Animal Farm

Outline

Animal Farm (1945) is a short, powerful fable about the animals of Manor Farm, who rebel against their careless owner, Mr. Jones, hoping to build a society where all are equal. Over time, the cleverest animals, led by Napoleon, seize power, rewrite the rules, and become as oppressive as the farmer they replaced. George Orwell’s classic allegory warns how power can corrupt ideals and how truth can be twisted.

• Animal Farm is a short fable about the animals of Manor Farm who rebel against their careless owner, Mr. Jones.
• The animals rise up hoping to build a society where everyone is equal.
• Over time the cleverest animals, led by Napoleon, seize power and rewrite the rules to suit themselves.
• The new rulers end up as oppressive as the farmer they replaced, showing how revolutions can repeat what they fought against.
• Orwell's allegory warns that power can corrupt ideals and that truth can be twisted to serve those in charge.

George Orwell (1903–1950) was the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair, an English novelist, essayist, and journalist. His clear writing and strong opposition to tyranny and propaganda made him one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century. His best-known works include Animal Farm, Nineteen Eighty-Four, and the essay Politics and the English Language.