Old Major, a prize-winning pig, assembles the beasts of the Manor Farm for a group meeting in the big barn. He talks about a vision-like dream he has had in which all animals live peacefully without the human farmers to oppress or control them. He tells the animals that they must work toward such a paradise and teaches them a song called Beasts of England, in which his dream vision is lyrically depicted. The animals accept Majors vision with great enthusiasm. When Old Major passes away only three nights after the meeting, three younger pigsSnowball, Napoleon, and Squealer articulate his main rationales into a philosophical system called Animalism. Late one night, the animals manage to overcome the farmer Mr. Jones in a battle, running him off the land. They rename the place Animal Farm and devote themselves to achieving Majors ambition. The cart-horse Boxer devotes himself to the cause with particular zeal, committing his great strength to the success of the farm and adopting as a personalized maxim the assertion I will work harder.
Animal Farm is a great success – at least at first. Snowball begins teaching the other animals how to read, while Napolean starts to educate a few young puppies about Animalism. One day Mr. Jones appears at the farm with the intent to take it back from the animals. However, he is once again defeated in what the animals call the “Battle of the Cowshed,” and they take Mr. Jones’ abandoned gun as a trophy of their victory. Everything is going well for a spell – but as time goes on, Snowball and Napolean begin to squabble about the plans for the farm until eventually the debating intensifies into a power struggle. When Snowball comes up with a plan to build a windmill for electricity to power the farm, Napolean discounts it. The animals hold a meeting to decide whether or not to build the windmill, and Snowball gives an enthusiastic and compelling speech. Napolean, however, says only a few words. Then he makes a weird guttural sound, and the 9 puppies he was purportedly training busted in and chase Snowball from the farm. Napolean takes over and calls off all future meetings, telling the other animals that from then on the pigs will make decisions on their own for the good of the rest of the animals.
Napoleon now quickly switches his judgement about the windmill, and the animals, particularly Boxer, devote their endeavours to completing it. One day, following a storm, the animals discover the windmill toppled. Napolean faults Snowball, saying that he must have snuck in to sabotage it. He orchestrates a great purge, during which various animals who have supposedly taken part in Snowballs great conspiracymeaning any animal who opposes Napoleons uncontested rule meet fast demise at the teeth of the attack dogs. Napolean goes to expand his power, feeling as though any animal who may have been a possible danger to him has been eliminated by the attack dogs. Boxer takes on a new slogan, saying “Napolean is always right.”. Napoleon also begins to act more and more like a human beingsleeping in a bed, downing whisky, and engaging in trade with nearby farmers. The traditional Animalist precepts rigorously forbade such actions, but Squealer, Napoleons propagandist, excuses every action to the other animals, convincing them that Napoleon is a wonderful leader and is making things easier for everyone despite the fact that the common animals are cold, hungry, and overworked.
Mr. Frederick, a neighboring farmer, cheats Napoleon in the purchase of some lumber and then attacks the farm and blows up the windmill, which had been rebuilt at significant expense. After the destruction of the windmill, a sensational battle ensues, during which Boxer acquires major wounds. The animals rout the farmers, but Boxers combat injuries weaken him. When he later falls while working on the windmill, he feels that his time has almost come. One day, Boxer is nowhere to be seen. According to Squealer, Boxer has deceased in peace after having been taken to the hospital, praising the Rebellion with his last breath. In actuality, Napoleon has sold-out his most hardcore and tolerant worker to a glue manufacturing business in order to get money for whisky.
As the years pass the pigs act more and more as if they were humans. They have whips, wear clothing, and walk upright. The traditions of Animalism which are etched on the Barn are reduced to a single tenet: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” Napolean becomes friendly with a human farmer, Mr. Pilkington, who he has over for dinner to ally himself with against the working classes of not just the animals, but also humans. Napolean even alters the name of Animal Farm back to Manor Farm, claiming that Manor Farm is the “correct” name. One day the other animals are watching through the window at the pigs and their human counterparts, and realize they can’t tell which are which any more. The pigs have gotten so human they don’t even look like animals.