It lies in the nature of all animals that the grass is always greener on the other side. This was also the case for the animals on animal farm. They lived perfectly normal lives at the farm and had never questioned anything. Mr Jones gave all the animals food and a safe bed against their labour.

When Old Major spoke to the animals that night, he felt that their life’s were meaningless if they could not make decisions for them selves, and if their hard work always went to the benefit of humans. That animals should run their own life’s, work together as one and never put themselves in front of the other animals, because all animals were equal. This was the ground principals of animalism, or communism. Old Major represent either Carl Marx or Lenin. What they meant with animalism/communism was probably not what it turned out to be.

Old Major made seven commandments to help the animals follow animalism; 1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. 2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend. 3. No animal shall wear clothes. 4. No animal shall sleep in a bed. 5. No animal shall drink alcohol. 6. No animal shall kill any other animal. 7. All animals are equal.

After Old Major died, the remaining pigs, with Snowball and Napoleon in charge, quickly took the lead at Animal Farm. The rebellion were a success, and the animals soon ruled Animal Farm. But the pigs were not as genuine as they appeared to be. The first real sign of them putting themselves in front of the other animals, was when they took milk from the others and mixed it into their food.

The animals worked hard to keep the farm running. It was much more work than they had ever imagined. They worked long hours without being fed more, which they were promised. While the pigs, on the other hand, gave themselves privileges. They hardly worked, they ate more, and slept longer than the others. When the other animals heard about this, Squealer, who was a manipulative pig spreading propaganda among the animals, always reassured them that everything was how it should be. He said that the pigs were the brains at the farm, which was much harder than working. The animals bought this story, and the pigs could go on like before.

Snowball and Napoleon sheared leadership at the farm. Napoleon was not happy with that. Snowball came up with the idea of building the windmill, and Napoleon voted against this proposal. Instead, he get the dogs to run Snowball out of Animal Farm. Stalin did the same thing in Russia. Trotsky (Snowball), in fear of his life, fled to Mexico where he was hunted down and killed by Stalin’s secret police, creating a dictatorship. Without a voice against him, Stalin gained power and influence over his people. Now, Napoleon was in charge and decided that the building of the windmill would carry on. The animals worked day and night to get the windmill finished. Meanwhile, the pigs decided that they should move into the farmhouse. Some of the animals remembered something about that being illegal. When they read the seven commandments, it said; No animals should sleep in a bed, with sheets. And the pigs had taken of the sheets, as Squealer told them, so it was probably ok.

The animals worked hard to get the windmill finished, but a big storm came one night, and tore it down. Napoleon, who probably knew that he had planned the windmill to thin and weak, blamed it on Snowball. The rebuilding of the windmill started, and this time, it was ruined by the humans. The animals were devastated, but the rebuilding started for the third time.

Napoleon had heard rumours that Snowball planned an attack on Animal Farm, and that he had helpers inside the farm. He ordered all the animals to gather in the yard. Napoleon came out with his nine dog around him. He ordered the dogs to fetch 4 pigs and drag them to Napoleon’s feet. Napoleon made them confess on conspiring with Snowball. They confessed everything, and confirmed all the accusations Napoleon had made against Snowball. When they were finished with their confessions, Napoleon ordered the dogs to kill them. He also ordered all the other animals who had anything to confess, to step forward. Three hens, three sheep, a goose confessed to numerous different acts, and were all killed on the spot. The confession and killing went on until there were many died animals lying before Napoleon’s feet. The other animals were, of course, very shaken by the incident and thought they remembered something about not killing other animals in the Seven Commandments. They again went to the big wall where the Commandments were written down. It said; No animals shall kill any other animal, without cause. The animals thought that everything was ok, since, as Squealer put it, there was definitely a cause for killing those animals. They were betrayers. Squealer also reminded them how badly they did not want Mr. Jones back. The animals were again convinced that the pigs were doing the right thing.

The animals were not allowed to speak their minds if it was criticism of Napoleon or the way that he ruled Animal Farm. Besides, every time the animals felt that something was wrong, Squealer quickly calmed them down. They were almost not able to think for themselves that anything was wrong with Napoleon’s leadership, or dictatorship as it had become. Squealer is a good example on how the propaganda worked in former Soviet.

Napoleon decided that Animal Farm should become a republic, and they needed a president. Since there was no other candidates running than Napoleon, he was elected with an overwhelming result. In Russia, Stalin did not have much competition for the presidential position, just like Napoleon. So it seemed like it was a free, democratic election, but there was no one else to vote for.

Another proof of the pigs abuse of power was when Boxer, Animal Farm’s hardest and one of Napoleon’s most faithful workers got sick after a long and exhausting life. The pigs had promised the animals a retired life with as much food as they would need, but instead they drove Boxer to the slaughter, and used the money for him to buy whisky. Which broke another of the Seven Commandments; No animal shall drink alcohol. Again Squealer talked the pigs out of trouble. After this, the animals had started to forget how life with MR. Jones was, and what the original Seven Commandments were. The pigs took advantage of this to its fullest. One day, the pigs showed up walking on their hind cloves, wearing clothes. The animals were shocked. The sheep, who always shouted “four legs good, two legs bad” because they could not learn the Commandment, started shouting “four legs good, two legs better”. The animals who went over to the big wall to read if this was allowed according to the Commandment was surprised. Instead of the Seven Commandments it said: All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.

The book shows that communism does not work in real life. All animals, or humans, are not equal. Some deserve to earn more money than others. It is not fair that a hard worker should be paid the same as someone who resent hard work. The pigs are a very good example of this. And besides, someone always takes advantages of the situation, like Napoleon and Stalin did. I wonder how many examples the communists need to see that it just does not work. Soviet, with all the Eastern-Europe countries is even struggling today. Over ten years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Cuba, with the leadership of Fidel Castro also struggles. There, doctors needs to find other ways to earn money, because the job does not pay enough money since all people shall have jobs and a paycheques every month. Even though there services may not be needed. Some even prostitutes themselves, although that is a crime in Cuba. So the faith of Animal Farm turned out as it had to.