How Does Squealer Use Propaganda In Animal Farm

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Animal Farm, by George Orwell, tells the story of a corrupt totalitarian society through the eyes of farm animals. The dictator in the story is a pig named Napoleon, however, he cannot do it alone. Napoleon needs Squealer because he is successfully able to use imagery, propaganda, and knowledge to manipulate animals on the farm into doing his bidding. One key aspect in any totalitarian style government is making others believe what you want them to. In Animal Farm, Squealer uses imagery to make his lies so believable that the other animals don’t question what he says. However, at first Squealer used his words for the good of society by doing things like making rules, plans, and helping to unite the farm. As the story progresses he shows …show more content…

Education gives people power, and Squealer happens to be one of the most educated on the farm. He uses this to his advantage by exploiting the fact that the others can’t read to make up stories or bend rules. When the only information the animals are able to get comes from him they have nothing to compare it to and automatically assume its true. This is one weakness the pigs are constantly abusing throughout the entire book. Squealer will change a commandment and know one will know, he even tells everyone that Snowball had been plotting against them but they just had to believe him because they wouldn’t understand the evidence. One of the worst cases is when they sell boxer to the slaughter house. When the cart comes to pick up Boxer to take him away nobody knows what the the cart says. It is not until Benjamin comes that he reads it and says, “Fools! Do you not see what is written on the side of the van?” He pleaded to everyone “ ‘Alfred Simmonds, Horse Slaughterer and Glue Boiler, Willingdon. Dealer in Hides and Bone-Meal. Kennels supplies.’ Do you not know what this means? They are taking Boxer to the knacker’s!”(122 Orwell). As always Squealer covers this up with another lie and everyone seem to forget. However, this is a key example of why knowledge is so important. If you don’t know anything you can’t speak up and you

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