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Propaganda Used In Old Major’s Speech in Animal Farm
In a dimly-lit barn, a respected boar sat atop a soapbox, trying to convince his followers to join him in his cause. His followers were farm animals, who had been abused by their captor, Mr. Jones. They huddled around the boar, who was called Old Major, and listened to his speech. Old Major used propaganda and the rhetorical triangle to persuade the animals to rebel against humanity.
In the beginning of his speech, Old Major preached to his future warriors, “No animal in England knows the meaning of happiness or leisure after he is a year old. No animal in England is free” (Orwell 1). Old Major made the animals believe that all animals were suffering and no animal was free. The generalization
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of “all animals” linked his audience together. This, along with his constant use of the word “comrade”, helped the animals to believe that they stood of the same status. He then proceeded to tell them, “It’s summed up in a single word—Man. Man is the only enemy we have. Remove man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork will be abolished for ever” (Orwell 1). Old Major grouped all of the problems of all animals under a common enemy. With this, he convinced the animals that every human was evil and that they needed to follow his cause. Throughout the entirety of his speech, Old Major used multiple examples of hasty generalizations to persuade the animals to follow his cause, but he also used cardstacking to do the same. After Old Major generalized humans as the root of all evil, he went on explaining how good life would be with humans gone, but he forgot to explain the cost.
This exemplified card stacking. In his speech, he said, “Only get rid of man, and the produce of our labour would be our own. Almost overnight we could become rich and free” (Orwell 9). Old Major explained to the animals how enjoyable and fruitful a humanless life would be if they rid themselves of Man. However, he said nothing about the horrors they would have to go through to finally live as free animals. Shortly thereafter, he proclaimed loudly, “That is my message to you, comrades: Rebellion! I do not know when the Rebellion will come, it might come in a week or a hundred years, but I know, as surely as I see this straw beneath my feet, that sooner or later justice will be done. Feast your eyes on that, comrades…” (Orwell 9). Old Major told the animals that the Rebellion would someday come. He didn’t know when, how, or what could happen between then and later. While, for a moment, he did mention how long it may take for the Rebellion to come, he made it seem glamorous and heroic. This inspired the animals to believe that Rebellion was going to come soon, and when it did, it was going to be glorious. Through his speech, Old Major used many examples of card stacking, but he also related to the animals on a passionate
level. Near the end of his speech, Old Major sung a song titled, “Beasts of England”. The emotional effect of this song among the animals was a type of propaganda called pathos. The animals were constantly abused by Jones. They, naturally, longed for independence from him. Old Major appealed to this when he sung, "Rings shall vanish from our noses, and the harness from our back, bit and spur shall rust forever, cruel whips no more shall crack" (Orwell 12-13). This short lyric helped the animals to realize what hardships they faced in confinement. Old Major continued on to sing, "Riches more than mind can picture, wheat and barley, oats and hay, clover, beans, and mangel-wurzels shall be ours upon that day" (Orwell 12-13). This stanza appeals not only to the animals' need for freedom, but also their want for comfort. Comfort was something previously impossible for the animals to conjure. Old Major boldly proclaimed that independence was possible, as well as luxury. The emotional appeal revealed how wonderful life would serve the animals if it wasn't for humanity. Old Major used multiple examples of propaganda and the rhetoric triangle in his speech. I believe that Orwell was trying to show not only the common Russian people, but the entire world how dangerous—yet effective—a powerful, influential leader can be. However, I think he was also trying to show that propaganda is not exclusively some foreign, 1940s Soviet Union concept. It may be closer than you think.
At the beginning of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, an aging pig named Old Major gives a speech to the rest of the animals. In his speech, he explains to them how awful their lives are in order to shows them that the Rebellion against Man, their one true enemy, will come soon. Old Major appeals to the animal’s emotions by using rhetorical questions and fear to effectively persuade the animals of the coming Rebellion.
It was was a dark night, all the animals huddled around Old Major to hear what he had to say about his dream. It turns out Old Major talks about rebelling against man so that all animals can have a better life. Ironically, after Rebellion, no one except Napoleon has a better life and he makes their lives even harsher. This is a story of communism, this is the story of Animal Farm.
My character Old Major is a very respected character from the novel Animal Farm. Old Major was a respected, leader and role model with a high opinion towards man. He was very respected by all the other barn animals”(orwell pg.3). As soon as the light in the bedroom went out there was a stirring and a fluttering all through the farm buildings”. The reason is because old major had a dream that he wants to share with everyone, also without even trying he already had every ones attention without an announcement. This also shows respect to Old Major and his thoughts. Old Major is an amazing leader because when he called the meeting every animal quietly walked in and even in order one by one(4).”First came the three dogs, Bluebell, Jessie, and Pincher,
greater part of the members are poor and miserable.” The characters in George Orwell's Animal
The book begins with Old Major, Mr. Jones’s prized boar, telling all the other barn animals of a dream he had. He tells the animals of a rebellion that will happen, he is not sure when but it will happen. With this in mind, the barn animals realize that they can never truly be free under the human’s control. The animals decide to put the rebellion into effect, and actually take over Manor Farm.
Old Major, a eminent pig on the Jones farm, is regarded as the wise superior by the other animals. He has had a strange dream and calls the other animals together to talk about their disastrous situation. Old major declares: ';Let us face it, our lives are miserable, laborious and short';. He declares in Marxist terms that Man is the problem: ';Only get rid of the Man, and the produce of our labour would be our own. Almost overnight we could be 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!';
been nearly over sixty nine years since the release of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” the
The novel, Animal Farm, is a well-known allegory written by George Orwell. As a satire of the Russian Revolution, Orwell portrays the rise of a cruel dictatorship and the mistreatment of the general population under it. Like the Communist government in Russia, the government in Animal Farm employs the use of many manipulative tools, especially propaganda. Propaganda was used by the pigs throughout the book, deceiving many of the animals. As this story shows, propaganda can enable governments to bend people to any purpose. By spreading positive messages about Napoleon, persuading the animals that Snowball is an enemy, and convincing the animals that they can’t survive without the pigs, propaganda helped give rise to a vindictive and selfish totalitarian government.
The novel opens with Mr. Jones not locking up the barn properly because he is so drunk. The animals taking advantage of the situation have a meeting planned to hear about the dream that Old Major had the previous night. Old Major speaks about his idea of something he calls animalism. This is the idea he has of the humans that control them and mistreat them. In his dream he describes a world without humans and the animals doing all the work for no one but themselves. He also teaches them a song that his mother taught him “Beasts of England.” Old Major dies a few days later and the animals waste no time in planning a revolution because of the recent worse treatment by Mr. Jones. The pigs are the ...
Orwell’s use of purposeful syntax shows the pig’s subliminal control over the unassuming animals and the original purpose of the rebellion. Old Major warns the animals in the beginning of the novel that they must “remember also that in fighting against Man, [the animals] must not come to resemble him” (Orwell 21). The objectification of
In George Orwell’s Animal Farm we get a glimpse of a strange switch in totalitarian rule. From Mr. Jones a cruel farmer who feeds his animals to little and works them to hard, to Napolean a pig that will have you killed for a bottle of liquor. Through stupidity, narrow mindedness and pure cowardice of some animals we view the inevitable as the farm animals become ruled by pigs. Old Major probably not the first animal to think of as an animal to ruin a utopia for the farm, is in most cases not a favored example to contribute to the pigs takeover. This pig finally near the end of his better than average life chose to create a rebellion against the then in power Mr. Jones. A truly justifiable act executed in a time to late, for Major died to soon to lead the farm. If Old Major had summed up an ounce of courage in his closer to piglet years further and earlier then his dying days the animals might have had a chance of a better life. Old Major can be seen as him being a late coward having what is thought on the farm to be a good life trying to end it a false legend or maybe Old Major was a slow hero wanting to leave a better life for his friends. Still though we should agree that for Old Major’s failing action or neglect was the time he chose to start a rebellion, in the few days before he died.
One of the main themes in the novella, is how easily pure ideals can become corrupted, as they did in the Soviet Union. The novel opens with Old Major, a character who represents Karl Marx, telling the animals on the farm of his Orwell highlights how powerful the use of language and propaganda can be when used to control society. One of the first times propaganda is used by the pigs can be seen when the animals find out that the milk from the cows was being mixed into the pigs mash, and that the apples that fell in the orchard were to be collected and given to the pigs.
Old Major, who is a respected animal on the farm, had given a speech to stir the animals emotion into rebellion. He used his power of respect and trust to persuade the others to pursue the vision in his dream. “Old Major was so highly regarded on the farm that everyone was quite ready to lose an hour’s sleep in order to hear what he had to say” (Orwell 15). Old Major’s dream was for the earth to be ruled by animals. Old Major strongly believed that animals have only one adversary. “Man is the only real enemy we have” (19). His oration inspired and energized the listeners. “At this moment there was a tremendous uproar” (21). Old Major had all the power and history has proven that dictatorship does not work, due to the fact that, power leads to corruption in a communism style government. The power Old Major held led his friends into taking action in what he desired to do, which led to rebellion and future tragedies. Power corrupted society and absolute power that is eventually obtained becomes corrupt within. (Lord Acton).
George Orwell wrote a unique story in 1945 to criticize the political system of that time. He uses animal characters to tell his story. The novel effectively portrays how animals rebel human leadership with the intent to rule themselves. Some animals pursue the rebellion because they believe they are going to be free at last. However, as events turn out, they end up in more oppression by one of their kind. The animals end up in disappointment and slavery. Orwell brings out the political theme carefully. In my opinion, Orwell’s story has relevance to the political and economical system in the developing world today.
It was the glorious speech from Old Major that made the animals want to rebel so badly. Animal Farm, written by George Orwell is an excellent novel that portrays the need for power. It shows how power can be used for either good or evil. The story begins on Manor Farm, owned by a farmer named Mr. Jones. One of the pigs, named Old Major, gives a speech that motivates the animals to rebel. After a while, the animals ended up rebelling, and managed to kick out Mr. Jones. During the beginning of “Animal Farm’s” reign under Snowball and Napoleon’s (main characters) lead, it brought the animals on Manor Farm together into a peaceful world. However, after this initial stance of power, Snowball and Napoleon began to fight for it. In the end, Napoleon ends up with control of the farm and Snowball is never seen again. Power is a corrupting influence in Animal Farm and both Snowball and Napoleon’s way of leading are very different.