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Plot:
The book is about a Farm where the animals make a revolution and chase away the farmowner with his family. For a while everything works great and everybody is happy. But on and on the pigs, who make the organization part on the farm, get more and more like humans. They even change \"the seven rules of Animalism\" one by one and in the end the other animals can`t divide them from humans, which used to be their enemies and then are the friends of the pigs.
Summary:
Mr. Jones was the owner of the Manor Farm in England. He was most of the time drunk, and he treated his animals badly. One night the old Major, an old baor, called out for all animals to come to the big barn. There he told the animals about his vison of freedom and Animalism. He said that all animals could have a better living condition, if they removed Mr. Jones. Old Major was sure that there would be one time a rebellion, and than they would work for themselves without having to feed their master Mr. Jones. At the end Major learned them a song called "Beasts of England". Three days later at the end of March Major died, but all animals kept his vison in mind.
One day Mr. Jones came home late and drunk and forgot to feed the animals and to milk the cows. So in the morning when the animals were all starving and angry the rebellion started. Mr. Jones tried to control them but the animals were stronger and so he and his wife and also his four men had to flee. Than the animals began to manage the farm. After that they destroyed everything that reminded them on Mr. Jones. The pics especially Napoleon, Snowball and Squealer were more intelligent than the other animals, and so they did the thinking part, the organization on the farm. The others were the workers who built and repaired things on the farm like the windmill.
Snowball, who learnt write together with the other pigs, changed the name of the farm into Animal Farm. He also wrote the basic principles of Animalism, the Seven Commandments, on the wall of the barn.
They are the following:
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 another animal.
7. All animals are equal.
These Commandments explained the principles of Animalism. One day the animals found a green tablecloth of Mrs Jones´s. They painted a hoof and a horn in white on it. So they had also a flag of the farm. Other caracters were Boxer the cart-horse, Clover and Mollie the two mares, Benjamin, the donkey and some more. Every Sunday there was a meeting in the barn, where they planned the next weeks, talked about problems and the resolution about it. Snowball learned the other animals reading and writing. It was called "Animals Committees". Napoleon wasn´t interesting in Snowball´s Committees. He said that education of the young was more important than anything could be done for those who were already grown up. So Napoleon took nine puppies from Jessie and Bluebell and educated them by himself. At that time the animals now why the milk and the apples the main crop were always gone, because it was mixed every day into the piy´s mash. They said that they were the brainworkers on the farm-they had to do all things on the farm. So it was important that the pigs were always healthy. Otherwise Jones came back.
By the late summer the news what happened on the Animal Farm had spread across the whole of the country.
One day Mr. Jones and other men came to the farm to got back the control of the farm, but the animals won that fight. They called the day "The Battle Of Cowshed".
There was always a struggle for power between Snowball and Napoleon. Everytime when Snowball made a suggestion on the Sunday meetings for anything Napolean is always against it. One day Snowball who thougt that the development of industry was most important had an idea to built a windmill to have later on a better live, because of the electrical power. Then he said it would be impossible to have a three day-work-week. Napoleon argued that the great need of the moment was to increase food production and if they vasted time on the windmill they would all starve to death. One Sunday the animals had to vote between the two slogans "Vote for Snowball and the three day work" and "Vote for Napoleon and the full manager".
Suddenly the nine already big dogs, which were educated by Napoleon attacked Snowball. Snowball had to flee and escaped with his life. After that Napoleon was the only leader of the Animal Farm.
Than Napoleon made his own laws. He refused the Sundays meetings and he decided all the problems by himself, and from time to time he and his pics changed the seven Commandments! Some animals were shocked and asked why Snowball was attacked by the dogs. Squealer, who became the right side of Napoleon said that Snowball was on Mr. Jones side. All animals didn´t want that Mr. Jones comes back so they believed all things that Napoleon and the pigs especially Napoleon there new leader said ("If Comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right";"Napoleon is always right" => Boxers slogans). They had to believe them because otherwise they would be attacked by Napoleons dogs. Later he also told them that Snowball was Jones´s agent from the very beginning. After Snowball expulsion Napoleon wanted to built the windmill. All animals were surpirsed. He didn´t give any reason why he changed his mind.
During the summer the animals worked like slaves, building the windmill and working on the fields. Espacially Boxer worked very hard. There wasn´t more food than before the rebellion, it was equal or even less, but the animals mostly didn´t recognize, and those who did, they said \"it`s better having less food, than Mr. Jones coming back.\"
The pics behave more and more like human and the also moved into the farm house where they took there residence there, which should serve at first as a museum, slept in beds (they changed the forth rule into "No animal shall sleep in beds without sheets") and they changed the commandmant for their one advanture. When somebody didn´t follow this Statemants they were exhausted or killed by Napoleons dogs. They also were killed by Napoleon´s dogs when they had met Snowball or confess other crimes and they changed the sixth rule into \"No animal shall kill any other animal without cause.\"
In Autuum the windmill was destroyed by a heavy storm and Napoleon blames Snowball for that. Napoleon said that this was Snowball, and every animal believed him. Then the animals rebuilt the windmill with thicker walls. In winter there was less food and so the hens had to give away their eggs for selling. Whenever anything went wrong on the Farm it blamed to attribute it to Snowball. There were two farms next to the \"Animal Farm\". It was Mr. Frederick of Pinchfield Farm and especially Mr. Pilkington from Foxwood Farm. Because the animals had need money for the machinery of the windmill the animals sold a pile of wood to Mr. Frederick but soon they find out that the banknotes they have got are forgeries. So Frederick had got the timber for nothing. So a new fight started. It was called "The battle of the windmill", because the two man also destroyed the new rebuild of the windmill. They could win the fight because of Napoleons dogs. After the victory celebrations were ended they started to rebuilding the windmill. They killed many animals and Boxer was after that badly damaged. After a few days, he was send by Napoleon to the knacker.
Years passed. A time came when there was no one who remembered the old days before Rebellion, except Clover, Benjamin, Moses the raven, and a number of the pigs. Muriel, Bluebell, Jessie, Pincher ald also there old master Mr. Jones were dead. Snowball and Boxer were forgotten, exept by the frw who had known him.
Many things changed. The song "Beasts of England" had been abolished. They built schollroom for the young pigs. The pigs started to drink alcohol (they changed the sixth rule into \"No animal shall drink alcohol to exess.\"), which they found it in the celler, they wore the clothes of Mr.Jones, smocked cigarettes, and they walked on there hind legs (they found a new rule "Four legs good, two legs better"). The farm was richer than before and the windmill called Napoleon mill had been finished, but wasn´t used for electrical power, but for milling corn, which was sold. Also other new buildings had been addet to it.
Weeks later some humans came to the Animal farm and celebrated a party with them. They played cards and drunk a lot of beer. At that time the period of misunderstanding had an end. They decided to live in peace and in normal business relation with theit neighbours. he animals heard that Napoleon said that the farm should have the old name it had it before (Manor Farm). The animals were scared and shocked what there leader said.
At last when the animals looked through the windows into the farmhouse, they couldn´t devide the pics from the humans. Then Clover and Benjamin, who were both very old, go to the barn and find just one rule is left \"All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.\"
Characters:
Mr.and Mrs. Jones: was the owner of the Manjor Farm.
Old Major: Without the pig there wouldn`t have been any revolution. He gives the other animals a vision, a hope for a better life an for that he is very respected. He was twelve years old and had lately grown rather short, but he was still a majestic-looking pig, with a wise and benevolent appearance in spite of the fact that his tushed had never been cut.
Old Major is the personification of Karl Marx and Lenin. Marx was the first who had the idea of communism. Lenin is like the father for the Russians. He spread his idea of the new world to the other people. (Just as Old Major did.)
Moses: He was the only animal who doesn't work. Moses was a tale-bearer and spy of Mr. Jones. He told the animals about a beautiful country up in the sky named "Sugarcandy Mountain" where every animal will go after death; Moses the raven - the church, he promises better times
Snowball: He is a pig which is very similar to Napoleon. Both of them want the leadership over Animal Farm. In addition to that they always were in disagreement and arguing. But as times goes one they have realized that one of them will have to step down. Therefore Napoleon chased with his dogs Snowball away to secure his domination on Animal Farm. He wrote the seven Commandments. He made the new flag of the farm. Snowball must be Trotsky, the intellectual, gifted leader. With all his plans and new ideas for a better life for everyone.
Napoleon: He became the leader over Animal Farm after Jones was driven away. He was the central character on the farm. He thougt that they should concentrate on agriculture. He didn´t take case in Snowballs commitees. He said that the education of the young was more important. At first Napoleon seemed to be a good leader but he was eventually overcome by greed and power-hungry. He`s a clever and determined organiser, but he is the military type of leader, who does everything for his own advantage. Napoleon reflects the iron man - J. Stalin - who expelled Trotsky (Snowball) from the farm respectively from the party. He`s a clever and determined organiser, but he is the military type of leader, who does everything for his own advantage.
Boxer : He was the cart-horse. He was an enormous beast, nearly eighteen hands high, and as strong as any two ordinary horses put together. He was the type of guy who didn´t think, in his case because he isn`t that intelligent. Boxer was the admiration of anybody. He had been a hard worker even in Jones´s time, and also in the time after that! He stood for the whole working class. His two mottos are \"I will work harder\" and \"Napoleon is always right\". For him that seems to be enough to solve all the problems.
He had problems to learn the alphabet; in the last battle he was badly hurt, but he didn´t care about his healthy. His twelfth birthday was approching, and so he had to go in penson, but before that he died, because he wasn´t strenght enough to stop the disease.
Clover: She was a cart-horse like Boxer. Clover was a shout motherly mare approching middle life, who had never quite got her figure back after fourth foal. She learnt the whole alphabet, but couldn´t put words together; Boxer and Clover - the honest worker
Squealer: He is the right hand of Napoleon on Animal Farm. He was a very fat pig with a shrill voice. He was a brilliant talker and he was both persuader and manipulator because he could turn black into white. Squealer is the newspaper which was used by Russian propaganda. He was the link between Napoleon and his animals. The pig stands for the general manipulation of facts with help of the media and the whole propaganda of the Bolsheviks
Mollie: Mollie is the animal which is most opposed to the new government under Napoleon. She doesn't care politics and did not work, she just want to tie her hair with ribbons and eat sugar. She quietly leaves the farm one night. She could represent that part of the people which already had had a nice life before the revolution and - because of that - preferred to escape; Mollie - pleasure - loving materialist
Benjamin: He was the donkey. He was the oldest animal on the farm. He never change in the book. He still does his work the same way, never becoming exited or disappointed about anything. He could read as well as any pig, but never exercised his faculty. The donkey represents the old, resigned and experienced part of the people, which think that nothing will change, everything will stay that bad as it is; Benjamin - realistic and critical person
The dogs:The dogs are like a security guard and every time any animal doesn´t agree with the pics, it is warned by the dogs. They were educated by Napoleon.
There parents were Jessie and Bluebell and Pincher; The dogs - Napoleons proper army - stand for the red army which defends Stalin from his enemies; Dogs - Napoleon´s secret police
Mr. Whymper: He was a sly-looking little man with side whiskers, a solicitor in a very small of business, but sharp enough to have realised earlier than anyone else that Animal Farm had need a broker. He had agreed to act as intersting between Animal Farm and the outside world.
Mr. Pilkington:He was the owner of the Farm Foxwood, which was a large, neglected, old-fashioned farm, much overgrown by woodland, with all its pastures worn out and its hedges in a disgracful condition. Mr.Pilkington was an easy-going gentleman-farmer who spent most of the time in fishing or hunting according to the season.
Mr. Frederick:His farm called Pinchfield, was smaller and better kept. He was a tough, shrewd man, perpetually involved in lawsuits and with a name for driving hard bargains;
He represents Hitler
Muriel:The goat, could read somewhat better than the dogs.
sheeps:unable to learn the Seven Commandments because they were
the stupiest animals;they were the gratest devotees of the Spontneous Demonstrations; The sheepd were always bleeding "Four legs good, to legs bad". We think the sheep stand for a less intelligent part of the people. They can be easily manipulated to Napoleon's (Stalin's) advantage. They are in one way a tool for him;
Sheep - mass of stupid people
henns:also stupied, couldn´t learn the Commandments; later the hens had to surrender their eggs. Every week Whymper got 400 eggs. They had to do it, because they need money for food.
ducks:like the henns!
birds:they were looking if dangers things came to the farm-like Mr.Jones who wanted to conquer the farm
Minimus:also a pig, she was the poet, who composed the songs like "Beasts of England".
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