Chapter Two: Summary and Analysis

There is a significant description of the physical aspects of the farm in this chapter. These details are especially important since they lay bare the differences between this farm and other animal farms. Mr. Jones’ farm is isolated from the rest of the farms and is sufficiently large and bountiful enough to sustain all the animals it houses.

The death of Old Major is one of the most important developments in this chapter. Though he inspired the animals with his dream, Old Major could only manage to evoke vague ideas of revolution, and the animals are rather unprepared for rebellion. Three pigs emerge as potential leaders of this impending rebellion: Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer. That each of them is a pig may be seen as a reflection of the human state of affairs: in real life, comrades in leadership positions were not from the working class, and, accordingly, they were also more educated than the average person.

The animals develop their philosophy of Animalism in their nightly secret meetings. That these meetings take place in secret is analogous to how the revolutionaries met before, and even during, the Bolshevik Revolution. In the sleeping Mr. Jones, readers can also infer a reference to the unwitting nobility, who prior to the Bolshevik Revolution, were unaware of preparations for revolutionary activities conducted right under their nose. The ideas of Animalism can also be linked to Marxism. Much like Marxism, Animalism would also later become a tool of propaganda, even though it was not intended to be one. Some animals are seen resisting the ideals of Animalism. This, too, could be a reflection of ground reality, as some people, even those belonging to the proletariat, actively resisted the ideals of Socialism.

Two animals in particular will present challenges for the animal rebellion: Mollie and Moses. Mollie is a carriage horse who has grown accustomed to the better treatment she receives due to her elevated position in the animals’ social structure. Notably, she is allowed hair ribbons and sugar cubes. Even though her concerns seem trivial to others, her perks are very important to her. Orwell seems to be hinting at the condition and preferences of the bourgeoisie through Mollie; the bourgeoisie were predominantly against the revolution since they feared it would gravely endanger their esteemed position, comfort, and power.

However, Mollie’s questioning of the rebellion is not based on her fondness for Mr. Jones; in fact, Mollie does not ever openly condone Jones’ behavior. Moses, on the other hand, has a more concrete position. He is a symbol of the religious mode of being. He is also a spy, an agent working for humans. Moses, it can be said, stands for organized religion and the role it plays in pacifying the masses by giving them hopes and dreams of an afterlife. In a similar vein, Moses tells the animals about Sugarcandy Mountain. If animals endure their harsh treatment on Earth, he explains, they will reap their benefits in the afterlife.

Many socialists believe that religion is a means by which the upper class controls the lower class. It is this idea that Orwell seems to be hinting at with the character of Moses. Moses is not even a domesticated animal; he’s a wild bird. He has accepted Mr. Jones’ dominion merely for the benefits he can reap in the afterlife.

The difference of opinion in the barn also reflects the state of Russia prior to the Bolshevik Revolution. Many accepted the revolution with the belief that it would make their material lives better. Others accepted the revolution on account of its underlying principles. After the revolution, some people remained committed to the idea of Marxism even when they realized that the Soviet Union’s brand of communism had failed them.

One also realizes that while the animals had not necessarily embraced Old Major’s ideas, there was growing discontent among the farm animals nonetheless. They were aware of the fact that they were being neglected by Mr. Jones and his workers. The animals were, however, still not sufficiently upset or prepared to plan a rebellion. Thus, the animal rebellion, when it comes, seems all too sudden.

One day, Mr. Jones goes to town to get drunk. However, he forgets to feed the animals before leaving. Out of hunger, one of the cows breaks into the grain shed, thereby unwittingly starting a riot. Seeing this, the other animals join in, too. Had the cow not been hungry, the animal rebellion might not have taken place.

This highlights one more important idea of Marxism and Socialism: workers’ discontent with material reality can bring about radical change by urging the working class to resist their oppressors; sometimes this might also involve taking up arms. The bourgeoisie might appease the lower classes every now and then, but growing discontent can urge the latter into revolutionary action. The pigs in the farm are smart enough to turn this revolt into a proper rebellion. In the Bolshevik Revolution, the revolutionaries killed all members of the royal family. The animals do no such thing here, and it may seem like Orwell’s version of rebellion eschews violence. However, violence is not far away, as we will see later on.

Napoleon, in particular, does not hesitate to kill in his bid to maintain control over others. Once they start gaining control over the farm, the animals start removing traces of human domination. First, they destroy the tools that humans have used to dominate the animals. They sing “Beasts of England” during their bonfire. In fact, the song now serves as their anthem. Though they initially think they should destroy the farm house, they decide to keep it as a museum to remind and warn them of the travails of life under human domination. This is an ingenious rhetorical device and a foreshadowing of the bad things to come: the pigs, as we’ll see, go on to become the sort of rulers the animals had always despised.

There are two more important elements in this chapter. Firstly, Snowball and Napoleon call for a meeting; they dramatically go over to the farm’s gate and cross out “Manor Farm” and write “Animal Farm” instead. Notably, they are the only literate animals in the farm. This aspect, too, mirrors the class divisions during the Russian Revolution, as only the educated elite could read and write competently. The second interesting element involves the cows who start to go low since they have not been milked. The incident shows that humans see cows solely as milk-producing beings and that they don’t really care for the cows’ welfare. The pigs are later able to relieve the cows by milking them, but, as readers will find out at a later stage, milk becomes a critical issue in the novel.