Summaries

Synopsis

In the 1940s, Mr. Jones, the owner of Manor Farm, invites the Pilkingtons to a gathering to talk about his debts. That night, the animals gather in a meeting where Old Major, the Middle White boar, explains that humanity is their enemy and that they can overthrow the human race and take control of Manor Farm for themselves, calling for a life of equality and prosperity. Major teaches them a song called "Beasts of the World", but while the animals are singing, Jones, hearing the noise coming from the barn, goes to investigate, only to accidentally shoot and kill Major.

Jones goes into town for a drink without feeding the animals. Upon returning, Boxer, Manor Farm's shire horse, helps the animals break into the food shed. They accidentally awaken Jones, but the animals quickly rebel against. Jones flees with his wife and men into town.

A young boar named Snowball takes control of Manor Farm, renaming it "Animal Farm" and putting down the Seven Commandments of "Animalism".

Meanwhile, a zookeeper adopts nine wolf pups from North Carolina as Jessie's puppies. Napoleon, a Berkshire boar, calls for a secret meeting in which he has Pincher, a farm dog, swear loyalty to him, and gets hold of Jessie's puppies to train up as he likes. The pigs secretly begin hoarding apples and milk for themselves.

Learning that Jones is now homeless, Pilkington leads an invasion into Animal Farm with some villagers and locals led by Frederick. Snowball has planned for this and the animals launch a counter-attack. The men flee. Pilkington considers working with the animals.

Snowball's plans to build a windmill to better the animals' lives are opposed by Napoleon, who summons nine gigantic wolves to chase Snowball out of the farm. Napoleon decrees the pigs will decide the future, and the animals begin to build the windmill. Pilkington learns that the animals can speak English and that they can trade. Jessie tells that she saw the pigs living in the farmhouse and sleeping in the beds. Later that night at the Red Lion Inn, Pilkington laughs at how he's been taking advantage of Napoleon's inexperience, selling him cheap farm equipment.

Jones conspires with his wife to sabotage Animal Farm. Napoleon blames it on Snowball, pigs consume more food, blame Snowball for the food shortage, and that the hens will have to surrender their eggs to the market. When the hens oppose, Napoleon makes feeding a hen punishable by death. Napoleon's assistant Squealer begins making propaganda films. It is revealed that the alcohol and killing commandments were altered into "no animal shall drink alcohol to excess" and "no animal shall kill another animal without cause". Jealous farmers led by Frederick attack Animal Farm and Jones blows up the windmill with himself inside. The animals win the battle at a great cost of lives.

During the rebuilding of the windmill, Boxer is injured. When the time comes for Boxer to be transported, Jessie and Benjamin, a wise donkey, suddenly realize that the van taking him away is from the knackers. Napoleon is paid by Pilkington for selling Boxer to the knackers. That night, Jessie watches as Pilkington and his five men dine with the pigs in the farmhouse. Napoleon reverts the farm's name to Manor Farm. While watching the meeting through the warped window, Jessie sees that Napoleon and Pilkington's faces have become so alike, that she cannot tell the difference between them. Muriel the goat and Benjamin notice that the final commandment, "All animals are equal", has been extended to include "but some animals are more equal than others". Soon, the animals storm the farmhouse. The nine wolves run away from the farmhouse to the forest while the animals smash through the house, trample Mr. Pilkington and his men and Napoleon and the pigs to death, and reclaim the farm along with their freedom.