Leadership

Leadership

1. Mr Jones

   • Mr Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen houses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the pop-holes.
   • He seized the gun which always stood in the corner of his bedroom and let fly a charge of number 6 shot into the darkness.
   • In past years Mr. Jones, although a hard master, had been a capable farmer, but of late he had fallen on evil days.
   • His men were idle and dishonest, the fields were full of weeds, the buildings wanted roofing, the hedges were neglected, and the animals were underfed.
   • Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! Surely, comrades surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?"

2. Old Major

   • Old Major was so highly regarded on the farm that everyone was quite ready to lose an hour's sleep in order to hear what he had to say.
   • . I do not think, comrades, that I shall be with you for many months longer, and before I die, I feel it my duty to pass on to you such wisdom as I have acquired.
   • That is my message to you, comrades: Rebellion! I do not know when that Rebellion will come, it might be in a week or in a hundred years, but I know, as surely as I see this straw beneath my feet, that sooner or later justice will be done.
   • Fix your eyes on that, comrades, throughout the short remainder of your lives! And above all, pass on this message of mine to those who come after you, so that future generations shall carry on the struggle until it is victorious. And remember, comrades, your resolution must never falter. No argument must lead you astray
   • Major's speech had given to the more intelligent animals on the farm a completely new outlook on life.
   • The Republic of the Animals which Major had foretold, when the green fields of England should be untrodden by human feet, was still believed in. Some day it was coming: it might not be soon, it might not be with in the lifetime of any animal now living, but still it was coming.

3. Napoleon

   • Napoleon was now never spoken of simply as "Napoleon." He was always referred to in formal style as "our Leader, Comrade Napoleon," and this pigs liked to invent for him such titles as Father of All Animals, Terror of Mankind, Protector of the Sheep-fold, Ducklings' Friend, and the like.
   • . It had become usual to give Napoleon the credit for every successful achievement and every stroke of good fortune.
   • And now--thanks to the leadership of Comrade Napoleon--we have won every inch of it back again!"
   • In April, Animal Farm was proclaimed a Republic, and it became necessary to elect a President. There was only one candidate, Napoleon, who was elected unanimously.

4. Snowball

   • The birds did not understand Snowball's long words, but they accepted his explanation, and all the humbler animals set to work to learn the new maxim by heart.
   • . We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organisation of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for YOUR sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples.
   • "Comrades," he said quietly, "do you know who is responsible for this? Do you know the enemy who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL!" he suddenly roared in a voice of thunder
   • The animals now also learned that Snowball had never--as many of them had believed hitherto--received the order of "Animal Hero, First Class." This was merely a legend which had been spread some time after the Battle of the Cowshed by Snowball himself.

5. Squealer

   • The animals were not certain what the word meant, but Squealer spoke so persuasively, and the three dogs who happened to be with him growled so threateningly, that they accepted his explanation without further questions.
   • You would not rob us of our repose, would you, comrades? You would not have us too tired to carry out our duties? Surely none of you wishes to see Jones back?"
   • Now when Squealer described the scene so graphically, it seemed to the animals that they did remember it.
   • For the time being, certainly, it had been found necessary to make a readjustment of rations (Squealer always spoke of it as a "readjustment," never as a "reduction"), but in comparison with the days of Jones, the improvement was enormous.
   • There was, as Squealer was never tired of explaining, endless work in the supervision and organisation of the farm. Much of this work was of a kind that the other animals were too ignorant to understand. For example, Squealer told them that the pigs had to expend enormous labours every day upon mysterious things called "files," "reports," "minutes," and "memoranda."
   • They could not remember. There was nothing with which they could compare their present lives: they had nothing to go upon except Squealer's lists of figures, which invariably demonstrated that everything was getting better and better.
   • Besides, in those days they had been slaves and now they were free, and that made all the difference, as Squealer did not fail to point out.
   • Surely you remember THAT, comrades?" exclaimed Squealer, frisking from side to side
   • They could not remember. There was nothing with which they could compare their present lives: they had nothing to go upon except Squealer's lists of figures, which invariably demonstrated that everything was getting better and better.

6. Animals

   • The animals believed every word of it.
   • This work was strictly voluntary, but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half.
   • If they had no more food than they had had in Jones's day, at least they did not have less.
   • There were times when it seemed to the animals that they worked longer hours and fed no better than they had done in Jones's day.
   • Meanwhile life was hard. The winter was as cold as the last one had been, and food was even shorter. Once again all rations were reduced, except those of the pigs and the dogs.
   • They knew that life nowadays was harsh and bare, that they were often hungry and often cold, and that they were usually working when they were not asleep. But doubtless it had been worse in the old days. They were glad to believe so
   • The animals listened first to Napoleon, then to Snowball, and could not make up their minds which was right; indeed, they always found themselves in agreement with the one who was speaking at the moment.