Pigs' humanization

Old Major's seminal speech had laid down a strict prohibition against adopting any human vice: no animal was to live in a house, sleep in a bed, wear clothes, drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, touch money, or engage in trade. In the immediate aftermath of the Rebellion, the animals destroyed every trace of human rule—whips, bits, nose-rings, and degrading nosebags were thrown onto a rubbish fire, and Snowball declared that ribbons, as clothes, were the mark of human beings. The farmhouse was preserved as a museum, and Boxer himself flung his straw hat into the flames. For a time, the revolutionary ideals seemed absolute.

The first cracks appeared quietly. The pigs began taking the milk and apples for themselves, arguing that brainworkers needed special nourishment. Then they moved into the farmhouse, sleeping in the beds. When Clover questioned the Fourth Commandment, Muriel read the altered text: "No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets." Squealer explained that the rule had always been against sheets, not beds. Later, after the pigs discovered a case of whisky, Napoleon was seen wearing Mr. Jones's old bowler hat and galloping around the yard. The Fifth Commandment was quietly revised to "No animal shall drink alcohol to excess." Each revision chipped away at the original code, and the other animals, told that their memories were faulty, accepted the changes.

The most dramatic break came when the pigs, one by one, began walking on their hind legs. First Squealer, awkward but balanced, strolled across the yard; then a long file of pigs followed, each making his way upright. Finally Napoleon emerged, majestically, carrying a whip in his trotter. The sheep immediately burst into a bleating of "Four legs good, two legs better!" and the moment for protest passed. The next day, the pigs supervising work all carried whips, and soon they wore Mr. Jones's clothes: Napoleon in a black coat, ratcatcher breeches, and leather leggings, his favourite sow in Mrs. Jones's watered silk dress. They bought a wireless set, installed a telephone, and subscribed to human newspapers.

The final stage of humanization was the complete rewriting of the Seven Commandments. The wall now bore only a single sentence: "All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others." The pigs openly smoked pipes, slept in beds, and drank alcohol. Napoleon hosted a dinner for neighbouring farmers, including Mr. Pilkington, and announced that the name "Animal Farm" was abolished—the farm was to be known once more as "The Manor Farm." The title "Comrade" was suppressed, the green flag was stripped of its hoof and horn, and the skull of Old Major was buried. The pigs and the humans, seated around the table, played cards and drank together, and the animals watching from outside saw that the faces of the pigs had become indistinguishable from those of the men. The revolution had returned to its starting point: the pigs were now the humans.