The animal populace of the poorly run Manor Farm near Willingdon, England, is ripened for rebellion by neglect at the hands of the … See more

Pigs
• Old Major – An aged prize Middle White boar provides the inspiration that fuels the rebellion. He is also called Willingdon Beauty when See more

Origin and writing
Just as Nineteen Eighty-Four would be inspired by Yevgeny Zamyatin's We, Animal Farm also had its influences: "In 1937, the year in … See more

Contemporary reviews of the work were not universally positive. Writing in the American The New Republic magazine, George Soule … See more

George Orwell's Animal Farm is an example of a political satire and an allegory that was intended to have a "wider application", … See more

Publishing
Orwell initially encountered difficulty getting the manuscript published, largely due to fears that the book might upset the alliance between Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union. Four publishers refused … See more

Animalism
Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer adapt Old Major's ideas into "a complete system of thought", which they formally name Animalism, an allegoric reference to Communism, not to be confused with the philosophy of Animalism See more