Animalism

Animalism is the system of thought that forms the ideological foundation of Animal Farm, elaborated by the pigs from the dying speech of Old Major and codified into the Seven Commandments. It begins as a revolutionary doctrine promising liberation from human tyranny and equality among all animals, but is progressively distorted by Napoleon and his followers into a justification for their own privilege and tyranny, culminating in the final commandment that "All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others."

Origins and Principles

Animalism was created by the three leading pigs—Napoleon, Snowball, and Squealer—who elaborated Old Major's teachings into a complete system of thought in the months following his death. They held secret meetings several nights a week in the Big Barn after Mr. Jones was asleep, expounding the principles of Animalism to the other animals. The system faced initial resistance: some animals spoke of loyalty to Mr. Jones as "Master," others asked why they should care about events after their own deaths, and Mollie, the white mare, inquired whether sugar and ribbons would still be available after the Rebellion. The pigs had to argue against the lies spread by Moses the raven about Sugarcandy Mountain, a paradise where clover was always in season and lump sugar grew on hedges. The most faithful disciples of Animalism were the cart-horses Boxer and Clover, who, having great difficulty thinking for themselves, absorbed everything the pigs taught and passed it on to others through simple arguments. The principles were eventually reduced to the Seven Commandments, inscribed on the end wall of the Big Barn, and to a single maxim: "Four legs good, two legs bad," which Snowball argued contained the essential principle of Animalism.

The Ideology in Practice

In the early days after the Rebellion, Animalism guided the farm's operations with apparent success. The animals worked according to their capacity, nobody stole, and the harvest was completed in two days less than under Jones. The pigs, as the cleverest animals, assumed leadership naturally, directing and supervising the others. However, the ideology was quickly compromised. The milk and windfall apples were reserved for the pigs alone, with Squealer arguing that milk and apples contained substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of brainworkers, and that if the pigs failed in their duty, Jones would come back. This argument proved unanswerable, as the animals were completely certain they did not want Jones back. The pigs also began to reinterpret the Commandments to suit their needs: the Fourth Commandment against sleeping in beds was amended to read "No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets," and the Fifth Commandment against alcohol became "No animal shall drink alcohol TO EXCESS." Squealer explained that a too rigid equality in rations would be contrary to the principles of Animalism, and that the word "readjustment" should be used instead of "reduction." The pigs also made excellent speeches on the joy of service and the dignity of labour, but the other animals found more inspiration in Boxer's strength and his cry of "I will work harder!"

Distortion and Corruption

After Snowball's expulsion, Napoleon's control over Animalism became absolute. The windmill project, which Napoleon had originally opposed, was claimed as his own creation, with Squealer explaining that Napoleon had only seemed to oppose it as a tactic to get rid of Snowball. The ideology was used to justify the executions of animals accused of being Snowball's agents, with the Sixth Commandment silently amended to read "No animal shall kill any other animal WITHOUT CAUSE." The pigs moved into the farmhouse, slept in the beds, and eventually took to wearing Mr. Jones's clothes and walking on their hind legs. The sheep were taught to bleat "Four legs good, two legs BETTER!" to normalize this transformation. The song 'Beasts of England,' which had been the anthem of the Rebellion, was abolished on the grounds that the Rebellion was now completed. In its place, Minimus composed a new song praising Napoleon. The farm grew richer, but the animals themselves did not—except for the pigs and dogs. Squealer explained that the pigs had to expend enormous labours on mysterious things called "files," "reports," "minutes," and "memoranda," which were written on large sheets of paper and then burnt in the furnace.

Final Transformation

By the end of the novel, Animalism had been completely inverted. The Seven Commandments on the wall had been reduced to a single principle: "ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS." The pigs carried whips, wore clothes, and entertained human farmers at the farmhouse. Napoleon himself appeared in a black coat, ratcatcher breeches, and leather leggings, smoking a pipe. The name "Animal Farm" was abolished and the farm reverted to its original name, "The Manor Farm." The green flag was stripped of its hoof and horn symbols, becoming a plain green flag. The custom of addressing one another as "Comrade" was suppressed. When the animals looked through the dining-room window at the pigs and human farmers playing cards together, they could no longer tell which was which. The ideology that had begun as a promise of liberation and equality had become indistinguishable from the human tyranny it was meant to overthrow.