Animal Farm

1571 Words4 Pages

An infamous party came to light in 1917, with the overthrow of Tsar Nikolai II. Known as the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, it established a new government under Vladimir Lenin. However a well-known man, by the name of Joseph Stalin, took over soon after Lenin’s death in 1924. Stalin, often known as “Koba” in the party or “Uncle Joe” to the western media, was not an effective speaker. Conversely, he had many supporters who spoke eloquently and with their help, he put the (then) Soviet Union under his regime. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the story of the Russian Revolution and its leaders are told through the use of allegorical satire. This masterpiece enlightens the human population about Russian communism and writes of the “leader” Napoleon, his troop of pigs, and the inhabitants of Animal Farm, who are oblivious to Napoleon’s corrupted ways and follow him blindly. In reality, Napoleon represented Stalin, who was a poor speaker but corrupt and demanding. He had many supporters and propagandists like the leading Soviet Union newspaper Pravda and political speakers such as Vyacheslav Molotov who supported his stances and seemly unapparent exploitations. In Orwell’s allegorical novella, the main propagandist is a pig named Squealer. When the animals question the actions of Napoleon or past events, Squealer is always able to appease them with lies and propaganda. Squealer is able to manipulate the minds of the animals of Animal Farm, by his persuasive fabrication and soothing perjury.

First, Squealer manipulates his fellow animals by exclaiming that the pigs do not like apples and milk, but rather consume them for the health of Animal Farm. These products came from the efforts of the hard-working animals of Animal Farm, wh...

... middle of paper ...

...llibility but more so Squealer’s half truths and perjury. Using their faults against them, he is able to confuse the animals and trick them into actions they would not have made if Squealer was truthful. On the other hand, Squealer was not the only one that prevents the animals from resisting Napoleon’s inequalities. He has the aid of Napoleon’s dogs, weaned from birth to be savage, and the easily manipulated sheep that constantly repeat sayings they hear or are taught, such as “four legs are good, two legs are better”. In reality, the propaganda-spreading supporters that Squealer allegorically represents were very important to Stalin. Without their aid, Stalin might not have become as notoriously important as he was. George Orwell creates a wonderful telling of Communism in his novella Animal Farm and through his writing, he is able to educate millions of people.

Open Document