"Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer−except, of course, for the pigs and the dogs."

"Finally there was a tremendous baying of dogs and a shrill crowing from the black cockerel, and out came Napoleon himself, majestically upright, casting haughty glances from side to side, and with his dogs gamboling round him. He carried a whip in his trotter."

At the novel's beginning, Jones uses a whip to keep the animals in line. These two excerpts show how the pigs' abundance of power and money completely corrupted and transformed them into what they sought to destroy.

"Boxer, who had now had time to think things over, voiced the general feeling by saying: 'If Comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right.' And from then on he adopted the maxim, 'Napoleon is always right,' in addition to his private motto of "I will work harder."

The maxim "Napoleon is always right" becomes Boxer's response to Napoleon's cruel actions. Boxer's loyalty to Napoleon caused him to blindly follow orders, even when they were cruel. He trusted Napoleon completely and never saw through his real intentions, leading to a tragic end as he was sold and turned into glue.

Blind trust in a leader without critical thinking leads to unchecked power. This is seen in the farm where animals trust Napoleon despite his broken promises and self-centeredness, allowing him to accumulate power without opposition.

Mr. Jones owns Manor Farm. He overworks his animals and mistreats them. One day, Old Major, an elderly pig, shares his dream of all animals being equal, free from human control, and living in a peaceful utopia. He called this idea "Animalism." Old Major dies, but the animals are inspired and plan to rebel against Jones. Two pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, establish themselves as revolution leaders.

After Jones neglects to feed farm animals, they launch their attack. After successfully driving Jones off the property, the animals renamed Manor Farm to Animal Farm and established the Seven Commandments of Animalism. The animals successfully maintain the estate under the leadership of Snowball and Napoleon. Under the command of Snowball, the animals defeat Jones' vain attempt to retake Manor Farm later that year.

Snowball suggests building a windmill to help run the farm more efficiently. Napoleon opposes the idea. After a heated debate, the two pigs resolve the issue through a majority vote. However, during the meeting, Napoleon violently attacks Snowball, chasing him off the farm. After Snowball's exile, Napoleon gains complete control of Animal Farm. With the help of another pig, Squealer, Napoleon spreads propaganda, framing Snowball as the origin of all animal hardships, and violently executes anyone close to him. He recommissions construction of the windmill.

Napoleon commands almost all the animals' food to go to pigs, justifying his actions via Animalism. One night, a powerful storm destroys the nearly completed windmill. Napoleon immediately tells the animals to rebuild the windmill. The farm animals' meal portions are lower than before Jones's exile. Squealer keeps them in check by feeding them false information and twisted facts. Napoleon starts to trade with other farmers, explaining that he is trying to raise money for the windmill and the welfare of the farm. However, he uses it to buy clothes and beer for the pigs. Napoleon and his crew move into Jones' home, violating Animalism's principles.

Several years after the rebellion, the farm animals are left in poverty, famine, and sorrow. The original seven commandments have been shortened to "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others." Napoleon invites farmers into Jones's home. As they eat, the farm animals are left outside in the rain. One of the animals sees the pigs and humans quarreling over a game of cards. She realizes that she cannot tell the difference between the humans and the pigs, symbolizing the pigs' transformation from revolutionaries to oppressors.