Chapter Five: Summary and Analysis

In this chapter, the reader sees the effects of increased restrictions on Animal Farm. Though the animals have defeated the humans, the animals desire more control over their counterparts. This allows Napoleon to manipulate the animals’ lives, resulting in less-than-optimal living conditions in the farm. However, even at this early stage, some animals are already unhappy with how the farm is run. One of them is Mollie.

Mollie decides to leave Animal Farm. Readers must recall that Mollie has always preferred her human master to the animal rulers on account of the perks she enjoyed from the former. Under the new leadership, her perks are disallowed. All in all, the rebellion has been, according to Mollie, very unfair to her because she has only lost things due to it. Furthermore, the other animals believe Mollie is not contributing enough time or effort toward the farms. She is even caught speaking to a human, and Mollie is thus branded a traitor by the new regime. Unsurprisingly, Molly leaves the farm. Though this could have been a good opportunity for the animals to discuss ways to improve the lives of animals such as Mollie, they simply choose to stop speaking of her.

It also becomes clear to the reader by now that the pigs are the leaders of the farm. Notably, they do not become leaders by force; the other animals trust the pigs’ judgment. The cooperative leadership of Snowball and Napoleon seems to be working well for the farm. However, this does not last. Readers can notice signs of a rift emerging between Napoleon and Snowball. We find out that Napoleon, in fact, has been secretly working against Snowball. On the other hand, Snowball’s character, it can be surmised, might be inspired by Trotsky. After the Bolshevik Revolution, Stalin and Trotsky had also parted ways; just like Napoleon, Stalin had also secretly plotted against Trotsky.

Snowball comes up with the idea of setting up a windmill in Animal Farm. He believes this would reduce the animals’ workload and improve the lives of all the farm animals. Napoleon rejects this idea. He starts speaking with animals in smaller groups in an attempt to pit them against Snowball. By the time Snowball introduces his idea to all the animals, Napoleon has already convinced most animals of the futility of this idea. Snowball, being a persuasive speaker, still manages to convince them of the windmill’s long-term benefits. Trotsky was known to be very enthusiastic about ideas for development, and Snowball’s enthusiasm certainly reflects that.

This is also a turning point in the novel. When Snowball convinces everyone of the benefits of installing the windmill, readers get to see a more vengeful and scheming Napoleon. Instead of debating his ideas, he deploys swift and unexpected violence against Snowball. The puppies Napoleon had initially adopted are now vicious and savage dogs, and they are unleashed on Snowball. It is clear to everyone that Napoleon is no longer interested in participating in or enhancing the farm’s democratic processes. He is only there to lead, and he will do so by force, if necessary.

This is Orwell’s commentary on dictatorship. While dictators may appear charismatic, they often rely on political maneuvering and propaganda to achieve their goals. They conceal their true motives from the people. Thus, their brutality often comes as a surprise.

Snowball, having managed to escape this attack, is driven off the farm. Once Napoleon becomes the master, he removes all pretense of democracy. He is now the sole leader, and he makes it clear to all animals that only the pigs would be allowed to make decisions for the farm. Napoleon also prohibits all forms of political gathering.

That Napoleon’s regime is based on a politics of fear is unmissable. Like all dictators, it is fear that Napoleon uses to keep the animals under control. While the animals easily outnumber Napoleon’s allies, they are nonetheless shocked and rendered powerless by Napoleon’s swift use of force and violence.

Squealer adds to this atmosphere of fear by spreading lies about Snowball and by justifying the regime’s deviation from the Seven Commandments. Notably, some animals do not consider Snowball a traitor, but they are, as expected, too afraid to express as much. Humans have raised dogs for centuries to keep other animals under their control, and this is exactly what Napoleon also does. This irony would be comical if not for Napoleon’s brutality.