Are all animals truly equal, or do some inevitably become more equal than others?
George Orwell’s enduring allegory, Animal Farm, uses a simple farmyard rebellion to expose power’s corrupting nature, language’s manipulation, and revolutionaries’ fragile ideals.
Through the voices and experiences of its animal inhabitants, the novella charts a devastating course from hopeful liberation to oppressive tyranny.
We’ve researched 57 Animal Farm quotes with page numbers, verified for accuracy. Organized by theme, these selections highlight the mechanisms of control, the erosion of ideals, the burden of exploitation, and the enduring glimmers of hope and cynicism within the farm’s doomed revolution.
Heads up! Page numbers reference the Signet edition noted below.
The Corruption of Power & Leadership
From the first claim of intellectual superiority to the final chilling transformation, these quotes track the pigs’ power grab and the establishment of a new tyranny.
“Never mind the milk, comrades!” cried Napoleon, placing himself in front of the buckets. “That will be attended to. The harvest is more important… Forward, comrades! The hay is waiting.”
(Speaker: Napoleon, Chapter 2, Page 26)
Napoleon’s decisive early action secures resources for the pigs, using the pretext of collective work to establish a precedent for elite privilege.
“As soon as they were weaned, Napoleon took them away from their mothers… kept them in such seclusion that the rest of the farm soon forgot their existence.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Napoleon and the puppies, Chapter 3, Pages 34-35)
This calculated move reveals Napoleon’s long-term strategy: creating a loyal, indoctrinated force (the dogs) to ensure his future control through intimidation.
“At this there was a terrible baying sound outside, and nine enormous dogs wearing brass-studded collars came bounding into the barn. They dashed straight for Snowball…”
(Speaker: Narrator, Chapter 5, Pages 52-53)
The unleashing of the dogs marks the violent end of political debate on the farm, demonstrating Napoleon’s shift to consolidating power through brute force.
“He announced that from now on the Sunday-morning Meetings would come to an end… all questions relating to the working of the farm would be settled by a special committee of pigs, presided over by himself.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Napoleon, Chapter 5, Page 54)
By abolishing the democratic Meetings, Napoleon centralizes all authority, removing any platform for collective decision-making or dissent among the animals.
“Napoleon was now never spoken of simply as “Napoleon.” He was always referred to in formal style as “our Leader, Comrade Napoleon,”…invent[ing] for him such titles as Father of All Animals, Terror of Mankind…”
(Speaker: Narrator, Chapter 8, Page 93)
The enforced use of exaggerated titles illustrates the deliberate construction of a cult of personality, aiming to elevate Napoleon beyond criticism.
“It had become usual to give Napoleon the Credit for every Successful achievement and every stroke of good fortune…”
(Speaker: Narrator, Chapter 8, Page 93)
This manufactured reality ensures all positive outcomes reinforce Napoleon’s image as indispensable, erasing the contributions of others.
“Friend of fatherless! Fountain of happiness! Lord of the swill-bucket!… Comrade Napoleon!”
(Poem by Minimus, Chapter 8, Pages 94-95)
Minimus’s fawning poem exemplifies state-mandated adoration, replacing genuine respect with hollow, obligatory praise generated by the regime’s propaganda machine.
“About this time, too, it was laid down as a rule that when a pig and any other animal met on the path, the other animal must stand aside: and also that all pigs… were to have the privilege of wearing green ribbons…”
(Speaker: Narrator, Chapter 9, Page 114)
New rules involving deference and adornment explicitly symbolize the pigs’ superior class status, formalizing the growing inequality.
“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.”
(Speaker: Narrator, Chapter 10, Page 129)
This highlights the harsh economic reality of the pigs’ rule: the farm’s increased wealth benefits only the ruling elite and their enforcers.
“…out from the door of the farmhouse came a long file of pigs, all walking on their hind legs… He carried a whip in his trotter…”
(Speaker: Narrator, Chapter 10, Page 133)
The pigs adopting human posture and wielding whips—symbols of their former oppressors—provides a shocking visual confirmation of the revolution’s complete betrayal.
“All Animals Are Equal. But Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others.”
(Final Commandment painted by Pigs, Chapter 10, Page 134)
This infamous paradox replaces the original commandments, using corrupted language to officially endorse the inequality established by the pigs’ regime. Explore power’s corrupting influence: analyze Animal Farm’s quotes about power.
“Between pigs and human beings there was not and there need not be any clash of interest whatever.”
(Speaker: Napoleon, Chapter 10, Page 138)
Napoleon’s declaration to the human farmers signifies the final abandonment of revolutionary principles, aligning the pigs completely with the former enemy class.
“Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike… The creatures outside looked from pig to man… but already it was impossible to say which was which.”
(Speaker: Narrator, Chapter 10, Page 141)
The novella’s final image confirms the terrifying outcome of unchecked power: the ruling pigs have become visually and behaviorally identical to their human counterparts.
Power’s allure proves irresistible, transforming liberators into oppressors indistinguishable from those they overthrew.
Propaganda, Manipulation & the Control of Language
Orwell reveals how language becomes a tool of oppression, twisted by Squealer and the regime to rewrite history, justify inequality, and maintain psychological control over the animals.
“Never listen when they tell you that Man and the animals have a common interest… It is all lies.”
(Speaker: Old Major, Chapter 1, Page 10)
Old Major’s initial warning against deceptive rhetoric foreshadows the pigs’ use of propaganda to manipulate their fellow animals.
“Man serves the interests of no creature except himself.”
(Speaker: Old Major, Chapter 1, Page 10)
This statement, foundational to the revolution, is ironically proven true of the pigs as they consolidate power.
“Four legs good, two legs bad.”
(Maxim introduced by Snowball, Chapter 3, Page 34)
This simplification, intended for accessibility, becomes a tool for thought-control, easily chanted by the sheep to shut down complex arguments or dissent.
“Comrades!’ he cried. ‘You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege?… It is for your sake that we drink the milk and eat those apples.”
(Speaker: Squealer, Chapter 3, Pages 35-36)
Squealer’s manipulative justification begins early, using pseudo-science and feigned selflessness to rationalize the pigs’ privileges. Witness the propagandist: analyze Squealer’s persuasive techniques.
“Surely, comrades,” cried Squealer almost pleadingly…“surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?”
(Speaker: Squealer, Chapter 3, Page 36)
This appeal to fear becomes the regime’s ultimate defense mechanism, silencing criticism by invoking the threat of the previous oppressor’s return.
“No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal… But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?”
(Speaker: Squealer about Napoleon, Chapter 5, Page 55)
Squealer employs doublespeak, affirming equality while justifying Napoleon’s dictatorship as necessary protection against the animals’ supposed incompetence.
“I trust that every animal here appreciates the sacrifice that Comrade Napoleon has made… Do not imagine, comrades, that leadership is a pleasure!…”
(Speaker: Squealer, Chapter 5, Page 55)
The pigs’ ambition is reframed as a burdensome sacrifice, a propaganda tactic designed to elicit sympathy and deflect scrutiny of their growing power.
“Squealer asked them shrewdly, “Are you certain that this is not something that you have dreamed, comrades? Have you any record of such a resolution? Is it written down anywhere?””
(Speaker: Squealer, Chapter 6, Page 64)
Exploiting the animals’ poor memory and illiteracy, Squealer uses gaslighting questions to make them doubt their recollection of past rules.
“It says, ‘No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets,”’ she announced finally.”
(Speaker: Muriel reading the altered Commandment, Chapter 6, Page 67)
The pigs physically change the written law, adding a subtle qualification (“with sheets”) that nullifies the original intent against adopting human comforts.
“SNOWBALL!” he suddenly roared… “Snowball has done this thing!”
(Speaker: Napoleon, Chapter 6, Page 70)
Napoleon establishes Snowball as the official scapegoat, a necessary tool for redirecting blame and unifying the animals against a fabricated internal enemy.
“Snowball was in league with Jones from the very start! He was Jones’s secret agent all the time.”
(Speaker: Squealer, Chapter 7, Page 79)
Squealer engages in outright historical fabrication, transforming the revolutionary hero Snowball into a lifelong traitor to serve Napoleon’s political needs.
“It ran: “No animal shall kill any other animal WITHOUT CAUSE.””
(Speaker: Narrator on the altered Commandment, Chapter 8, Page 91)
Adding “without cause” provides the pigs with the necessary loophole to justify their violent purges against fellow animals.
“What victory?” said Boxer… “But they have destroyed the windmill…” “What matter? We will build another windmill… thanks to the leadership of Comrade Napoleon — we have won every inch of it back again!”
(Dialogue: Boxer and Squealer, Chapter 8, Pages 104-105)
Squealer uses rhetorical spin and appeals to patriotism to redefine the disastrous battle and destruction of the windmill as a heroic victory.
“No animal shall drink alcohol TO EXCESS.”
(Altered Commandment read by Muriel, Chapter 8, Page 109)
This modification allows the pigs to indulge in a forbidden human vice while maintaining a pretense of following the rules, further highlighting their hypocrisy.
“Reading out the figures in a shrill, rapid voice, he proved to them in detail that they had more oats, more hay, more turnips than they had had in Jones’s day…”
(Speaker: Narrator describing Squealer, Chapter 9, Page 113)
Squealer employs unverifiable statistics as “proof” of improved conditions, directly contradicting the animals’ experience of hunger and demonstrating propaganda’s power over reality.
“Four legs good, two legs better! Four legs good, two legs better! Four legs good, two legs better!”
(Chant by Sheep, Chapter 10, Page 133)
The sheep’s mindless repetition of the reversed maxim signifies the complete success of propaganda in replacing the revolution’s original ideals with the regime’s new dogma.
The pigs maintain control over the less intelligent animals through spin, fear, and the constant rewriting of rules and history.
Revolutionary Ideals vs. Harsh Reality
Orwell juxtaposes the revolution’s initial vision of equality, freedom, and dignity with the eventual reality of oppression, inequality, and betrayal under the pigs’ rule.
“All men are enemies. All animals are comrades”
(Speaker: Old Major, Chapter 1, Page 10)
Old Major’s clear division between friend and foe establishes the revolution’s initial solidarity, later betrayed by pig-human collaboration.
“Weak or strong, clever or simple, we are all brothers.”
(Speaker: Old Major, Chapter 1, Page 11)
This core statement of equality is a tragic counterpoint to the hierarchical system the pigs eventally enforce.
“Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.”
(Speaker: Old Major, Chapter 1, Page 11)
The simple classification is rendered meaningless when the pigs adopt two-legged walking, blurring the lines between oppressor and oppressed.
“All the habits of Man are evil.”
(Speaker: Old Major, Chapter 1, Page 11)
This initial moral decree highlights the pigs’ hypocrisy as they gradually adopt every forbidden human behavior.
“And remember also that in fighting against man we must not come to resemble him.”
(Speaker: Old Major, Chapter 1, Page 11)
Old Major’s crucial warning against becoming like the oppressor encapsulates the central tragedy of the pigs’ transformation.
“Beasts of England… spread my tidings Of the golden future time.”
(Song introduced by Old Major, Chapter 1, Pages 11-12)
The anthem symbolizes the revolution’s utopian promise, making its eventual banning a significant suppression of hope and memory.
“Can you not understand that liberty is worth more than ribbons?”
(Speaker: Snowball to Mollie, Chapter 2, Page 17)
Snowball’s question highlights the early ideological clash between revolutionary ideals (liberty) and materialistic desires (ribbons).
“The Seven Commandments… 7. All animals are equal.”
(Established by The Pigs, Chapter 2, Pages 24-25)
The principle of equality, enshrined as the final commandment, becomes the most profoundly violated ideal of the entire revolution.
“The only good human being is a dead one.”
(Speaker: Snowball, Chapter 4, Page 43)
Snowball’s battlefield declaration reflects the initial revolutionary fervor against humans, contrasting sharply with the pigs’ later alliances.
“And so the tale of confessions and executions went on, until there was a pile of corpses…”
(Speaker: Narrator, Chapter 7, Page 84)
The purges represent the revolution turning violently upon itself, betraying the commandment against animals killing animals.
“As Clover looked down the hillside… this was not what they had aimed at… These scenes of terror and slaughter were not what they had looked forward to…”
(Speaker: Narrator describing Clover’s thoughts, Chapter 7, Pages 86-87)
Clover’s internal monologue captures the deep disillusionment felt by loyal animals witnessing the divergence between the revolution’s promise and its brutal reality.
“‘Beasts of England’ was the song of the Rebellion. But the Rebellion is now completed… Clearly this song has no longer any purpose.”
(Speaker: Squealer, Chapter 7, Page 88)
The regime officially suppresses the anthem of hope, declaring the revolution “complete” to stifle its original, inspiring message.
The disparity between the Rebellion’s initial promise and the final oppressive reality emphasizes the tragic betrayal at the heart of the novella.
Loyalty, Hard Work & Exploitation
Through the character of Boxer, Orwell examines the virtues and dangers of unwavering loyalty and hard work, particularly how the ruling class exploits these qualities.
“His answer to every problem, every setback was “I will work harder!” —which he had adopted as his personal motto.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Boxer, Chapter 3, Page 29)
Boxer’s personal motto represents the admirable but naive dedication of the working class, believing individual effort can solve systemic exploitation.
“I have no wish to take life, not even human life,” repeated Boxer, and his eyes were full of tears.”
(Speaker: Boxer, Chapter 4, Page 43)
Boxer’s compassion reveals his fundamental decency, contrasting with the pigs’ increasing ruthlessness and the harsh realities of the power struggle.
“If Comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right.”
(Speaker: Boxer’s maxim, Chapter 5, Page 56)
This second maxim signifies Boxer’s tragic surrender of critical thinking to absolute faith in Napoleon, enabling his own exploitation.
“His two slogans, “I will work harder” and “Napoleon is always right,” seemed to him a sufficient answer to all problems.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Boxer, Chapter 6, Page 61)
These mottos together reveal Boxer’s fatal combination: immense diligence and unquestioning obedience, making him the perfect subject for the pigs’ regime.
“I do not understand it… It must be due to some fault in ourselves. The solution, as I see it, is to work harder.”
(Speaker: Boxer, Chapter 7, Page 85)
Even after witnessing the horrific purges, Boxer internalizes the blame, unable to criticize the leadership and defaulting to his mantra of more work.
“Fools! Fools!” shouted Benjamin… “Do you not see what is written on the side of that van?… They are taking Boxer to the knacker’s!”
(Speaker: Benjamin, Chapter 9, Page 122)
Benjamin’s cry exposes the regime’s ultimate betrayal: Boxer’s lifetime of labor and loyalty is rewarded with being sold for slaughter.
“‘Forward, comrades!’ he whispered… ‘Long live Comrade Napoleon! Napoleon is always right.’ Those were his very last words, comrades.”
(Speaker: Squealer reporting Boxer’s alleged last words, Chapter 9, Page 125)
Squealer’s propaganda co-opts Boxer’s memory, twisting his loyalty into a final endorsement of the same leader who sent him to his death.
Boxer’s unwavering loyalty and immense labor are ultimately rewarded with betrayal, symbolizing the exploitation inherent in the pigs’ regime.
Ignorance & Fading Memory
The animals’ inability to remember the past accurately or to critically analyze the pigs’ propaganda is a key factor enabling the regime’s consolidation of power.
“Several of them would have protested if they could have found the right arguments.”
(Speaker: Narrator, Chapter 5, Page 54)
The animals’ lack of education prevents them from formulating effective arguments against the pigs, rendering their unease politically impotent.
“All the animals remembered passing such resolutions: or at least they thought that they remembered it.”
(Speaker: Narrator, Chapter 6, Page 63)
Orwell highlights the fallibility of collective memory, particularly without literacy, making the animals vulnerable to Squealer’s manipulation of the past.
“Curiously enough, Clover had not remembered that the Fourth Commandment mentioned sheets; but as it was there on the wall, it must have done so.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Clover, Chapter 6, Page 67)
Even observant animals like Clover distrust their memories when faced with contradictory physical “evidence” (the altered text), succumbing to gaslighting.
“The animals believed every word of it. Truth to tell, Jones and all he stood for had almost faded out of their memories.”
(Speaker: Narrator, Chapter 9, Page 113)
The passage of time and constant propaganda erode the animals’ historical perspective, preventing accurate comparison between past oppression and present hardship.
The animals’ collective failure to question, remember, or resist enables the pigs’ gradual takeover and the erosion of their freedom.
Hope & Cynicism
Orwell contrasts the animals’ persistent, often naive hope for the “golden future time” with Benjamin’s weary cynicism, which stems from his long memory and understanding of life’s unchanging hardships.
“Donkeys live a long time. None of you has ever seen a dead donkey.”
(Speaker: Benjamin, Chapter 3, Page 30)
Benjamin’s recurring statement reflects his cynical belief in the endurance of suffering and the insignificance of short-term political changes over a long life.
“Windmill or no windmill, he said, life would go on as it had always gone on–that is, badly.”
(Speaker: Benjamin, Chapter 5, Page 51)
He expresses profound skepticism towards revolutionary projects and pragmatic arguments, asserting the fundamental, unchanging misery of existence.
“Up there, comrades,” he would say solemnly… “there it lies, Sugarcandy Mountain…”
(Speaker: Moses, Chapter 9, Pages 117-118)
Moses represents religious or escapist narratives, offering promises of a future paradise that distract the animals from their present suffering and exploitation.
“Only old Benjamin professed to remember every detail of his long life and to know that things never had been, nor ever could be much better or much worse–hunger, hardship, and disappointment being, so he said, the unalterable law of life.”
(Speaker: Narrator about Benjamin, Chapter 10, Page 130)
As the repository of the farm’s history, Benjamin embodies deep cynicism, viewing suffering not as politically contingent but as an inescapable aspect of life.
“And yet the animals never gave up hope… None of the old dreams had been abandoned. The Republic of the Animals which Major had foretold… was still believed in.”
(Speaker: Narrator, Chapter 10, Page 131)
Despite years of betrayal, the original revolutionary hope endures among the common animals, illustrating the powerful persistence of idealism even against evidence.
The narrative juxtaposes the animals’ enduring hope with Benjamin’s grim cynicism, leaving us to contemplate the possibility of genuine change.
Conclusion: The Enduring Allegory
These 57 essential quotes trace the chilling arc of Animal Farm from hopeful revolution to absolute tyranny.
Orwell masterfully uses the animals’ plight to expose how power corrupts, language becomes a weapon, and ideals can be twisted into their opposite.
Organized by theme, these selections reveal the insidious steps by which freedom is eroded and inequality becomes entrenched.
From Old Major’s dream to Napoleon’s final feast with humans, the novella is a powerful, enduring warning about the dangers of unchallenged authority, the manipulation of truth, and the importance of vigilance in the fight for true equality.
Its exploration of power dynamics, propaganda, exploitation, and the tension between hope and cynicism remains profoundly relevant today, urging us to critically examine power structures our their world.
Explore All Animal Farm Analysis
A Note on Page Numbers & Edition:
Just as Squealer could twist black into white, page numbers for George Orwell’s Animal Farm can shift and change between editions! These 57 page numbers reference the widely used Signet 50th Anniversary paperback edition (April 6, 2004), ISBN-13: 978-0451526342. Always double-check against your specific copy when citing for academic work—ensure your evidence hasn’t been turned from black to white!
Jeremy Mortis, founder of Ageless Investing, applies a rigorous analytical approach (the AAM framework) to distill timeless wisdom and contextualized quotes from classic literature, saving you time while deepening understanding. Learn more about Jeremy’s unique background and methodology on his author bio page.
A lot of work here; thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Patrick!!!