of this maxim
• I will work harder


  Boxer's maxim. Whenever anything goes wrong, he commits to work harder. It is his primary solution to everything
• Surely, comrades, you don't want Jones back?


  Squealer. If all else fails, this argument quickly coerces the animals into agreeing with him.
• No sentimentality, Comrade! War is war. The only good human being is a dead one


  Snowball. An example of his very black and white, condemning view of Man. He might have been less cruel than Napoleon, but he could still be merciless in the face of his perceived enemy
• Several of them would have protested if they could have found the right arguments


  An example of how those with inferior intelligence can be easily controlled. The animals are unable and discouraged from articulating their opinions
• Man is the only creature that consumes without producing


  Animals produce but consume less than humans. This illustrates the unfairness of Man's dominance over all other creatures
• Let's face it: our lives are miserable, laborious and short


  Old Major. Condemns their current lives in an attempt to galvanise them into action against
• And remember also that in fighting against Man, we must not come to resemble him. Even when you have conquered him, do not adopt his vices


  Old Major. Ironic and foreshadowing. This is exactly what happens. The pigs merge into humans
• Weak or strong, clever or simple, we are all brothers


  Old Major. Here, a sense of equality is displayed between the intelligent and the 'simple
• Man is the only real enemy we have


  Old Major. An overly simplified description of the animals' oppression
• And remember, comrades, your resolution must never falter. No argument must lead you astray


  Old Major. The animals require the strength and determination to stick by their convictions. They have to be wary of those who seek to influence them and lead them astray. The majority of the animals are unable to do this
• 1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy

  2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend

  3. No animal shall wear clothes

  4. No animal shall sleep in a bed (with sheets)

  5. No animal shall drink alcohol (to excess)

  6. No animal shall kill any other animal (without cause)

  7. All animals are equal


  The Seven Commandments and their alterations. In the end none of these apply. The pigs have adopted the vices and habits of men.
• Can you not understand that liberty is worth more than ribbons?

  Snowball speaking to Mollie. He finds the clothes and finery so coveted by the Bourgeoisie frivolous and superficial
• The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others

  Because of the pigs intelligence, it is naturally assumed that their place is in the 'brainwork'. Hard labour is above them
• Napoleon produced no schemes of his own, but said quietly that Snowball's would come to nothing, and seemed to be biding his time


  Napoleon is not innovative or eloquent. He waits in the shadows, ready to employ all sorts of ruthless propaganda and barbarism to obtain power
• Refused to believe that either food would become plentiful that the windmill would save work

  Benjamin. His cynical but realistic view is quite unique among the animals. He sees that neither Snowball nor Napoleon's goals are achievable
• In future all questions relating to the working of the farm would be settled by a special committee of pigs, presided over by himself


  Napoleon. His first move after banishing Snowball. This eradicates protest and democracy on the farm. Raises the pigs above the others
• Bravery is not enough. Loyalty and obedience are more important


  Squealer. Demonstrates the values of Napoleon's regime. Animals are encouraged to be submissive, loyal and docile. Major and Snowball, conversely, esteemed courage and strength of character
• This work was strictly voluntary, but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half


  This makes it look as though Napoleon is giving the animals a choice, but what sort of choice is it? The rations are already so low that animals will feel compelled to work
• If they had no more food than they had in Jones's day, at least they did not have less


  A positive way of looking at the fact that the original goals of the Rebellion have not really been achieved. However, in a way, things have worsened. The animals are now being oppressed by their own kin
• Whenever anything went wrong it became usual to attribute it to Snowball


  An effective and convenient way for Napoleon to shift the blame onto someone else. Gives the animals an enemy to unite against that it not Napoleon
• When they had finished their confession the dogs promptly tore their throats out


  The executions and confessions. Orwell describes the executions detachedly and almost flippantly, which makes it even more impactful. Napoleon sees the only solution to a problem as eliminating the problem
• They had come to a time when no one dared speak his mind, when fierce, growling dogs roamed everywhere and when you had to watch your comrades torn to pieces after confessing to shocking crimes


  The harsh reality they are faced with. Napoleon exerts a rule of totalitarianism, dictatorship and tyranny
• In his speeches Squealer would talk with the tears rolling down his cheeks of Napoleon's wisdom, the goodness of his heart, and the deep love he bore to all animals everywhere, even and especially the unhappy animals who still lived in ignorance and slavery on other farms

  Squealer. This is the perfect opposite of how Squealer is. It is interesting that he speaks of animals living unhappily in ignorance and slavery, because whether they are aware of it or not, this is how Animal Farm is. Squealer makes an emotional appeal to the animals by crying and speaking of love and goodness of heart
• Even Napoleon, who was directing operations from the rear, had his tail chipped by a pellet


  During Frederick's attack, Napoleon's role is a stark contrast to what

  Snowball's role was in the Battle of the Cowshed. While Snowball lead the charge, Napoleon cowers in the background
• Rations being readjusted


  Euphemism for reduced. Instead of saying that the rations are being reduced, he speaks of readjustment. This is more vague and comes with less negative connotations
• Besides, in those days they had been slaves and now they were free, and that made all the difference


  Squealer. The animals aren't really free at all. They live under the strict censorship and control of Napoleon. They don't have free will, or the privilege of voicing their opinions
• It was laid down as a rule that when a pig and any other animal met on the path, the other animal must stand aside


  Ultimate superiority of the pigs. They are treated almost like royalty. Animals must submit themselves to the pigs in an archaic fashion
• In April Animal Farm was proclaimed a Republic, and it become necessary to elect a President. There was only one candidate, Napoleon, who was elected unanimously


  The establishment of Animal Farm of a Republic serves as further excuse to provide Napoleon with additional power, authority and endorsement
• It would be the first time that he had the leisure to study and improve his mind


  In regards to Boxer. Part of the reason why the animals are worked so relentlessly is so that they will never have the time to educate themselves and form opinions. Knowledge is power
• Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making themselves any richer


  The animals are working and working, but they never profit from it
• There was nothing to which they could compare their present lives


  As there is now little recollection of the pre-rebellion days, they are unable to evaluate their situation as being good or bad
• If they went hungry, it was not from feeding tyrannical human beings; if they worked hard, at least they worked for themselves. No creature among them went upon two legs. No creature called any other creature 'Master'. All animals were equal


  This sounds like something Squealer has been ingraining into the minds of the animals. They only remotely valid point here is that they are not being exploited and tyrannised by humans. Technically, anyway, but the pigs have grown to resemble Man in all the ways that count
• Mr Pilkington once again congratulated the pigs on the low rations, the long working-hours and the general absence of pampering which he had observed on Animal Farm


  The humans are congratulating the pigs on these 'accomplishments' which Snowball and Major would have been absolutely ashamed of and horrified by
• If you have your lower animals to contend with, we have our lower classes


  Mr Pilkington. This witicism shows how both humans and pigs are keeping their lower classes downtrodden and oppressed in order to maintain control
• Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike


  Different people, similar minds