What are the TOP 10 QUOTES on Animal Farm?

The 10 Most Useful Quotes

1. “Man is the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished for ever.”

This from Old Major establishes the central conflict of the novel and introduces the theme of social inequality. It can be used to discuss the initial idealism of the rebellion and the idea that a society without human exploitation would be fair and prosperous. However, it also foreshadows the pigs’ later rise to power and their exploitation of the other animals, highlighting the theme of the corruption of socialist ideals.

2. “All men are enemies. All animals are comrades.”

This from Old Major emphasises the initial theme of unity and comradeship among the animals. It sets up the binary opposition between humans and animals, which is later exploited by the pigs to maintain their control. This can be used to discuss how the pigs manipulate the animals’ fear of human return to justify their own oppressive actions. This means that they can adopt all the human actions, but justify them because they are carried out by animals, not humans.

3. “The life of an animal is misery and slavery: that is the plain truth.”

This, also from Old Major, highlights the theme of social inequality that exists under Mr. Jones’s rule. It can be used to discuss the animals’ motivation for rebellion and their desire for a better life. This can also be contrasted with the animals’ later conditions under the pigs’ rule, illustrating how the novel explores the theme of the society’s tendency toward class hierarchies.