Chapter Six: Summary and Analysis

In this chapter, readers can notice the many changes implemented in Animal Farm; the chapter also reveals how the animals feel about these developments. Since meetings are now prohibited, the animals can no longer get together to discuss matters of the farm. This, of course, works in Napoleon’s favor: the animals cannot organize in solidarity, and thus their concerns about working conditions and other sufferings will remain unvoiced. Ironically, the animals remain committed to Animal Farm, which suggests that the ban on meetings has been quite effective.

Another dramatic change in the farm is the increase in the animals’ working hours. Theoretically, class-based revolutions are driven by the need to improve the living and working conditions of the working class. The Bolshevik Revolution, for instance, aimed to end the slave-like treatment of the working class. However, considering the fact that Napoleon goes on to establish a tyranny at the farm, one wonders whether the animals’ revolution was at all successful. Napoleon also introduces voluntary overtime on Sundays. The weekend overtime, it turns out, is only nominally voluntary: rations are halved if animals do not work on Sundays.

Napoleon also announces that he will be initiating trade relations with humans, an idea considered taboo since the time of Old Major’s speech. At the same time, there is growing discontent with Napoleon and Squealer’s attempts to manipulate and revise history. Despite the discontent, the animals remain helpless. For them, Napoleon is still a better alternative to Mr. Jones. Squealer, notably, provides Napoleon justifiable rationales for contentious decisions. For example, Squealer argues that trading with humans is necessary if they are to build the windmill; the supplies, he argues, cannot be acquired from anyone else. Squealer is also adept at finding a convenient scapegoat to divert the animals’ attention from contentious calls and decisions. For instance, when Napoleon’s choices are questioned, Squealer likens questioning with disloyalty and even compares the questioners to Snowball, who is still commonly regarded as a traitor.

The animals are seen making some progress on the farm in this chapter. Nonetheless, much of the progress benefits Napoleon, not the animals. The animals are able to bring in a harvest and make significant progress with the windmill. However, a bad storm destroys the still-under-construction windmill. Once again, we see how Napoleon makes Snowball the scapegoat—in fact, he suggests that Snowball is to blame for the devastating storm. Expectedly, this suggestion is not a popular one, but Napoleon nonetheless manages to brand Snowball as an enemy of the state and sentences him to death.