Animal Farm, a novel by George Orwell, is set in a farm in England, specifically in the fictional county of "Mugby" at an unspecified time. The story is narrated by an omniscient third-person narrator and follows the events that take place on the farm after the animals overthrow their human owner, Mr. Jones, and create their own government based on the principles of animalism.
The setting of the farm, known as "Manor Farm," is crucial to the story as it serves as a microcosm for the larger society in which the animals live. The farm is isolated from the outside world and the animals are largely unaware of the events happening beyond its boundaries. This isolation allows the animals to focus on their own community and the development of their own society without interference from the outside world.
The farm is described as a typical English farm, with fields, pastures, a farmhouse, and various outbuildings such as a barn, a henhouse, and a stable. The animals on the farm include horses, cows, pigs, dogs, hens, and ducks, as well as other types of livestock. The animals are all well-fed and cared for by Mr. Jones, but they are also treated poorly and subjected to long working hours and harsh conditions.
The setting of the farm is transformed after the animals' revolution, as they begin to implement the principles of animalism and create their own government. The animals paint the Seven Commandments of animalism on the barn wall and elect the pigs as their leaders. The farm is renamed "Animal Farm" and the animals work together to rebuild the farm and increase its productivity.
Despite the initial success of the revolution and the establishment of their own government, the farm eventually becomes corrupt and the pigs, who have taken on the roles of the humans they overthrew, begin to behave more and more like their former oppressors. The farm becomes a dystopian society in which the pigs wield all the power and the other animals are oppressed and treated poorly.
In conclusion, the setting of Animal Farm is crucial to the story as it serves as a microcosm for the larger society in which the animals live. The isolation of the farm allows the animals to focus on their own community and the development of their own society, but ultimately, the farm becomes corrupt and the pigs become oppressors, just like the humans they overthrew.