Animal Farm — Chapter-by-Chapter Notes
Use this as you read - important points and questions for each section
✊ The Rebellion
Chapters 1–2: The Vision and the Victory
What Happens
- Old Major (the prize boar) shares his dream of a world without humans. He teaches the animals the song “Beasts of England.”
- Old Major dies. The pigs (Napoleon, Snowball, Squealer) turn his ideas into a system called “Animalism.”
- The animals overlook the farm’s owner, Mr. Jones, after he forgets to feed them. Manor Farm becomes Animal Farm.
- They write the Seven Commandments on the barn wall.
Important Points
- Old Major’s Principles: No animal must ever live in a house, sleep in a bed, wear clothes, drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, touch money, or engage in trade.
- The Milk: At the end of Chapter 2, the milk disappears. This is the first hint of corruption.
Questions to Consider
- Who is doing the “brainwork” while the others do the labor?
- What is the significance of the horses, Boxer and Clover?
Chapters 3–4: The Golden Age and the Battle
What Happens
- The harvest is a huge success. Boxer adopts the motto: “I will work harder!”
- Napoleon and Snowball begin to disagree on everything.
- The Battle of the Cowshed: Mr. Jones returns with neighbors to retake the farm. Snowball leads a brilliant defense and the animals win.
Important Points
- Squealer’s Propaganda: The pigs justify taking the apples and milk for themselves by claiming it is for their health so they can “manage” the farm and keep Jones away.
- The Medals: “Animal Hero, First Class” is awarded to Snowball and Boxer.
🏛️ The Rise of Napoleon
Chapters 5–6: The Expulsion and the Windmill
What Happens
- Snowball proposes building a windmill to provide electricity and ease labor. Napoleon opposes it.
- At a meeting, Napoleon unleashes nine ferocious dogs (the ones he raised in secret) and chases Snowball off the farm.
- Napoleon takes over, ends all debates, and announces the windmill will be built after all (claiming it was his idea).
- The pigs start trading with humans and move into the farmhouse.
Important Points
- The Dogs: They represent the power of the state to enforce its will through violence.
- Changing History: Squealer begins to tell the animals that Snowball was actually a traitor and a coward at the Battle of the Cowshed.
Questions to Consider
- How does Napoleon use fear to silence the other animals?
- Why do the animals accept Squealer’s lies about the past?
Chapters 7–8: The Purge and the War
What Happens
- The windmill collapses during a storm. Napoleon blames Snowball.
- Famine strikes. Napoleon forces the hens to give up their eggs; they rebel and are starved into submission.
- The Executions: Napoleon holds a meeting where animals “confess” to working with Snowball and are slaughtered by the dogs.
- Mr. Frederick (a neighbor) attacks the farm and blows up the rebuilt windmill. The animals win the “Battle of the Windmill” but at a terrible cost.
Important Points
- The Broken Commandment: “No animal shall kill any other animal” becomes “…without cause.”
- Alcohol: The pigs find a case of whiskey in the cellar. “No animal shall drink alcohol” becomes “…to excess.”
Chapters 9–10: The Death of Boxer and the Party
What Happens
- Boxer is injured while working on the third windmill. Napoleon says he is sending him to a hospital, but the van is actually from the knacker (slaughterhouse).
- Squealer tells the animals that Boxer died peacefully in the hospital.
- Years pass. The pigs are now walking on two legs, wearing clothes, and carrying whips.
- The Seven Commandments are erased, replaced by a single one: “ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS.”
- In the final scene, the pigs host a dinner party for the local human farmers.
Important Points
- The Republic: Animal Farm is declared a Republic, and Napoleon is elected President (as the only candidate).
- The Transformation: As the other animals watch through the window, they look from pig to man, and from man to pig, and realize they can no longer tell the difference.
📝 Your Notes
Reflect on the fate of Boxer and the final commandment here:
Chapter-by-Chapter Notes created: 2025-12-25
For Great Literature 105 - Book 02 of 10