Contents
Chapter 3
Overview
The animals’ first season is productive as the pigs assume leadership and direct labor, while Boxer becomes the farm’s tireless workhorse. Snowball organizes committees and reduces Animalism to a simple slogan, but Napoleon rejects this approach and secretly takes the puppies. Squealer secures milk and apples for the pigs by invoking the threat of Jones’s return, cementing the pigs’ privileged status.
Summary
Through the summer, the animals complete an exceptionally successful harvest despite tools made for humans. The pigs do not labor but supervise, asserting natural leadership through knowledge. Boxer becomes indispensable, rises earlier to volunteer, and adopts “I will work harder!” as his motto. Most animals contribute faithfully, though Mollie shirks and the cat vanishes during work.
On Sundays, the animals hoist a green flag with hoof and horn, then hold Meetings where pigs propose and debate weekly plans. Snowball and Napoleon oppose each other on nearly every resolution. The pigs claim the harness-room as headquarters and study practical arts.
Snowball organizes numerous Animal Committees and literacy classes; the committees largely fail, but reading and writing spread. Many animals become partly literate, though most cannot memorize the Seven Commandments. Snowball condenses Animalism into “Four legs good, two legs bad,” which the sheep eagerly repeat.
Napoleon dismisses the committees, insisting the education of the young matters more. After Jessie and Bluebell whelp, Napoleon removes their nine puppies for private education in seclusion, and the farm soon forgets them.
The vanished milk is revealed to be mixed into the pigs’ mash. When windfall apples appear, an order reserves them for pigs. Squealer persuades the others that pigs, as brainworkers, need milk and apples to keep the farm from failing—and warns that otherwise Jones might return. Fearing Jones’s return, the animals accept the pigs’ exclusive rations, entrenching the pigs’ privilege.
Who Appears
- SnowballLeads debates, designs the flag, forms committees, promotes literacy, and condenses Animalism to “Four legs good, two legs bad.”
- NapoleonOpposes Snowball, dismisses committees, takes Jessie and Bluebell’s puppies for secret education, supports pigs’ exclusive rations.
- BoxerTireless worker whose motto is “I will work harder!” Volunteers early and bears the heaviest labor.
- SquealerJustifies pigs consuming milk and apples by claiming scientific necessity and warning of Jones’s return.
- CloverHardworking mare; learns the alphabet but struggles to form words.
- BenjaminSkeptical donkey; literate but dismissive, unchanged in attitude after the Rebellion.
- MollieShirks work, rises late, learns only the letters of her name and admires them.
- The CatAvoids labor, offers excuses, briefly promotes comradeship to birds while seeking advantage.
- MurielGoat who reads better than the dogs and shares scraps of newspaper with others.
- Jessie and BluebellMother dogs whose nine puppies are taken by Napoleon for secluded education.
- The SheepEmbrace and chant the maxim “Four legs good, two legs bad,” reinforcing simplified doctrine.