Animal Farm Chapter Overview

Chapter Overview

Chapter 1

- Old Major gives speech about a dream he had to all the animals, except Moses, he wants to spread his wisdom to the animals as he feels he is dying.- The speech consists of:- - Animals being born into the world to work as slaves, slaughtered when they can no longer work.- - The land they live on could sustain more animals than it does, no need for the poverty.- - Blaming human oppressors, they never offer the animals anything in return for their eggs, mill etc.- He talks about a dream, where the animals are not oppressed.- He encourages the animals to do anything they can to overthrow the humans, but can only do so if they have 'perfect comradeship' and don't believe the lies that humans share the same interests.- Old Major declares that anything that walks on two legs is an enemy, those with four legs or wings are allies.- Tells the animals that they must never adopt any human qualities.- Teaches the animals Beasts on England- Jones hears the noise and fires a shot into the barn and the animals quickly go to sleep.

Chapter 2

- Old Major dies three days later.- The pigs adopt the authority over the farm and Napoleon, Snowball and Squealer together form Animalism.- The animals find Animalism hard to understand as they believed Jones was good.- Mollie asks if she will be allowed her ribbons and sugar, to which Snowball tells her the ribbons symbolise slavery and they would have to be banned. She half heartedly agrees.- Moses spreads tales of Sugarcandy Mountain: a place where animals go after death. Many of the animals love the idea of this but the pigs convince the animals that Moses is lying.- The rebellion occurs and Jones thrown off the farm.- All signs of oppression are destroyed eg. whips, halters.- The animals enjoy a double serving of corn and sing Beasts of England multiple times.- Next morning they explore the farmhouse and cannot believe the luxuries they find inside. Mollie tries to stay inside but the other animals reprimand her. It is decided that the farmhouse should be kept as a museum and not be lived in.- Pigs have taught themselves how to read and 'Manor Farm' is changed to 'Animal Farm.'- Principles of Animalism are reduced to the Seven Commandments.- Milk and apples disappear.

Chapter 3

- Everyone except Mollie and the cat work extremely hard, resulting in a excellent harvest.- Benjamin sees no change under the new leadership.- Flag (white hoof and horn) is raised every Sunday as part of the morning ritual, along with a meeting where the animals talk about improvements of the farm. Snowball and Napoleon speak most, often clashing in opinion.- Snowball creates committees, which fail, but most of the animals are literate to some degree.- Seven Commandments are reduced to one maxim of 'Four legs good, two legs bad.' The sheep continuously chant this.- Napoleon takes the puppies, raising them in the loft.- The animals discover that the pigs have been taking the milk and apples for themselves. Squealer explains that the pigs don't even like it but have to eat them in order for their brains to work to their full potential. He then threatens that if they don't get the milk and apples, then Jones will come back.

Chapter 4

- Jones, Pilkington and Frederick spready rumours about Animal Farm.- Beats of England has spread and many animals are singing it.- Battle of the Cowshed- Snowball and Boxer are awarded 'Animal Hero, First Class.'- Find Jones' gun and agree to fire it on the anniversary of the Battle of the Cowshed and on the anniversary of the Rebellion.

Chapter 5

- Mollie becomes a nuisance and eventually leaves the farm.- Snowball studies Jones' books and produces a plan for a windmill, which would generate electricity, making the animals lives easier.- Napoleon disagrees with the windmill saying the animals should focus more on their current affairs rather than the future. Napoleon observes Snowballs plans and urinates on them.- Snowball finally completes his plans and they begin a meeting to decide whether or not to undertake the project. - Napoleon calls on the dogs to chase Snowball of the farm.- Napoleon abolishes the Sunday meetings and says that all important decisions will be made by the pigs.- The animals are perturbed and Squealer explains that Napoleon is making a great sacrifice for the animals and that he is the cleverest animal so it only makes sense to have him make the decisions. The animals still question Snowballs expulsion and they're told that he was a traitor.- Boxer adopts his two maxims: 'I will work harder' and 'Napoleon is always right.'- A few weeks later Napoleon states that the windmill will indeed be built and Squealer arrives with the dogs and convinces the animals the Napoleon was never really opposed to the windmill.

Chapter 6

- Animals work extremely hard to build the windmill.- Rations are reduced.- Find a way to break the stone by dropping it in the quarry.- Napoleons hires Mr. Whymper, a human solicitor that will assist Napoleon in trading. The animals are worried about this but Squealer explains that Animalism was never against trade and the use of money, and if they believe any such rule to have been created, they had been deceived by Snowball.- Whymper visits every Monday.- The pigs sleep in the farmhouse and rumours spread that they're sleeping in beds. Muriel reads the commandment to Clover but it has been changed to 'No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets.' Squealer says that Clover must have just forgotten the last words and that all animals sleep in beds but that sheets are a human invention.- Squealer shames the other animals into agreeing that the pigs deserve a comfy bed so they can function properly.- Large storm destroys the windmill, Napoleon blames Snowball and puts a bounty on him.- Passionate speech about rebuilding and working hard. 'Long live the windmill! Long live Animal Farm!'

Chapter 7

- Struggle to build the windmill, food becomes short. The animals lie to the outside world saying that all is well.- Humans say that Snowball was not to blame for the windmill and that the walls were simply too thin. The animals reject this but build the walls twice the thickness anyway.- The other animals look up to Boxer as he works so hard.- Napoleon contracts for 400 eggs to be sold a week and the hens rebel, they receive no food and 9 hens die before they give in.- Napoleon tells the animals that Snowball is secretly visiting the farm at night and that he has consistently been working for Jones since the beginning. Napoleon twists the events of the Battle of the Cowshed to make Snowball seem like a traitor, Squealer supports Napoleon in this lie.- Violent public executions.- Beasts of England is banned and new song is created that does not inspire the animals.

Chapter 8

- 'No animal shall kill any other animal without cause.' The animals once again blame their faulty memories.- Animals work harder to produce the windmill, food is becoming a large problem.- Squealer constantly reads sets of statistics that show an improvement since Jones.- Napoleon takes the title of 'Leader' and has a song written for him.- Pile of timber is for sale, but whichever farm Napoleon favours, Snowball seems to have been sighted there. It is eventually sold to Frederick despite the negative propaganda against him - 'death the Frederick!'- Timber is sold and Napoleon insists on cash.- Windmill is completed.- Money is found to be fake.- Frederick and his men attach the farm, the windmill is blown up. They're chased off the farm but many animals died and Boxer has severe injuries.- Pigs drink whiskey they find in the basement and are found to have a hangover, but believe they are dying.- 'No animal shall drink alcohol to excess.'

Chapter 9

- Animals continue to rebuild the windmill, Boxer works extremely hard despite his injuries. Boxer wants to see the windmill complete before he retires at age 12 (which was previously agreed).- Rations reduced again except for the pigs and the dogs, called a 'readjustment' and that it is better than Jones' day.- Napoleon demands a schoolhouse be built for new piglets.- The animals have to often march around the farm listening to speeches. If the animals complain, the sheep chant 'Four legs good, two legs bad' until they're no longer complaining.- Napoleon is voted a president.- Snowball is again said to have been working with Jones since the Battle of the Cowshed, the animals accept this story.- Moses returns and spreads stories of Sugarcandy Mountain these are again deemed false and Moses is allowed to live on the farm without working.- Boxer collapses during work and the animals are told he will be taken to a human hospital to get better.- The van turns up for Boxer and Benjamin reads that he is being taken to a slaughterhouse, he chases after the van but it is too late.- Squealer announces that Boxer died at the hospital and that he was very brave and that he died praising Animal Farm.- Squealer covers the rumours about being sold to a slaughterhouse and claims that the van previously belonged to a knackers but was bought by the hospital and they had not painted over it yet. Boxer is praised by Napoleon and the animals are comforted that Boxer died happily.- Another delivery of whiskey comes to the farm and the animals cannot decipher where the pigs got the money from.

Chapter 10

- Years pass and very few people remember the days before the Rebellion.- Many animals passed the retiring age but no one ever retired.- Windmill finally complete.- Farm grew richer but no animal got any more than the basics except the pigs and the dogs.- Squealer preaches about the hard work they have to complete 'files, reports, minutes and memoranda.'- Animals believed that life was good.- Squealer taught the sheep a new chant. 'Four legs good, two legs better!'- Pigs were walking on hind legs, listen to the radio, subscribe to human magazines, install a telephone. Napoleon carries a whip and smoked a pipe.- 'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.'- The pigs invite the neighbouring farms over to inspect the farm, they receive praise and apologies.- Animals no longer address eachother and 'comrade', or pay respect to Old Major, or salute the flag. 'Animal Farm' is changed back to 'Manor Farm.'- The pigs and humans play cards and begin to argue. The animals that are looking through the window can no longer distinguish between the humans and the pigs.