Animal Farm Chapter Summary & Analysis - Chapter 1 Summary

Chapter 1 Summary

This "fairy story," as Orwell describes it, begins on the farm of Mr. Jones. After Mr. Jones drunkenly retreats to bed for the evening, the animals gather to hear a word by old Major – a well respected pig who had a dream the night prior which he felt he needed to share with the other barnyard animals.

Before Major delivers his speech, Orwell introduces many of the novel's main characters, who would each play an important role later in the novel: the horses Boxer and Clover, Benjamin the donkey and Molly the pretty white mare. Major feels he will not live much longer, and desires to pass on his wisdom to the others before it is too late.

Old Major continues into his speech, where he announces that the life of an animal is "miserable, laborious and short," as a result of being enslaved by man. He describes man...
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