Why are all the animals going to the barn?

There are different reasons for all the animals going to the barn. At the beginning of the novel, they all attend a meeting there where Old Major, Mr. Jones's prize Middle White boar and the most respected animal on the farm, conveys a message about a dream he has had. During his address, he informs them about Man's abuse and exploitation and asks them to rebel. They are to rise up against Man and claim...

There are different reasons for all the animals going to the barn. At the beginning of the novel, they all attend a meeting there where Old Major, Mr. Jones's prize Middle White boar and the most respected animal on the farm, conveys a message about a dream he has had. During his address, he informs them about Man's abuse and exploitation and asks them to rebel. They are to rise up against Man and claim what is rightfully theirs. Once they have succeeded, they should espouse and practice a policy of equality and not adopt Man's evil ways.

After Old Major's death, the animals hold secret meetings in the barn at night several nights a week. At these gatherings, they are taught the principles of Animalism, a system of thought developed by the pigs Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer, based on Old Major's teachings.

After successfully expelling Mr. Jones, his wife, and his men from Manor Farm, the animals take control. They all go to the barn on Sundays to attend a general assembly known as the Meeting. Here the work for the coming week is planned and resolutions are put forward and debated. The pigs always propose resolutions, and Snowball and Napoleon are the debates' most active participants. The other animals hardly ever take part since they have difficulty understanding even the simplest concepts.

The barn becomes a symbol of the animals' unity and community spirit. It is here where they share a common purpose and where they feel part of a greater good. It is therefore pitifully ironic that the barn is also later rejected by the pigs as a common sleeping area when they move into Mr. Jones's house and become worse tyrants than their erstwhile master had ever been.