Animal Farm is an allegorical and dystopian novel by George Orwell, published in 1945. The main action of Animal Farm stands for the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the early years of the Soviet Union.

Old Major, a boar, gathers the animals of the Manor Farm for a meeting in the big barn. He tells them of a dream he has had in which all animals live together with no human beings to oppress or control them. Moreover he teaches them a revolutionary song called “Beasts of England”. The animals greet Major’s vision with great enthusiasm. After he dies the animals rebel under the leadership of Snowball and Napoleon against Mr. Jones, the farmer and drive him off the farm, renaming it “Animal Farm”. Moreover they adopt Seven Commandments of Animalism, their philosophy, the most important of which is, „All animals are equal.“

Snowball works at teaching the animals to read, and Napoleon takes a group of young puppies to educate them in the principles of Animalism. When Mr. Jones reappears to take back his farm, the animals defeat him again, in what comes to be known as the Battle of the Cowshed. As time passes Napoleon and Snowball increasingly quibble about the future of the farm. When Snowball announces his plans to build a windmill, Napoleon has his dogs chase Snowball away and declares himself as the only leader of the farm.

Napoleon now quickly changes his mind about the windmill, and the animals, especially Boxer, devote their efforts to completing it. After the windmill is destroyed by a storm, Napoleon blames Snowball and uses him as a scapegoat. With his leadership unquestioned, Napoleon begins expanding his powers, rewriting history to make Snowball a villain. Napoleon also begins to act more and more like a human being - sleeping in a bed, drinking whisky, and engaging in trade with neighbouring farmers.

Mr Frederick, one of the neighbouring farmers, attacks the farm, using blasting powder to blow up the restored windmill. In this battle Boxer receives major wounds, which weaken him. When Boxer becomes too weak to work, Napoleon sends him to the knackers in order to get money for whisky.

Years pass on Animal Farm, and the pigs become more and more like human beings - walking upright, carrying whips, and wearing clothes. Eventually, the seven principles of Animalism, known as the Seven Commandments and inscribed on the side of the barn, become reduced to a single principle reading “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

Napoleon holds a dinner party for the pigs and local farmers, with whom he celebrates a new alliance. Looking in at the party through the farmhouse window, the common animals can no longer tell which are the pigs and which are the human beings.

Napoleon prizes power over ideas, unlike Snowball. Napoleon is cowardly, shrewd, calculating, and selfish. While he fully supports the revolution against Mr. Jones, he cares more about his own power than he does about the ideals of the revolution. His selfishness leads him to build a totalitarian government based on terror and lies that gives him more power over the other animals than Mr. Jones ever had. Napoleon personifies Stalin, who led the Soviet Union from 1927 until his death in 1953.

Snowball is a more lively, original, and intelligent pig than Napoleon, but he is less shrewd in the ways of power. Snowball values the ideals of the revolution more than Napoleon does. In the end, despite Snowball's bravery in supporting the revolution, his political naiveté is no match for Napoleon's cunning. Snowball embodies Trotsky, a rival of Stalin exiled from Russian and assassinated on Stalin's orders in Mexico in 1940.

He creates the ideas behind Animalism and inspires the other animals to rebel. As a prize boar, Old Major has lived a relatively privileged life among the animals. This privileged life has given him the time to think about and understand fully the ways that humans exploit and enslave animals. Old Major's ideas inspire the animals' revolution, though Old Major dies before the revolution occurs. Old Major personifies both Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin, the fathers of Communism.

Whenever the pigs violate the tenets of Animalism, Squealer persuades the other animals that the pigs are actually acting in everyone's best interest. Squealer represents the Soviet press, which Stalin controlled throughout his rule.

Strong and hardworking, Boxer is extremely honorable, though not so intelligent. Boxer believes deeply in the revolution, so much so that he thinks the Animal Farm leader, who also leads the revolution, must be virtuous and wise. Boxer embodies the male working class and peasants of the Soviet Union and especially Alexey Stakhanov.

Mr. Jones is the farmer of Manor Farm, who exploits the animals. He embodies the Russian Tsar.

Mr. Frederick, one of the neighbours embodies Hitler.

Jessie, Bluebell, Pincher, and the nine attack dogs provide the pigs with the brute force necessary to terrorize the other animals. In return, the dogs receive special privileges. The dogs don't rule, but they live comfortably. The dogs symbolize the Soviet secret police.