Manor Farm

Manor Farm. English farm at which the entire novel is set. When the novel opens, it is called Manor Farm and is run by a farmer named Jones. These names indicate that this farm stands for any farm, or any place, and that the entire novel should be read as an allegory. However, since Orwell wrote in the introduction to the Ukrainian edition that he wanted to expose the Soviet myth, Animal Farm also stands for the Soviet Union in particular. When the animals take over the farm, they rename it Animal Farm; when the pigs revert to the name Manor Farm in the final pages of the book, the complete failure of the animals’ revolution is indicated. No animal leaves the farm unless it is a traitor (Molly), declared an enemy of the state (Snowball), or sold to the enemy to be killed (Boxer). When they do leave, the animals rewrite history. Animal Farm is like the Soviet Union in having its own official history that serves the purposes of its rulers.

Orwell’s love of animals and his practice of raising his own vegetables and animals are clear in his loving description of the farm; his socialist politics come through in his sympathies with the animals as real workers and in his descriptions of the barn.

Farmhouse

Farmhouse. House in which Jones originally lived. Like the farm, the farmhouse is perfectly ordinary, until the animals drive the humans from what the humans see as their rightful place. The farmhouse symbolizes the seat of government; no real work is done there. When the pigs move into the farmhouse, it is a sign that the revolution will fail. The novel closes with the other animals, the workers, watching through the windows of the farmhouse as the pigs meet with Mr. Pilkington to toast the renaming of Animal Farm as Manor Farm. This symbolizes the tendency of rulers to ignore the abuses suffered by the common people in all countries, British socialism’s betrayal of the worker in particular, and how the animals/workers are always excluded from gatherings of their leaders.

Barn

Barn. Originally an ordinary barn used for work, shelter, and storage. Under the rule of the animals, the barn becomes a meeting place, a place to resolve disputes, and the place where all legitimate political decisions are made. The barn is where all the real work is done, and it is where the revolution is born. The laws of Animal Farm are painted on the side of the barn.

Foxwood

Foxwood. One of farms bordering Manor Farm. Foxwood is described as large and neglected, with run-down hedges. It represents England, with its substandard military and ill-kept borders. Its clumsy but easygoing owner Mr. Pilkington symbolizes British politicians.

Pinchfield

Pinchfield. Another of the neighboring farms. Pinchfield is described as smaller and better kept than Foxwood. It symbolizes Germany; its owner, Mr. Frederick, stands for Hitler. Pinchfield and Foxwood put pressure on the animals’ revolution, are threatened by it, and threaten it in turn. Jones asks for help after the animals’ rebellion, and the farmers reject his plea, as the nations of Europe rejected the pleas from the displaced czars. The business deals between farms symbolize the political deals in which the Soviet Communists sold out their own people.

Sugarcandy Mountain

Sugarcandy Mountain. Imaginary utopia in the preachings of Moses, the raven. Sugarcandy Mountain is animal heaven. Moses is useful to Jones because he preaches a dream beyond this life and keeps the animals pacified, but Moses leaves when the animals actually try to establish a utopia on earth. At the end of the book, he is not only back, but actively supported by the pigs. This indicates that the idea of heaven is threatening to real revolutionaries, but that tyrants find it useful for their subjects to have another realm about which to dream.

The story unfolds on Manor Farm, which is renamed Animal Farm after the animals oust Mr. Jones, the farmer, from the property. Unlike a typical barnyard, the animals take over the farmer's responsibilities. Their ambitions are lofty; they inscribe seven commandments on the barn wall, such as "All animals are created equal" and "Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy," thereby asserting their authority.

They construct a windmill—a source of much dispute—that is rebuilt multiple times after being destroyed first by a storm and later by a group of farmers using dynamite. Initially, the animals vow to maintain the manor house as a museum, but as the power dynamics shift, the pigs take residence in the house, making it their stronghold.

The farmhouse comes to represent the new totalitarian regime of the pigs and reflects the altered commandment: "All animals are created equal but some animals are more equal than others." By confining all events to the farmyard, Orwell crafts a microcosm of society.

Throughout his career, Orwell is often seen as having evolved both creatively and perceptively as a writer. However, he neither warranted nor received recognition as a groundbreaking literary innovator. Orwell's unique combination of moral commitment and social commentary set him apart as a significant voice for his generation. Yet, his body of work remains notably consistent in structure and tone. A highly disciplined writer, Orwell consistently used language to advance plots while delving into thematic issues. This is particularly evident in Animal Farm, a creative exploration of the interplay between language and political strategy.

Written in a clear, subtle, and straightforward narrative style, Animal Farm evokes vivid imagery and a striking clarity of purpose. As a political allegory, Animal Farm was conceived as a beast fable, the perfect medium for Orwell to convey his sensitive and unconventional message. By doing so, Orwell effectively used irony to express human traits embodied by the farm animals. The novel, interspersed with religious undertones, begins with a relatively light tone but gradually descends into a dark and debilitating void. Ultimately, the story concludes with a profound sense of futility and loss as even the memory of the revolution fades into quiet oblivion.

Created as an allegorical beast fable, Animal Farm draws from an artistic tradition attributed to Aesop, dating back to the seventh century B.C. Popular in nearly every literary period, the beast fable is often designed to satirize human folly and offer moral lessons. An avid reader, Orwell was undoubtedly influenced by the works of the seventeenth-century French writer La Fontaine and, in his own century, by Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Books and Just So Stories.

Additionally, Orwell clearly belongs to an impressive lineage of English satirists, particularly those of the eighteenth century, such as Dryden, Swift, and Pope. Animal Farm is frequently and aptly compared to Swift's Gulliver's Travels for its ability to entertain while simultaneously critiquing human kindness and decency. In the twentieth century, satire in fictional narratives, as seen in Animal Farm, is commonly used to criticize with the aim of fostering improvement. In this context, Orwell joins the ranks of diverse writers like Evelyn Waugh, Mark Twain, Sinclair Lewis, and Aldous Huxley.

Orwell, known for his disciplined writing, masterfully used language to advance the plot while delving into thematic elements. This skill is particularly evident in Animal Farm, a creative exploration of the relationship between language and political strategy. Written in a clear, subtle, and straightforward style, Animal Farm conjures vivid imagery and a sharp clarity of purpose. Though the novel begins with a relatively light tone, it gradually transforms into a foreboding and oppressive void. By the end, the novel imparts a profound sense of futility and loss, as the memory of the revolution fades into silent and passive oblivion.

Orwell envisioned Animal Farm as an allegorical beast fable, drawing inspiration from a literary tradition attributed to Aesop and dating back to the seventh century B.C. This genre, popular in nearly every literary period, is often used to satirize human foolishness and provide moral lessons. A voracious reader, Orwell was likely influenced by the works of seventeenth-century French writer La Fontaine, as well as Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book and Just So Stories in his own century.

Orwell clearly follows in the footsteps of a distinguished line of English satirists, especially those from the eighteenth century such as Dryden, Swift, and Pope. Animal Farm is frequently and aptly compared to Swift's Gulliver's Travels for its ability to both entertain and critique the limitations of human kindness and decency. In the twentieth century, satire is often used in fictional narratives, as seen in Animal Farm, to offer criticism with the goal of improvement. In this regard, Orwell aligns with diverse writers like Evelyn Waugh, Mark Twain, Sinclair Lewis, and Aldous Huxley. By merging political and artistic purposes, Orwell's beast fable marked a significant departure from his earlier works but became an immensely successful literary endeavor and possibly his most notable creative achievement.