In Animal Farm, how does Napoleon control the food supply?

Shortly after usurping power, Napoleon abolishes Sunday Meetings and presides over a committee of pigs, which make every significant policy decision on the farm. By eliminating the animals' voice in politics, Napoleon successfully consolidates power and takes control of the farm's resources. Napoleon begins to exercise his control over the farm's food supply by introducing a system of rations, which he establishes once the animals start building the windmill. Utilizing a system of rations gives Napoleon the ability to exploit the animals' labor for food. For example, Napoleon forces the animals to work "voluntarily" by threatening to withhold their food rations.

As the story progresses, Napoleon once again demonstrates his control over the food supply by withholding the hens' food rations when they refuse to donate their eggs. During their protest, nine hens starve to death before the remaining hens capitulate. Conditions on the farm continue to worsen under Napoleon's leadership, and he constantly reduces the animals' food rations whenever he pleases. Squealer cleverly refers to these reductions as "readjustments" and announces dramatically inflated statistics regarding the farm's food supply, which are misleading and irrelevant. Napoleon even has barrels filled with sand and places grain on the top to deceive Whymper and make it seem like the farm is thriving. Overall, Napoleon controls the food supply by creating a system of rations, which he uses to exploit the animals' labor. By controlling the food supply, the animals have no leverage over the pigs and are forced to work long hours to earn their meals.

In Animal Farm, how does Napoleon control the food supply?

After the Rebellion, one of the first things that Napoleon does is take control of the food supply. In chapter 3, for example, it is revealed that he has taken the milk and apples to mix into the pigs' mash. Through Squealer, he claims that it is necessary for the pigs to have these foods because they are "brainworkers." However, by giving the pigs extra rations, Napoleon creates a division between the pigs and the other animals. It is clear that the pigs are now in charge and, as a result, they enjoy a higher standard of living.

In addition, Napoleon controls the food supply in order to make the animals work harder. In chapter 6, for instance, Napoleon introduces work on a Sunday afternoon. He says that it is "strictly voluntary" but that any animal who does not work will have their rations reduced by half. This reduction in rations ensures that all animals work on Sunday afternoons because they do not want to go hungry. This enables Napoleon to further exploit the animals without using any additional resources.

In Animal Farm, how does Napoleon control the food supply?

Napoleon uses several methods of exercising his power over the animals, one powerful method is through food. Food is what motivates most of these animals and is one big reason that motivated them to revolt in the first place. They felt that under the rule of Mr. Jones they were not given nearly enough food.

Napoleon promises more food, but he uses the animals' inability to remember as a means of controlling food distribution. He tells the animals that while it seems like they are receiving less food he is really allowing them more than Mr. Jones ever did. He is also so irresponsible with the food distribution and it is largely skewed in the pigs' favor that during the winter months the animals nearly starve and Napoleon is forced to give meager rations of food to the animals who did all the hard labor to harvest it. Again the animals do not remember and so they go along with the ration system for the good of the farm. Napoleon also uses food to threaten the animals. He even threatens to punish the hens if they do not produce more food (eggs) to be sold for money to help build the windmill.

In Animal Farm, how does Napoleon control the food supply?

Napoleon sets up a system of rations to control the dwindling food supply. He also designs the food troughs to appear full and abundant, yet in reality, he is filling them with sand and topping it off with meal. Napoleon wants to give the impression that food is plentiful.

Napoleon also uses the food supply to control the other animals. By withholding rations, he maintains power.When the chickens refuse to allow their eggs to be sold, Napoleon cuts off their rations, and declares any that provide them with food will be put to death.

In Animal Farm, how does Napoleon control the food supply?

In Animal Farm, Napoleon takes control of the food supply on the morning after the Rebellion against Mr Jones. Specifically, this occurs when Napoleon steals the milk (at the end of Chapter Two) and decides, without the consent of the other animals, that it will be mixed into the pigs' mash.

It is ironic that Napoleon seizes control of the food supply on the same day that he and the other animals have developed the Seven Commandments. While these Commandments say nothing about stealing, they promote the equality of all animals and foster a spirit of brotherhood and mutual sacrifice.

In stealing the milk, then, Napoleon contravenes this spirit and demonstrates his inner selfishness and powers of deception. This act also foreshadows the events to come in which Napoleon claims absolute power and rules the farm with an iron fist. 

In Animal Farm, how does Napoleon control the food supply?

This question deals with the themes concerning power in this novel. Napoleon is struggling at the beginning to take control of Animal Farm. He is battling for dominance with Snowball, who seems to oppose him on every issue. 

Napoleon exerts his power in this novel by the same means in which he establishes it to begin with, force. He takes the dogs away from their mother and "educates" them in private where he trains them to obey him alone. These dogs become his force. They chase off Snowball so Napoleon can take control, and when some of the other pigs begin to object, the dogs "growl threateningly" and shut everyone up. Napoleon also exerts his power by eliminating everyone who stands against him. He kills anyone who might possibly become a threat to his supremacy.

Napoleon manipulates the other animals as well. He takes advantage of the fact that they are not smart enough to catch him in his lies. He changes the "Commandments" knowing that the other animals will not be able to prove anything. He oppresses the other animals, just like Jones before him, by working them so hard they lack the energy to revolt. He also shuts down all the education classes for older animals so they cannot educate themselves and see what is really going on. 

How does Napoleon hide the food shortage in Animal Farm from the outside world?

You can find the answer to this in Chapter 7, right near to the beginning.  The short answer is that Napoleon decides that they will use the lawyer, Mr. Whymper, to spread lies around among the people.  That will prevent the people from knowing what is going on on Animal Farm.

Mr. Whymper is not going to know he is lying.  Instead, they are going to trick him.  They'll fill bins with sand and put a bit of grain on top to make it look like the bin is heaping with grain, for example.  Mr. Whymper will see that stuff and he will tell the other people.