Animal Farm by George Orwell: Summary, Bright Episodes & Review

Why is Orwell’s Animal Farm still relevant 80 years later? This article offers a detailed look at the novella, a parable about power, betrayal, and the illusion of freedom. You’ll find:

✔️ A summary focused on key plot twists;

✔️ Powerful quotes and scenes that became part of global culture;

✔️ Reasons to read the book — from history lessons to modern-day parallels.

Discover how the animals’ revolution turns into a dictatorship, why the phrase “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others” became a meme, and how to avoid ending up like Boxer in real life. This article is for anyone who wants to understand where the “pigs” from Orwell’s story are hiding in our world today.

Cover to first edition of Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm: Summary

Animal Farm is not a story about animals — it’s a story about us. The revolution formula Orwell described still works today: dreams of freedom, betrayal of ideals, and power that eventually destroys itself. The story takes place on Manor Farm, where animals, pushed to the limit by their drunken and cruel owner Mr. Jones, decide to take their fate into their hooves (and claws). They are inspired by an old boar named Old Major, who gives a fiery speech before his death: “Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He gives no milk, lays no eggs, is too weak to pull the plow...”. His words become the spark that starts the rebellion.

The animals drive out Mr. Jones, rename the farm “Animal Farm,” and create seven commandments. Among them are: “Four-legged creatures are brothers,” “No animal shall kill another,” and “All animals are equal.” The pigs — Napoleon and Snowball — become the leaders, as they are the smartest on the farm. At first, everything goes perfectly: they harvest together, work feels joyful, and the slogan “Four legs good, two legs bad” unites them all.

But soon, a power struggle begins between the pigs. Snowball, a dreamer and an inventor, suggests building a windmill to make work easier. Napoleon, cold and calculating, is against the idea. During a meeting where Snowball presents the windmill plans, Napoleon unleashes a pack of fierce dogs (which he had secretly raised) and drives Snowball away. From that moment on, Napoleon ruled alone. His propaganda turns Snowball into a scapegoat — every failure is blamed on his “schemes.”

The commandments begin to change. For example, the original rule “No animal shall sleep in a bed” gets an addition: “…with sheets” — so the pigs can live in Jones’s house. “No animal shall drink alcohol” becomes “…to excess” after the pigs discover the wine cellar. The animals — especially the loyal horse Boxer — keep believing that “Napoleon is always right” and work themselves to exhaustion, repeating: “I will work harder!”

The windmill construction turns into a nightmare: the animals are fed less and less, and every failure is blamed on “Snowball’s betrayal.” When a storm destroys the windmill, Napoleon claims that Snowball blew it up at night. To keep the animals afraid, he stages public executions. Boxer, who works himself to the point of injury, gets hurt. Napoleon promises to send him to the hospital, but instead sells the old horse to a slaughterhouse. The money is used to buy whiskey for the pigs.

Little by little, the pigs adopt human vices: they drink, wear clothes, and walk on two legs. The commandment “All animals are equal” is changed to: “…but some are more equal than others.” In the final scene, the animals peek through the window of the house and see pigs and humans playing cards and drinking together. They can no longer tell who is who.

Orwell shows how a dictatorship works — how language, fear, and ignorance become tools of control. The pigs rewrite history (“Snowball was always a spy!”), simplify slogans (“Four legs good, two legs better!”), And the workers, like Boxer, believe that if they “just work harder,” everything will get better. But instead of a utopia, they end up in a society where the elite (the pigs) live off the others, hiding behind talk of “sacrifices for the common good.”

The ending of the story leaves a bitter feeling: the animals have lost. They realize too late that they’ve simply replaced one tyrant with another. But they have no strength left for a new rebellion — only obedience remains. Orwell doesn’t offer hope, but he does offer a lesson: freedom requires not just rebellion, but constant vigilance.

Bright Episodes and Hidden Symbols

Animal Farm is a book that has been quoted for decades. Its lines stick in your mind, and its scenes become metaphors for real events. This is what makes Orwell’s writing so vivid and provocative.

“All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others.” 

This line is the main symbol of the story. At first, the seven rules on Animal Farm said that all animals were equal, but over time, the pig leaders twisted these rules to excuse their extra rights. The final change to the rules is more than just a joke; it is a warning about any society where the rulers put themselves above the law.

“Four legs good, two legs bad.” 

This revolutionary slogan becomes absurd over time. When the pigs start walking on two legs, the sheep, following Napoleon’s orders, change the chant to: ‘Four legs good, two legs better!’ Orwell uses this to show how propaganda can twist the meaning of even the simplest truths.

“I will work harder!”

This phrase is repeated by Boxer, the hardworking horse who became a symbol of blind faith in the system. Even when the pigs cut his food and make the workday longer, he still believes that “Napoleon is always right.” His tragic fate hits the reader below the belt.

Scenes of rewriting history

The pig Squealer, in charge of propaganda, regularly changes the past. For example, after Snowball’s expulsion, all his achievements are given to Napoleon, and Snowball himself is declared “a traitor from day one.” In this episode, Orwell warns: whoever controls the past controls the present.

“Man is the only real enemy.”

This was the first commandment of the revolution. But by the end of the book, the pigs form alliances with humans and declare as enemies sometimes the windmill, sometimes the mythical ‘spies.’ The paradox is that the true enemy of the animals is not man, but their naivety.

Alcohol, beds, and other ‘twists‘

The rule “No animal shall sleep in a bed” gains the words “…with sheets” when the pigs move into Mr. Jones’s house. And the ban on alcohol changes to “…in excess” after Napoleon gets drunk. These little changes are both funny and terrible at the same time, just like any double standard of those in power.

The ending where you can’t tell pigs from humans

The climax scene is where the animals look through the window and see pigs and humans playing cards, drinking, and arguing. Their faces become indistinguishable. It’s a moment of revelation: the revolution didn’t just fail—it turned into a parody of itself.

Why do these quotes stick with us?

Orwell knew how to pack complex ideas into simple images. His sayings—like ‘All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others’—have become a universal response to the hypocrisy of politicians, social media, or office politics. And scenes like Boxer being sold to the knacker remind us that blind loyalty to a system often ends in betrayal.

Why read "Animal Farm"?

“Animal Farm” is not just a classic you “have to read because of the school program.” It is a mirror that reflects not only historical events but also our world today. That is why this book remains relevant even 80 years later.

Lessons of power that never grow old

Orwell shows how a dictatorship is born. Not through tanks or conspiracies, but through small steps: swapping meanings, manipulating fears, and worshipping an “indispensable leader.” The pigs on the farm don’t seize power in a single day—they slowly change the rules, rewrite history, and convince everyone that it’s “for their good.” Sound familiar? In a world where social networks and media shape reality, understanding these mechanisms is like a vaccine against manipulation.

Story for those who believe in a ‘fair system’

Boxer, saying ‘Napoleon is always right,’ and the sheep, bleating slogans on command, aren’t just characters. They’re you and me in different roles: workaholics hoping that ‘hard work will fix everything,’ or the masses repeating whatever has been put into their heads. The book makes you ask yourself: ‘Have I become part of the very system that oppresses me?’

An allegory you can apply to anything

Yes, Orwell was inspired by the USSR, but Animal Farm has long outgrown its role as an anti-communist pamphlet. You can read it as:

• a metaphor for corporate life (where the boss‑“pigs” change the rules and targets to suit themselves);

• a story about toxic relationships (where one partner gradually takes control by rewriting the “rules of the game”);

• a lesson about social inequality (when 1% own what the other 99% produce).

Ideal balance between depth and simplicity

Orwell doesn’t burden the reader with heavy philosophical essays. Everything he wants to say is wrapped in a story about cows, horses, and chickens. Even a teenager can understand the plot, but as you grow older and more experienced, you discover more layers. This is a book you can reread every five years—and each time find new parallels.

Humor that hits home

Orwell perfectly mixes the absurd and the tragic. When the pigs start walking on two legs and the sheep mindlessly repeat the new slogan, it’s funny—but the next moment it’s frightening, because you see the same thing at rallies, on talk shows, or in office gatherings chanting “We are one team!”

A warning book for idealists

Many believe that if you just “throw out the bad ones,” paradise will follow. Orwell shows that revolutions eat their children. Even the noblest ideas (equality, justice) can be twisted by those who seize power. The question isn’t “what to fight for,” but “how not to become a new Napoleon.”

“Animal Farm” is about us—here and now.

 Reading about the animals, you can’t help but see yourself in their roles:

• Are you silent like Benjamin the donkey when you see injustice?

•  Do you believe that “working harder” is the solution, like Boxer?

• Or, like the sheep, do you mindlessly repeat what you’re told, without thinking for yourself?

  
  

This book doesn’t give answers, but it makes you use your brain. And in a world full of “pigs” in suits with Twitter accounts, that’s the most valuable skill.

P.S. Don’t listen to those who call “Animal Farm” a dark dystopia. It’s a satire that laughs at the absurdity of power. And if, after reading, you feel like rewatching the news, checking your work chat, or even looking at family arguments in a new light, Orwell has done his job.