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Plot summary - EdexcelAre the pigs as bad as Mr Jones?

Animal farm by George Orwell is an allegory of the events of the Russian Revolution of 1917. It deals with the ideas of freedom, rebellion and the corrupting nature of power.

Part of English LiteratureAnimal Farm

Are the pigs as bad as Mr Jones?

Napoleon and the pigs break the commandments

Still showing Napoleon saluting, with a black dog and Squealer by his side as he takes over the farm
Figure caption,
Napoleon takes over the farm, from the 1954 film

Supplies and food run short and the pigs start trading with the humans. They move into the farmhouse, sleep in beds and get up an hour later than the other animals. An incident occurs with some hens who protest against unfair treatment and refuse to hand their eggs over. Napoleon stops their food and nine of them die as a result. After this, Napoleon holds show trials, where any animal that had spoken against him has to publicly confess their 'crimes' and is then killed.

The men invade and blow up the windmill

The animals finish the windmill for the second time, but with longer working hours and less food. During another attempted invasion by the men the windmill is blown up. The pigs then break another commandment by drinking alcohol to celebrate the victory of the invasion. The farm is proclaimed a and a is 'elected' - but there was only one candidate to vote for, Napoleon.

Boxer collapses and is sold to the horse slaughterer

Boxer falls whilst re-building the windmill. The pigs claim they will look after him but sell him to a horse slaughterer. Squealer lies to the other animals, telling them that Napoleon ensured that Boxer got the best treatment possible. The pigs use the money from the sale of Boxer to buy whisky.

The pigs become just as bad as Mr Jones

A still showing Pigs typing, a scene from the 1954 film
Figure caption,
The pigs start behaving like humans

Time moves on and the pigs grow fatter whilst the other animals work harder and are given less food. They now can't remember if they were better or worse off under the rule of Mr Jones. The pigs learn to walk on two legs and have adopted all of Mr Jones' bad habits that Old Major told them to avoid in his speech. They invite the humans they once fought against to the farm. Napoleon declares that the farm will be called 'Manor Farm' again, the animals watching the meeting cannot tell the difference between the humans and the pigs.