Animal Farm - Key plot details
- Old Major, the prize boar, calls a secret meeting of all the farm animals on Manor Farm. He states that a rebellion against their human master, Mr Jones, will one day come.
- A cow starts the rebellion by walking into the store-shed. The animals end up chasing Mr Jones off the farm.
- Now they are free, the animals all agree on the Seven Commandments that they will live by. The farm is renamed 'Animal Farm'. There is hope for a better future.
- The pigs start to order the other animals around and take more food than they should.
- The animals bravely fight off a human attempt to retake the farm, this becomes known as 'The Battle of the Cowshed'.
- The animals set to work building a windmill and Napoleon takes charge.
- Napoleon reduces the rations and rights of the animals and starts breaking the commandments. There is another invasion by the men and the windmill is blown up. Boxer collapses whilst rebuilding it for the second time.
- Napoleon and the other pigs learn to walk on their hind legs, wear human clothes and carry whips. Despite all their hard work, the animals of the farm are right back to where they began, hungry, scared and exploited by those in charge.