Plot

Exposition
Setting: Manor Farm in England; no specific time period  provided
Characters: Farm animals and Mr. Jones
  • Animals are oppressed by their master, Mr. Jones.
  • Old Major speaks of a rebellion in the future.

Rising Action
  • Old Major dies
  • Pigs take over leadership
  • Rebellion occurs
  • Animals come up with Seven Commandments
  • Snowball and Napoleon compete for power
Climax 1
Snowball is exiled and Napoleon resumes full power.
Falling Action
  • The humans attack Animal Farm and blow up the windmill; Battle of the Windmill
  • Squealer emerges from the pigs as the one to justify all of Napoleon's actions and mislead the animals into thinking a brighter future lies ahead
  • Napoleon and the pigs continue to worsen; begin to drink, kill, sleep in beds, etc.
  • Boxer is hurt and needs to be sent to a hospital, but instead is sent to a glue factory
  • Pigs begin to walk on two legs
  • Squealer teaches sheep to say "Four legs good, two legs better."
Resolution (well more like a conclusion, really)
There really isn't a resolution, seeing how the pigs just got worse and worse.
  • Pigs are completely human now-party and drink with Mr. Pilkington.
  • Farm animals are starving, yet completely oblivious to the wickedness of the pigs
  • Napoleon changes the farm's name back to Manor Farm

Conflict

There are several conflicts within the novel. Here is a break down of the most important ones:

External Conflicts:
  1. Farm Animals vs. Mr.Jones
  • The animals fight against Mr. Jones, their oppressor
  • Results in the animals rebelling and driving Jones out 

       2. Snowball vs. Napoleon 
  • Man vs. Man
  • Snowball and Napoleon battle for power in the farm. 
  • Results in Napoleon banishing Snowball and taking sole power 

        3. Animals vs. Pigs
  • Man vs. Society
  • Animals give their loyalty to the pigs, who manipulate and abuse the animals physically and mentally. 

        4. Animals vs. Humans
  • Man vs. Society
  • The animals battle against the humans, who try to take down Animal Farm, in the Battle of  Cowshed and Battle of the Windmill


Internal Conflicts:

Farm Animals vs. Self
         The animals at times battle against their morals and loyalty to the pigs. When Clover sees the pigs breaking the rules just to find out the rule has been changed, she questions it, wondering if that has truly been there all along. Also, when Napoleon executes the "disloyal" animals, all of them clearly remember the Seven Commandments stating not to kill another animal. Despite Squealer telling them something different, the animals still have a moment of disbelief.