CHAPTER 5 
Summary
Molly is seen fraternizing with a human at the edge of the farm and she is challenged about this. A few days later, she disappears and it is later learned that she is seen drawing a trap. She was never happy about the change in her personal circumstances after the rebellion and she is never referred to again by the animals.

The friction between Snowball and Napoleon intensifies.  Snowball wishes the animals to build a windmill that will enable a lot of physical work to be taken away from the animals, and they will be able to enjoy a three-day week.  Snowball also feels that the farm can only be permanently secure if the revolution spreads to the other farms. Napoleon wants the animals to concentrate on increasing productivity. 

During the Sunday meetings the sheep, prompted by Napoleon try to disrupt Snowball’s eloquent speeches with their bleating. 

Napoleon views Snowball’s actions as a direct challenge to his authority, and using the dogs that he had reared from puppies, Napoleon chases Snowball from the farm. The animals are amazed at this turn of events and now suddenly, they feel vulnerable to Napoleon’s power.

Squealer is again used as a tool to calm the animals, but he is now accompanied by three dogs that intimidate the animals.

A few weeks later, Napoleon adopts Snowball’s idea concerning the building of a windmill.

Snowball is not seen again.

Interpretation
The main event in Chapter 5 is Napoleon’s coup over Snowball.  It contains the two main ingredients that contribute to success – surprise and violence. 

Napoleon also demonstrates that he too can be a tactician and he has clearly planned this coup carefully.

Although Snowball was prepared for the Battle of the Cowshed, he was not prepared for this banishment from Animal Farm.

The reader notices that Snowball spent a great deal of time preparing his plans for the building of a windmill, consulting various books in the farmhouse and drawing up his plans in the barn.  His hard work is not wasted however, for Napoleon will use Snowball’s invention at a later date.

These events are a rude awakening for the animals; for they now realize that they will be under the power of a Dictator who uses the dogs as personal bodyguards that will be released on any animal that steps out of line. This is a direct reference to Stalin’s regime where those Comrades who failed to be manipulated by the system were banished from it.

There are now clear indications that the pigs are becoming more like humans. The dogs react towards Napoleon just as they would have reacted to Jones.

Napoleon is quickly learning the art of being a Dictator.  The Sunday meetings and the Debates will be replaced by a system where the pigs tell the other animals what to do.

The expulsion of Snowball is the key turning point regarding Animal Farm.  His scheme for the windmill would have been hard to put into practice, but if successful would have brought benefits for the whole community.  Although Napoleon will try to adopt these plans, his first priority is not to benefit the farm as a whole, but to maintain his power as Dictator of Animal Farm.

Snowball is likened to Trotsky who had a purer and somewhat idealistic view of Socialism, as opposed to Napoleon and Stalin’s view of Socialism, which we term as Communism.

Snowball recognizes the power of propaganda, but wishes to use this to encourage the animals on the neighboring farms to rebel, whereas Napoleon uses propaganda as a means to keep a tight control over the animals on Animal Farm.

It is useful for the reader to now look back at Old Major’s vision for Animal Farm, and compare it to what has in fact transpired.

One feels a certain amount of frustration towards the end of this Chapter as Squealer succeeds in convincing some of the animals that Napoleon is a fit leader for them.