Chapter 1

“Mr Jones, of Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the popholes.” Beyond establishing the setting of the novella, the opening sentence portrays Mr Jones as a drunken and negligent farm owner, immediately prompting audiences to question the ethical integrity of his character. The matter-of-fact tone establishes a banality that suggests that this event is in fact an everyday occurrence.

“As soon as the light in the bedroom went out, there was a stirring and fluttering” – the stark contrast between Mr Jones’ dormancy and the animals’ sudden activity reveals a sense of uneasiness amongst the animals of Manor Farm. It suggests that the animals are unwilling to go about their normal routines with Mr Jones in proximity, especially in his drunken state. Through the characterisation of Mr Jones as a domineering figure, Orwell generates a contextual understanding of the Tsarist Empire which subjugated the Russian populace through its autocratic rule.

“Old Major (so he was always called, though the name under which he had been exhibited was Willingdon Beauty).” The use of parentheses helps to deliberately establish a heterodiegetic narrative voice that contextualises the novella as a fable. In this sense, Orwell constructs a political critique that becomes more accessible to a diverse range of audiences due to its allegorical form.

“Major was already ensconced on his bed of straw, under a lantern which hung from a beam.” This representation of Major combines the historical personalities of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin, both of whom were influential forces leading up to the upheaval of the Tsarist regime. Marx was a German philosopher whose political ideas formed the foundations of communism and socialism. Devoted to the ideals of communism, Lenin was a figurehead of the Bolshevik Party and was instrumental in leading the Russian Revolution of 1917. Here, the visual imagery is able to subtly capture Major’s aura of prominence and defines his status as a revered member of the farm.

“Boxer was an enormous beast, nearly 18 hands high, and as strong as two ordinary horses put together.” In this short biographical passage, we are introduced to the other farm animals such as Boxer, who is exemplified as a stoic figure through Orwell’s simile. Boxer is a character of notable importance throughout the chapters of the novella as he symbolises the proletariat, who endured long and gruelling working hours in poor conditions during the early 20th century.

“What is the nature of this life of ours? Let’s face it: our lives are miserable.” Major’s hypophora emphasises the undeniable oppression the animals are faced with under the control of Mr Jones. The truncated answer with the use of the collective pronoun “our” becomes a bleak summation of life for all on Manor Farm, similarly, capturing the social landscape under the despotic autocracy of Tsar Nicholas II. Due to the incompetence of Tsar Nicholas II and Russia’s hefty losses in World War I, there was an increasing sense of discontent amongst the population as many people began to question the capabilities of their leader.

“Those who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength.” Here, Orwell hyperbolically conveys the atmosphere of overarching subjugation on the farm by emphasising the arduous workload that is unfairly placed upon the animals. Here, audiences are provided with insight into the blatant perversion of freedom experienced by the working class.

“The life of an animal is misery and slavery.” In this terse sentence, Major metaphorically relegates the life of an animal to a simple tool used to benefit mankind and punctuates an inevitable fate that the animals are faced with. Thus, Orwell generates a macabre image of existence that reflected the plight of many citizens in the Russian working class.

“This single farm of ours would support a dozen horses, twenty cows, hundreds of sheep.” Through cumulative listing, Major emphasises the potential of the farm to flourish outside the control of Mr Jones by creating a vision of shared prosperity. His idealistic perspective parallels the concept of communism which called for wealth to be evenly distributed amongst the citizens.

“Why then do we continue in this miserable condition?” Major rhetorically coaxes the idea of rebellion by questioning the animals’ passivity despite their poor quality of life. Here, he uses kairos to encourage the animals to adopt an idiosyncratic mindset and consider the gross injustices of their current system.

“[Man] does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits.” Through anaphora, the speech begins to crescendo as Major proceeds to condemn mankind for the continuous struggle that the animals have endured. This particular section of Major’s speech emerges as a compelling critique of the Tsarist regime for not contributing in any meaningful way to the plight of the working class. This evokes a sense of empathy that prompts responders to support the animals’ rebellion against the humans. Subsequently, audiences are able to appreciate the power of rhetoric, which will become a prominent thematic concern throughout the novella.

“That is my message to you, comrades: Rebellion.” The capitalisation of the middle class who own most of society’s wealth and means of production. Rebellion illustrates its importance as a conclusive goal rather than a simple concept. The idea of rebellion is similarly encapsulated within the Communist Manifesto, a political text written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1848. Of particular interest is the pamphlet’s spiel on class struggle – it theorises that the exploitation of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie will inevitably lead to social revolution and an overthrow of the capitalist system. This theory of Permanent Revolution alone foreshadows events that occur later in the story.

“And above all, pass on this message of mine to those that come after you, so that future generations shall carry on the struggle until it is victorious.” This declaration of unrelenting desire for change is symbolic of enlightenment and defection from the old system of rulership. It suggests that change is a gradual process that will require dedication from not only the instigators, but those of future generations.

“All men are enemies. All animals are comrades.” – Major’s aphoristic claim creates a clear division between good and bad, essentially establishing the platform for revolution. It is a vague yet simple concept for the less intelligent animals to understand and unifies the animals against the common threat of human “enemies.”

“As he had said, his voice was hoarse, but he sang well enough, and it was a stirring tune, something between Clementine and La Cuaracha.” The anthem “Beasts of England” becomes intensely symbolic of the optimistic desire for change. Its undertones of rebellion (“for freedom’s sake”) align with the intentions of La Cuaracha, a Spanish folk song dedicated to the Mexican Revolution.

“The birds jumped onto their perches, the animals settled down in the straw, and the whole farm was asleep in a moment.” The tone of urgency created by the animals in returning to their quiet obedience is a bizarre contrast to their previous state of euphoria. Despite Major’s speech declaring rebellion, the audience is reminded that the animals are still currently powerless against Jones. This conclusion to the chapter is reminiscent of the events of Bloody Sunday 1905, where citizens who pushed for systemic political and social change were massacred at the hands of the Tsar’s Imperial Guard.