Animals' Rebellion: The Dream of Old Major - Essay Sample

Introduction

One night when Mr. Jones is drunk, all animals in his Manor Farm gather in a barn to listen to Old Major, a pig who is dying. The pig, Old Major, shares his dream with the group; in his dream, all animals are free from the tyranny of humans, and they live with freedom. Old Major dies, but his dream inspires the remaining animals to plot a rebellion against their master, Mr. Jones. Among the animals, the most vocal, the ones who prove to be decisive and significant leaders are two pigs, Snowball and Napoleon. The revolution soon occurs when the drunk Mr. Jones forgets to feed the animals. The Manor Farm is renamed Animal Farm, and a list of commandments that will guide the animals at the farm is drafted.

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The rebellion is a massive success from the beginning; every Sunday, the animals gather for a meeting where the farm policies are discussed. Snowball and Napoleon supervise the farm; however, the two pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, have conflicting views on how the farm should be run. Napoleon is hungry for power and steals food, including Apples and milk for himself and other pigs. Unlike Napoleon, Snowball seems more constructive, fair, and generally a good leader. At the Battles of the Cowshed, where Jones attempts to reclaim the farm, Snowball applies his tactics to the battle that help ambush the humans. Snowball later drafts a plan for a windmill that will provide the farm with electricity and provide the animals with a more comfortable life. Napoleon, however, seems to disagree with the plan; this is made clear by his unsuccessful attempt to drive Snowball out of the farm using his friends, ferocious dogs.

Because many of the animals at the farm are behind the ideas of Snowball and believe in them, they protect him when Napoleon tries to attack him. Soon after an election is held, where the animals vote for an undisputed leader between Napoleon and Snowball, Snowball wins by a large margin. Because of his ill motives, Napoleon is soon chased away from the farm and ends up in another farm supervised by a human, Fredrick. Back at the Animal Farm, the animals put joined effort at building the windmill, and when finished, it proves to be a success. The revolution continues gaining momentum; Snowball is a good leader who apart from the windmill, oversees other successful projects. The farm is dependent on itself; everything is produced at the farm, and no trade is conducted with the neighboring farms (Orwell). A justice system is set up where offenders are rightly judged by going through the justice system.

The commandments set up by the farm remain unchanged. A work reward system is set up where hardworking animals like Boxer are rewarded handsomely for their efforts. The animals sing revolution songs and anthems; they curse the days when they were in human’s bondage. Soon after, other animals from other farms hear of the success the Animal Farm’ revolution has had. The animals begin staging rebellions against their masters and chasing them away from the farm. Napoleon, by now, has died at the hands of Fredrick, his new master after he was put through excessive torture. Almost all animals in the area are now free of their masters, and by day, the revolution continues gaining momentum and proving successful. Soon the revolution message, “four legs is good, two legs are bad,” reaches the whole country. Most animals free themselves from the bondage of humans in the whole country, the revolution has been a success, and the animals have Snowball to thank for it. The dreams of the Old Major come true.

Work Cited

Orwell, George. 1984 & Animal Farm. Text Publishing, 2017