Animal Farm Summary Essay, Research Paper

The book starts in the barnyard of Mr.

Jones’ “Manor Farm”. The animals gather at a meeting led by the white boar,

Major. Major shows them that no animal in England is free. He also explains

that the stuff that they produce is taken by man and the animals do not

benefit. The only thing that man gives is food to survive so more money

can be made off of the animals. Majors lets them know that man is the source

of all problems and should be eliminated. He proposes that all of the animals

should avoid man’s habits. Above all Major says to the animals that they

cannot kill one another, that they are all equal.

A few days later Major dies, but his message

remains in the hearts and minds of the animals. Under the leadership of

the pigs, who are clearly the more intelligent of the animals, they strike

against their human master and manage to get rid of him. After the rebellion,

under the direction of Napoleon, the most outspoken pig, and Snowball,

the most articulate pig, the animals continue to work the farm with success.

The animals now come up with a set of

rules to run their society. They are labeled “the Seven Commandments of

Animalism” and are posted on the barn wall.

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

5. No animal shall drink alcohol

6. No animal shall kill any other animal.

7. All animals are equal

The animals succeed at running the farm

for a little while. They finish all of their work with stunning efficiency

and every week hold ceremonies to celebrate the rebellion and to plan work.

Meanwhile, the pigs as leaders are taking bigger food rations for themselves

justifying their behavior as something necessary for the “brains” of their

animal society. They explain that it is necessary or else the farmers might

come back and take over the farm.

The farmers do try to reclaim their tries

to reclaim his power but the animals prevent him from doing so in what

they call “The Battle of the Cowshed”. The conflict between Napoleon and

Snowball gets more intense. At every meeting they can never agree on what

needs to be done. Napoleon and Snowball fight over whether or not a windmill

should be built. Snowball has proposed this idea and Napoleon is, of course,

against it. After the battle, Napoleon drives Snowball off the farm telling

everyone that Snowball was on Mr. Jones’ side. Napoleon is seen as a great

leader by the animals because he had the wisdom to remove the traitor.

Slowly, Napoleon gets a stronger and stronger hold over the other animals,

dominating their every action.

The situation at “Animal Farm”, the new

name for “Manor Farm”, really starts to change now. Napoleon moves into

Mr. Jones’ house, sleeps in his bed, and even wears his clothes. These

things were, of course, against the seven commandments but Napoleon found

a way to interpret them as legal. In defiance of the original laws, Napoleon

befriends Mr. Pilkington, the human owner of a nearby farm. Napoleon maintained

an unbelievable amount of control over the animals as demonstrated by their

acceptance of this relation to a man.

In fact, almost every commandment is violated

and then changed. After winning a battle against Mr. Frederick and his

men the pigs have a drinking party and change the commandment to ” thou

shall not drink to excess.” The pigs are using all of the resources and

giving none to the other animals. The other animals are struggling to build

the schoolhouse and the windmill while the pigs wear clothes, eat and drink.

While working ferociously, Boxer collapses

and Napoleon announces that he will be taken to the hospital. But when

the truck arrives the animals realize that he is going to a horse slaughter

house. But it’s too late.

A few years go by and the difference between

man and pig is not noticeable to the other animals.

The book ends with the pigs walking around

on to legs in clothes and conversing with men. The only thing left out

of the Seven Commandments is ” All animals are equal. But some are more

equal than others”