Watership Down: Chapter By Chapter Summary Essay, Research Paper

Old Major calls a meeting in the barn in which he speaks of the rebellion and animalism.

When the writer put the meeting in the barn, he put all the characters in one place to tell you about all of them at the same time and he gave a place where he could give the book?s undivided attention to what Old Major was talking about.

Old Major died, and the rebellion happens. After Jones is gone, all of man?s tools are burned; the animals walk the grounds, and take a tour of the farmhouse. The name Manor Farm is changed to Animal Farm and the seven commandments are established. They then begin the hay harvest.

I didn?t expect the rebellion to come so soon and so easily. I wonder how the hay harvest will turn out?

The hay harvest is the best ever and during the harvest, Boxer adopts, “I will work harder” as his personal motto. Work on Sunday?s is discontinued but in it?s place is a late breakfast, raising of the flag, a meeting, and signing. Only the pigs can eat apples and drink milk.

It?s amazing that the harvest was such a success. The pigs are beginning to abuse their power.

Pigeons are sent to spread word of the rebellion to other animals. Jones tries to recapture the farm in the Battle of the Cowshed.

This was a very important chapter because in it, Jones tries to get the farm back but was defeated by the animals giving a boost of confidence to the animals.

Mollie runs away and Snowball begins plans for a windmill. When Snowball?s plans are finished, Napoleon?s dog?s chase him off the farm. Napoleon cancels the Sunday debates. Boxer adopts the maxim, “Napoleon is always right.” Napoleon decides to build the windmill.

The farm lost the best leader they could have had. They loose their chance to give input on what direction the farm should go, and Napoleon begins blaming Snowball for things that he did not do.

Napoleon sets the animals to work on Sundays again and acquires Mr. Whymper as the farm?s broker. Napoleon starts to sell some of the farm?s produce. The pigs start sleeping one hour later, and in beds. Windmill is blown over and Snowball is blamed.

The pigs further their abuse of power and stealing from the other animals. The using of Snowball ass a scapegoat for the farm?s misfortune is furthered.

Napoleon stops making appearances to the other animals and makes a deal with Whymper to sell 400 eggs a week. Napoleon gets some animals to confess of wrong doings and then “makes examples of them,” by killing them. The singing of Beast of England is abolished.

Everything bad that the pigs have been doing continues and to a worse degree as the story goes on.

The commandment about killing is changed and “without cause” is added to it, and the windmill is finished. Napoleon sells a pile of timber to Fredrick and later finds out it was counterfeit money. Fredrick attacks the farm and blows up the windmill. The pigs begin drinking alcohol and the commandment about alcohol is changed to, “No animal shall drink alcohol to excess.”

The conditions on the farm continue the downward fall and the seven commandments and further change to suit the pigs wants.

The pigs are given the right of way and privilege to wear green ribbons in their tails on Sundays. Napoleon changes the deal with Whymper from 400 to 600 eggs a week and proclaims Animal Farm a republic. Boxer gets hurt and can no longer work, very soon after he is sent to the knacker.

The farm looses the best thing it had going for it and then thanks it by wending it to the kncaker. Pigs start wearing clothes another thing against the principles of animalism.

The farm is enlarged by two acres and the windmill is finished. The pigs and sheep learn how to walk on two legs. The seven commandments are reduced to one, which reads, “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.” The pigs take up all the habits of man, and change the name back to Manor Farm. The flag is changed to just the green banner. You can no longer tell the difference between pigs and man.

After years and years, the windmill is finally finished. The pig have come to resemble man and things are no different than in Jones? day. They made a complete circle since the rebellion.