Narrator: What if a book was so dangerous that in a country priding itself on free speech, four different publishers refused to print it? Not because it was poorly written—quite the opposite—but because it told an inconvenient truth. In 1944, this was the reality for George Orwell. He had just finished a simple fable about a farm where animals overthrow their human master. Yet, one publisher, after consulting with the British Ministry of Information, rejected it. The reason? The story’s ruling pigs were seen as a too-obvious critique of the Soviet Union, Britain’s wartime ally. The official worried that publishing it would be "highly ill-advised." This struggle against voluntary censorship and intellectual cowardice wasn't just the story of the book's publication; it was a real-world echo of the very themes Orwell explored within its pages. That book, Animal Farm, became a chilling and timeless allegory of how revolutions betray their ideals and how power inevitably corrupts.

Narrator: The story begins on Manor Farm, a place of misery for its animal inhabitants under the neglectful farmer, Mr. Jones. Their lives are short, laborious, and filled with hunger. This simmering discontent is given a voice by Old Major, a wise and respected old boar. He gathers the animals for a secret meeting in the barn and shares a powerful dream—a vision of a world where animals are free from human tyranny. He argues that Man is the only creature that consumes without producing, making him the root cause of all their suffering. "Remove Man from the scene," he declares, "and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished for ever."

Old Major’s speech lays the foundation for a new ideology, which the pigs later codify as "Animalism." Its core principles are simple and powerful: whatever goes on two legs is an enemy, whatever goes on four legs or has wings is a friend, and above all, all animals are equal. He teaches them a revolutionary anthem, "Beasts of England," a song of a golden future that ignites a fire of hope and unity. Though Old Major dies soon after, the seeds of rebellion have been sown, providing a clear, intoxicating vision of a world free from oppression.

Narrator: After Mr. Jones is driven from the farm in a spontaneous uprising, the animals are ecstatic. They rename it "Animal Farm" and, under the leadership of the pigs—the cleverest of the animals—they establish the Seven Commandments of Animalism. The initial period is a success; the harvest is the biggest the farm has ever seen, and the animals feel a new sense of pride and ownership. However, the first cracks in their utopia appear almost immediately.

When the cows are milked, producing five buckets of rich, creamy milk, the animals wonder what will be done with it. Napoleon, a formidable and cunning pig, steps forward. "Never mind the milk, comrades!" he commands, "The harvest is more important." He leads the animals to the fields, and when they return that evening, the milk has vanished. It soon emerges that the milk, along with a windfall of apples, is being mixed into the pigs' mash. Squealer, a brilliant and persuasive pig who acts as Napoleon's propagandist, is sent to explain. He tells the other animals that the pigs, as the brainworkers, need the milk and apples to preserve their health. Using fear as his primary tool, he asks, "Surely, comrades, there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?" The animals, terrified of that possibility, agree without another word. This small act of appropriation marks the first step in the pigs' ascent to a privileged ruling class, betraying the core principle of equality.

Narrator: The leadership of the farm quickly coalesces around two pigs: Snowball, an eloquent and visionary idealist, and Napoleon, a quiet but ruthless tactician. Their rivalry comes to a head over the construction of a windmill. Snowball argues passionately that a windmill could generate electricity, automating labor and creating a life of leisure for all. Napoleon argues against it, claiming the animals should focus on food production.

The farm becomes deeply divided. At the final debate, just as Snowball's impassioned speech seems to have won over the animals, Napoleon lets out a high-pitched whimper. Nine enormous dogs—puppies Napoleon had secretly raised—burst into the barn and chase Snowball off the farm. With his rival gone, Napoleon, flanked by his new security force, announces the end of all debates and Sunday Meetings. A special committee of pigs will now make all decisions. Fear and intimidation have replaced democratic discussion. Shortly after, Napoleon announces that the windmill will be built after all. Squealer explains that the windmill was Napoleon’s idea all along, and that his opposition was merely a "tactic" to get rid of the dangerous influence of Snowball, who is now branded a criminal. This becomes the new pattern: Snowball is blamed for every misfortune, from a collapsed windmill to stolen corn, becoming the perfect, ever-present enemy to unite the animals in fear and loyalty to Napoleon.

Narrator: As the pigs consolidate their power, they begin to live in the farmhouse, sleep in beds, and engage in trade with humans—all things that were once strictly forbidden. When the animals question these changes, they find their memories are faulty. Clover, the cart-horse, is certain the commandment was "No animal shall sleep in a bed." But when she has it read from the barn wall, it says, "No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets." The pigs have been secretly altering the commandments in the dead of night.

This manipulation of truth escalates into outright terror. Following a harsh winter, Napoleon stages a horrifying public purge. He forces four pigs who had questioned him to confess to being in league with Snowball, after which his dogs tear their throats out. A wave of confessions follows from other animals, who admit to petty crimes and are immediately executed. The pile of corpses grows, and the remaining animals are left terrified and bewildered. The commandment "No animal shall kill any other animal" is quietly amended to "No animal shall kill any other animal without cause." By controlling the past and the present through propaganda and terror, the pigs ensure there is no objective truth left to challenge their authority.

Narrator: Throughout the farm's struggles, the cart-horse Boxer is its most devoted follower. His immense strength is the backbone of every major project, and his personal mottos—"I will work harder" and "Napoleon is always right"—sum up his unwavering, if naive, loyalty. He pushes his body to its absolute limit, dreaming only of retiring after the windmill is complete.

One day, while working, Boxer’s lung gives out and he collapses. Squealer announces that Napoleon has made special arrangements to send Boxer to a veterinary hospital in the town of Willingdon. The animals are relieved. But when the van arrives to take him away, Benjamin, the cynical old donkey, reads the side of the van aloud: "Alfred Simmonds, Horse Slaughterer and Glue Boiler." The animals cry out in horror, but it is too late. Boxer is taken to his death. Days later, Squealer returns with a fabricated story of Boxer's peaceful death in the hospital, quoting his supposed last words praising Napoleon. The pigs hold a memorial banquet in Boxer's honor, paid for with the money they received from selling their most loyal worker to the knacker.

Narrator: Years pass. The farm is more prosperous, but only for the pigs and dogs. The other animals' lives are just as hard as they ever were. The Seven Commandments have been erased from the barn wall, replaced by a single, paradoxical maxim: "ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS."

The final, shocking transformation occurs when the pigs begin walking on their hind legs. Napoleon appears carrying a whip. The revolution has come full circle. That evening, the other animals peer through the farmhouse window. They see the pigs hosting a dinner party for the neighboring human farmers. Toasts are made to their shared prosperity, built on the backs of their respective working classes. Napoleon announces that the name "Animal Farm" is being abolished; it will revert to its original name, "The Manor Farm." As a fight breaks out over a card game, the terrified animals looking in from the outside can no longer see a difference. "The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."

Narrator: The single most important takeaway from Animal Farm is its devastating illustration of a universal truth: power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The book serves as a powerful warning that revolutionary ideals, no matter how pure, are fragile. Without a commitment to truth, a culture of critical questioning, and safeguards against the concentration of power, any movement can be twisted into the very tyranny it sought to destroy.

Orwell’s fable is not merely a historical critique of the Soviet Union; it is a timeless manual on the mechanics of totalitarianism. It challenges us to look at our own world and ask difficult questions. When is language being used not to clarify, but to obscure? When is history being rewritten to serve the present? And at what point do we stop being able to tell the difference between the leaders who claim to protect us and the oppressors we once feared?