Animal Farm starts with Mr. Jones, the owner of Manor Farm, drunkenly heading to bed. The animals gather for a meeting to hear Old Major, the prize boar, who tells them about how the humans exploit the farm animals and how they can get rid of their oppressors through a rebellion. Major tells the animals that "all animals are equal" and the humans are their enemy.
Old Major dies soon and the animals are now tutored in the basics of rebellion by three smart pigs, Napoleon, Snowball and Squealer. The rebellion breaks out unexpectedly when Mr. Jones neglects to feed the animals and they break into a store shed to get food. As they are caught and whipped by the humans, the animals attack the humans who flee the farm. The new leaders of the animals, the pigs, change the name of the farm as "Animal Farm" and ask the animals to continue working for the harvest.
The first harvest under the animals' own administration is a great success as most of the animals work enthusiastically. Differences of opinion begin to appear between the two leaders, Napoleon and Snowball. While the latter puts up proposals for improving the animals' life on the farm, the former sees little merit in the suggestions. The animals gradually discover that the choicest food such as milk and apples is reserved for the pigs under the justification that the leaders need better food for their brain.
As the news of the rebellion spreads, animals on other farms get emboldened and start disobeying their human masters. The humans, led by Mr. Jones, attach the animal farm in an attempt to recapture it. The animals...
Snowball is awarded medal first class; the martyred sheep gets a 2nd class medal.
Differences between Napoleon and Snowball become more pronounced over Snowball's suggestion for building a windmill. When the animals gather to vote on the idea, Napoleon unleashes his vicious dogs on Snowball who is chased out of the farm. Napoleon takes over the sole leadership of the farm; announces the supremacy of pigs and bans all dissent. Squealer, as Napoleon's spokes-animal, justifies the measures as necessary and the animals are pacified.
As time passes, the animals find themselves working harder than ever before. Still the harvest is poor and farm runs out of several essential items. Napoleon announces that the animal farm will start trading with the surrounding human farms for which further sacrifices from the animals is sought. Unease among animals on trading with the "enemy" is quickly squashed.
Life on the farm worsens as it is hit by food shortages. The pigs hide the misery from the outside world propaganda and inflict further restrictions on the animals. All their misfortunes are blamed on Snowball and his conspiracies against the farm. Any dissent is brutally suppressed as the trouble makers are made to confess their sins and quickly put to death. Even the hardest working animal, Boxer the horse, is targeted by the pigs but survives due to his strength.
The original commandments of the animal farm including "no animal shall kill another" and "No animal shall drink alcohol"…
