Cate Bohacek
August 2, 2014
Honors Lit
Animal Farm, by George Orwell has many characters that portray someone who is concerned with self-preservation. From all of the characters I feel Squealer is most concerned with self-preservation because he will do and say anything to protect himself. He is constantly promoting Napoleon, and wanting all of the other animals to support him as well. Squealer will trick the other animals to make it look like the things Napoleon and himself do is benefitting all of the other animals. Squealer is very concerned with his own security. He latches on to Napoleon because he knows if he supports everything he does he will benefit from it. When Squealer promotes Napoleon, he doesn’t do it because he thinks that Napoleon is always right, he does it because he knows if he supports Napoleon he will get protected from it. He will do and say anything just so he is safe. If the other animals ever feel that Napoleon did or say something wrong, Squealer is there to change their minds. “Squealer made a round of the farm and set the animals’ minds at rest. He assured them that the resolution against engaging in trade and using money had never been passed, or even suggested. It was pure imagination, probably traceable in the beginning to lies circulated by Snowball.” (Orwell 64)
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The main characters represent someone from Russia when it was communist. The pigs are a symbol for the leaders. Napoleon symbolizes Joseph Stalin, who was the leader of Russia. Snowball would be Leo Trotsky who was running against Stalin but was driven away. Squealer is a little bit harder to figure out, but if you think about it, he is always promoting Napoleon and is on his side, so I came to conclusion that he represents the media at the time that was pro Stalin. The other animals would be the regular people who are living in the
“Besides, in those days they had been slaves and now they were free, and that made all the difference, as Squealer did not fail to point out” (Orwell 116). In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, after the animals had taken over Manor Farm, Napoleon took power with comrade Squealer as his wingman. They were determined to make what was now Animal Farm a better place. However, farm life really wasn’t any better now. Squealer always reminded them of the olden days and how they had been enslaved and now they were free, but really, they were not free with a ruler like Napoleon. The animals just always agreed and happily continued to work in their “free” state of living. Squealer knew exactly what he was doing and was very deceitful with every word that
By distorting the truth Napoleon is able to give false records of what has happened in the past, which makes tricking the animals of the farm easier. He is also able to warp the perspectives the animals have on certain topics, mainly Snowball. When Squealer states, “Suppose you had decided to follow Snowball, with his moonshine of windmills-Snowball, who, as we now know, was no better than a criminal?” he is not only deceiving the animals but changing their views of Snowball from a hero to a “criminal”. Squealer then goes onto say that “Snowball was in league with Jones from the very start! He was Jones’s secret agent all the time. It has all been proved by documents which he left behind him and which we have only just discovered.”. This false account further twists the truth and further portrays Snowball as a villain when in reality Snowball was never in league with Jones. Later on Squealer says “And do you not remember, too, that it was just at that moment, when panic was spreading and all seemed lost, that Comrade Napoleon sprang forward with a cry of ‘Death to Humanity!’ and sank his teeth in Jones’s leg? Surely you remember that, comrades?”. By taking advantage of the animals weak memories, Squealer was able to distort the truth by rewriting history when in reality Napoleon did not attack Jones in the battle. By doing this, Squealer is able to make Napoleon look like a hero and secure Napoleon’s life of
Squealer was the propaganda department of Lenin’s government. Squealer would often times persuade the other animals that what Napoleon was doing was for the betterment of all the animals in the farm, the animals not knowing it only benefited the pigs. The propaganda department of Lenin, worked for Stalin to be able to support his image and they often times convince the people to follow the commands of Stalin. They benefited from the fact that education was controlled.
“The control of information is something the elite always does, particularly in a despotic form of government Information, knowledge, is power If you can control information, you can control people”- Tom Clancy. To know things is the greatest gift in the world, but being able to share that gift is much more important. To share knowledge is to change the world; one minor piece of information could change something entirely. It even has the power to change the outcome of wars, of equations, and games, but not always for the best. See, if someone is denied this valuable asset, it can change their life and the lives of those around them. Books seem to be good at showing this fact In Animal Farm by George Orwell, this is shown quite well Squealer is a character you just learn to hate, but he’s good at what he does. He is extremely good at twisting words and ideas into a way he can use to benefit himself. Squealer has a knack for
The first method employed by Squealer is simply by lying and disguising the truth to completely avoid cracks on the animals’ dependence on the pigs. After some murmuring whether the pigs were being greedy by eating most of the milk and apples, Squealer responds:
Firstly, perhaps no book has linked animals to human counterparts better than Animal Farm. Orwell's beasts serve as a representation of important characters of the World War II era and beyond. For example, Karl Marx, the inventor of the communist movement, was represented by Old Major, the most important animal on the farm until his death. Much like Old Major, Marx was a visionary who dreamed of equality. Old Major states:"Is it not crystal clear, then, comrades, that all the evils of this life of ours spring from the tyranny of human beings? Only get rid of Man, and the produce of our labour would be our own. Almost overnight we could become rich and free. What then must we do? Why, work night and day, body and soul, for the overthrow of the human race! That is my message to you, comrades: Rebellion!"(Orwell, Animal Farm, 30). In addition, he inspired the Russian Social Democratic Leader Party, led by rivals Joseph Stalin and Leon Trostky. Napoleon is represented by Joseph Stalin and much like him, he builds loyalties within the communist party ( pigs and dogs) so that he can overthrow Snowball (Trostky). Snowball displaying similar traits with Trotsky in the fact that they both fight bravely in their respective battles. Trotsky was an important component to the victory in the Russian civil war, Snowball displaying this bravery during the battle of the cowshed. The hens, geese, and sheep that are executed are a representation of the millions who opposed Stalin's, and who are killed banished as a result. The hens and geese are not known for their docile natures, and serve as perfect rebels . As well, the pigs' metamorphosis of their face and behaviour is symbolic of the transition of a government initially for the people, into ...
Squealer then reiterates the reputation of Napoleon by addressing the animals without Napoleon there. By already saying that “he trusts every animal appreciates the sacrifices that comrade Napoleon makes” and then guilt tripping the animals by saying “leadership is a deep and heavy responsibility” (Orwell 19) The animals what to throw unconditional support at Napoleon. This shows that even when Napoleon is not there making a speech. His overwhelming influence and reputation on other people, is enough to get them to throw blind support towards him.
Although Napoleon was not a strong public speaker he was very manipulative and used propaganda to persuade others to listen to him. The most obvious example of Napoleon's manipulation and use of propaganda would be through the sheep. Whenever someone questioned Napoleon the sheep on the farm would burst into a cry of “four legs good two legs bad” and everyone would forget about their speculations ( ). Since Napoleon was not a great speaker he used Squealer as his public voice. When the animals wondered where the apples and milk went Squealer was sent to give the other animals an explanation ( ). Squealer would also change the commandments whenever the pigs would break them ( ). If Napoleon got into a tough situation he would either say “you wouldn’t want Jones back,” or he would use Snowball as a scapegoat.
Later in the novel, Squealer claims that Napoleon is a suitable leader for animal farm, and explains that Snowball is a traitor. Squealer supports this idea by comparing Snowball to Napoleon. The animals were confused on why Snowball was chased off the farm. One of the animal...
Napoleon often used his main sidekick, Squealer, to help in is manipulation efforts. Napoleon knew that the animals looked up to Squealer. He was very well spoken and talked in a hypnotic voice. For example, when the farmers begin to attack the farm, Napoleon yells out, "Impossible!" cried Napoleon. "We have built the walls far too thick for that. They could not knock it down in a week. Courage, comrades!" (Orwell, ch7). Napoleon convinces the animals to attack and keep Napoleon safe from danger. He would use his words to hearten the animals in doing what he says. Napoleons words really made them forget about fear and keep fighting. The animals had a lot of trust in him already so it wasn’t hard for them to be convinced. Before the battle had started Napoleon announced, “in a terrible voice pronounced the death sentence upon Frederick. When captured, he said, Frederick should be boiled alive” (Orwell, ch6). At the beginning Napoleon uses his speeches to convince the animals that Frederick is their friend. Now, Napoleon gives Frederick a death sentence and they now believe that he is the enemy. Napoleons words made them convinced to fight even before the battle had actually happened. Napoleon was a master manipulator. Whether it was through the use of his sidekick or through his own lies, he knew how to manipulate the truth to gain power over the animals, yet Napoleon uses one
“The pen is mightier than the sword.” This is a popular saying that explains that, sometimes, in order to persuade or convince people, one should not use force but words. In Animal Farm, by George Orwell, animals overthrow the human leader and start a new life, but some animals want to become the new leaders. To make the other animals obey the pigs, they first have to persuade the farm’s population. Squealer is the best pig for this job because he effectively convinces the animals to follow Napoleon by using different rhetorical devices and methods of persuasion.
First of all, Napoleon is a huge Berkshire boar and he clearly is the most powerful of all the animals. He was able to take complete leadership of the farm because he secretly trained the dogs to attack Snowball. George Orwell writes, “ ‘Never mind the milk, comrades!’ cried Napoleon, placing himself in front of the buckets. ‘That will be attended to, the harvest is more important’ (817). Napoleon is quite demanding none of the animal’s even question his authority because they know that he has more control than any other animal. Throughout the novel Orwell has many quotes that describe Napoleon as a leader, “ ‘long live Comrade Napoleon’ ” (846). All the animals on the farm (no matter what Napoleon did to them) would treat him as a powerful leader and whatever he said they would do. Often Orwell stirs up controversy about the rebellion, “ ‘forward in the name of the rebellion. ‘Long live Animal farm!’ ‘Long live Comrade Napoleon!’ ‘Napoleon is always right.’ Those were his very last words, comrades’ ” (849). Squealer’s letting everyone know that no matter what happens to Animal Farm, just remember that Napoleon was an outstanding leader most of the time. Napoleon was an outstanding leader and contributor to Animal Farm without his power the farm would have collapsed earlier.
The other animals were divided equally in supporting either Snowball or Napoleon. By spreading the rumor that Snowball was a traitor, Napoleon was able to drive Snowball from the farm and become the leader of Animal Farm with no one to oppose him. Napoleon, with the help of Squealer, turned all the animals against Snowball. Squealer, who was a masterful manipulator, played an important part in convincing the animals that Snowball was an enemy. Naming Snowball as a “traitor”, Squealer played on the animals’ fear of humans and told them that Snowball had been a spy for the humans.
Napoleon and the pigs protect the animals from Mr. jones to earn their trust, therefore the animals feel safe with the pigs. Squealer remind the animals what Napoleon did for them and how he saves them from Mr. jones. For instance when Squealer said, “ Comrade Napoleon sprang forward with a cry of 'Death to Humanity!' and sank his teeth in Jones's leg? Surely you remember that, comrades?" exclaimed Squealer, frisking from side to side ”(93). Squealer gives them an example of how Napoleon
He is also a coward by nature not much of a bigmouth or a braggart, but with a reputation for having his way in the sense that he does not put himself as the spearhead, instead with enthusiasm he decides to coach a litter of puppies belonging to Jessie and Bluebell. He trains this pack for his own good thereby making them his ferocious trustworthy soldiers, which he uses as a violent means of imposing his will on others. These helped him in hiding the notion of affluent living, which he reserved exclusively for himself whilst he operated through cruelty and treachery. Napoleon who was a spiteful tyrant by nature uses cunning oratory skills to spread propaganda and favorable support for him through the help of Squealer. Squealer is used as Napoleon’s own network for spreading beliefs; Squealer in this book possesses the power to manipulate the animals with his orating capabilities with great skill.