Snowball's preparation

After Old Major died in his sleep, the pigs—recognized as the cleverest animals—took on the work of teaching and organizing the others. Pre-eminent among them were two young boars, Snowball and Napoleon. Snowball was more vivacious than Napoleon, quicker in speech and more inventive, though not considered to have the same depth of character. Together with Squealer, a small fat pig with a shrill voice and a persuasive manner, they elaborated Old Major's teachings into a complete system of thought called Animalism. Old Major had taught them that their lives were miserable and short, and that all their labor was stolen by Man. Several nights a week, after Mr. Jones was asleep, they held secret meetings in the barn and expounded the principles of Animalism to the other animals. At first they met with much stupidity and apathy. Some animals remained loyal to Mr. Jones, calling him 'Master' and fearing that without him they would starve. Others questioned why they should care about a rebellion that might not happen in their lifetimes. The most foolish questions came from Mollie, the white mare, who asked whether there would still be sugar and ribbons after the Rebellion. Snowball firmly told her there would be no sugar and that ribbons were the badge of slavery.

Boxer and Clover, the two cart-horses, became the most faithful disciples of the pigs. They had great difficulty thinking for themselves, but once they accepted the pigs as their teachers, they absorbed everything and passed it on to the other animals through simple arguments. They attended every secret meeting without fail and led the singing of 'Beasts of England,' which always ended the gatherings.

The Rebellion itself came sooner than expected, largely because Mr. Jones had fallen on evil days. He had become disheartened and drunkard, his fields were neglected, and his animals were underfed. On Midsummer's Eve, Jones got drunk at the Red Lion and did not return until midday on Sunday. The men milked the cows and then went rabbiting without feeding the animals. When Jones came back, he fell asleep, and by evening the animals were still unfed. One of the cows broke into the store-shed, and the animals began to help themselves. Jones and his four men arrived with whips, but the animals—though nothing had been planned—flung themselves upon their tormentors and drove them off the farm. The Rebellion was achieved.

Immediately after the expulsion of Jones, Snowball acted to erase the symbols of human tyranny. He threw the ribbons from the horses' manes onto the rubbish fire, declaring that ribbons should be considered clothes, which are the mark of a human being. Then, with the help of Napoleon and Squealer, he painted a green flag using an old tablecloth of Mrs. Jones's, marking it with a hoof and a horn. The flag was hoisted every Sunday morning to represent the green fields of England and the future Republic of the Animals. After the flag, the animals assembled in the big barn for the Meeting, where the week's work was planned and resolutions were debated. It was always the pigs who put forward the resolutions.

During the winter that followed, Snowball and Napoleon fell into bitter disputes over every aspect of farm policy. They disagreed on what crops to plant and on the correct retiring age for each class of animal. Snowball often won the majority at the Meetings with his brilliant speeches, but Napoleon was better at canvassing support outside the meetings. Their rivalry deepened, and the farm was divided into two factions. Ultimately, Napoleon used his trained dogs to expel Snowball, ending his influence on the farm.

Once Snowball was gone, the pigs continued to consolidate their power. Snowball had been part of the decision to reserve milk and apples for the pigs. Squealer argued that the pigs, as brainworkers, needed these foods to preserve their health, and that the animals should accept this sacrifice to prevent the return of Jones. Snowball's agreement to this policy showed that he, like Napoleon, believed in the pigs' special role. His preparation had laid the groundwork for the pigs' leadership, but his expulsion marked the beginning of a more authoritarian regime.