On Manor Farm in England, the elderly boar Old Major shares a dream with the other animals: a world in which they are free of human masters and keep the fruits of their own labour. Not long afterwards, neglected and hungry, the animals rise up and drive out the drunken farmer Mr Jones, rename their home Animal Farm, and paint seven commandments of equality on the barn wall.
The cleverest animals, the pigs, take charge of planning. Two of them, Snowball and Napoleon, quarrel over the building of a windmill and the direction of the farm, while the persuasive Squealer explains every new decision to the others. The hardworking cart-horse Boxer, the cynical donkey Benjamin and the sheep with their slogans show how ordinary citizens respond as the rules quietly change.
Written during the Second World War and published in 1945, the book is an allegory of the Russian Revolution and Stalinism, but its warning about how power corrupts ideals and how language is bent to justify it applies far more widely. Its simple style makes it a common school text.
Book details
| Author | George Orwell |
|---|---|
| First published | 1945 |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Classic |
| Type | Fiction |
| Pages (approx.) | 112 |
| Setting | Manor Farm, England |
Themes
- Corruption of power
- Revolution
- Propaganda
- Totalitarianism
- Class
Who should read it
Readers of any age who want a short, sharp fable about how revolutions can betray their own ideals.
If you liked this, try
- Nineteen Eighty-Four
- Lord of the Flies
- Brave New World