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STUDYWORLD STUDYNOTES

Animal Farm

 

Summary:

Mollie is starting to act improperly and she is not following the rules of Anumalism. She allows herself to be petted by a neighboring man and accepts various bribes. After she is reprimanded for behaving so poorly, she rebels and runs away.

Another animal with whom Napoleon has problems is Snowball. The ancient feud between them resurfaces when Snowball suggests that a windmill was needed which could be used for electricity, to automate many farming tasks. He and Napoleon debate the issue, but instead of allowing the other animals to vote on this topic, Snowball is chased from the farm. The incident is brushed aside by pointing out to the rest of the animals that it is in their best interest that Squealer is gone because he was a traitor.

Ironically, the windmill project is then adopted by Napoleon and various animals are assigned the job of building it. Soon Squealer is sent in to convince the animals that Napoleon is acting on their behalf and that Snowball was a threat to the community.

The animals are now expected to work harder and more hours than ever before. Being convinced that they are doing this for their own good, they willingly sacrifice their time. Rations are readjusted to the surprise of all the animals, but they quietly submit and never complain. When the food supply runs precariously low, Napoleon
announces that he will be trading with the neighboring farm. The other animals are taken aback by this because one of the original resolutions of Animalism was that there would no interaction with humans.

Once again Squealer uses his skill with words and reassures everyone that there never was such a resolution and that this notion had been started by Snowball.

Not long thereafter, it is rumored that the pigs have moved into the farmhouse and are sleeping in beds. This is another violation of one of the original resolution. When the animals go to where the commandments had been posted, they are surprised to see that the ordinance have been changed to suit the new circumstances.

One day, the weather conditions are such that a severe rainstorm and heavy winds completely destroys the windmill. Everyone is very upset that their hard work had been to no avail. Napoleon convinces the animals that this was an act of sabotage on the part of Snowball as he didn't want the community to succeed. He also convinces everyone that they must rebuild the windmill. He ends his speech cheering, "Long live the windmill! Long live Animal Farm!"

Review:

The friction between Snowball and Napoleon comes to a head and Snowball is banished. Napoleon explains that Snowball was in fact cooperating with Mr. Jones. He also explains that Snowball in reality never had a medal of honor, that Snowball was always trying to cover up that he was fighting at the side of Mr. Jones.

The parallels between Trotsky and Snowball are uncanny. Trotsky too, was exiled, not from the farm, but to Mexico, where he spoke out against Stalin.

The animals then start building the windmill, and as time passes on the working-time goes up, whereas the food ration declined. Although the "common" animals have not enough food, the pigs grow fatter and fatter. They tell the other animals that they need more food, for they are managing the whole farm. This represents a clash within the government and baffles the rest of the animals. They are placated and eventually their grumbling dies down.

Comrade Napoleon represents the human frailties of any revolution. Orwell believed that although socialism is good as an ideal, it can never be successfully adopted due to uncontrollable sins of human nature. For example, although Napoleon seems at first to be a good leader, he is eventually overcome by greed and soon becomes power-hungry.