Animal Farm by George Orwell is a short allegorical novel based on the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 that resulted in the Communistic USSR.

The novel depicts a traditional farm — Manor Farm — owned by a drunk, Mr. Jones. After the humans go to bed, the animals get together in the barn and have a meeting, where Old Major, a prize-winning boar, tells them he had a dream of the animals’ rebellion against man. They wish for equality and self-determination. The animals are soon given a chance to rebel when Jones is away drinking, and the farmworkers forget to feed them.

At first, life on the farm is better than it was under Jones. The farm’s name is changed to Animal Farm, and the Seven Commandments are established. The animals work more efficiently and reap all the rewards of their labor. Everyone has their role on the farm, and the pigs, the most intelligent animals, act as the brains of the operation. However, as time goes on, things change, and the pigs start taking more for themselves, pushing the other animals to work harder. At the same time, they reap the benefits, begin acting like humans, and form business relationships with the neighboring farmers. By the end of the story, the farm animals cannot tell the difference between humans and pigs.