Animal Farm Summary

George Orwell's "Animal Farm" is an allegorical novella that satirizes the Russian Revolution and the subsequent rise of Stalinism. The story is set on a farm where the animals, led by the pigs Napoleon and Snowball, overthrow their human owner, Mr. Jones, in a bid for equality and self-governance. Initially, the animals establish a society based on the principles of Animalism, encapsulated in the Seven Commandments, with the slogan "All animals are equal." However, as the pigs consolidate power, they begin to resemble the humans they replaced, altering the commandments to justify their actions. Napoleon uses propaganda, intimidation, and violence to eliminate rivals like Snowball and to manipulate the other animals. The farm's gradual decline into tyranny and corruption mirrors the betrayal of revolutionary ideals by the Soviet regime. The novella concludes with the chilling realization that the pigs are indistinguishable from the humans, underscoring the theme that power corrupts. "Animal Farm" is a powerful critique of totalitarianism and the cyclical nature of oppression.