Propaganda is the spreading of ideas, rumors, and other information to influence a person or an institution. One can see this concept in the book Animal Farm, a tale written in 1945 by author George Orwell. Orwell illustrates the use of propaganda in the Russian Revolution by utilizing animals as the main characters. In the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell, the animals use elements of propaganda such as scare tactics, scapegoating and disinformation to influence the other animals on the farm. An element of propaganda the animals use to influence others is the scare tactic. The scare tactic is when one is trying to warn the audience that some disaster will overtake them if they do not do what is suggested. To illustrate this method, the author writes,“It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. You know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back!” (Orwell pg.23). In this quote, the character Squealer is trying to use Jones as a tool to make the animals consume the milk and apples. He is well aware of the fact that the animals hate Jones and the thought of him returning is a horror to them. Hence, Squealer uses Farmer Jones name to manipulate the animals and makes them …show more content…
Using scare tactics helps the pigs influence the animals attitudes towards them, the usage of scapegoating assists the pigs turn Snowball into a traitor in the minds of others and the releasing of disinformation enables the pigs to become superior over the other creatures. In the world we live in today, one can see propaganda almost everywhere. It is always influencing everyone 's lives and plays a big role on one 's social and political views. Likewise, the use of propaganda helps the characters of Animal Farm influence attitudes, behaviors, and the beliefs of
Jones would come back!” (Orwell 23). In this quote, the character Squealer is trying to use Jones as a tool to make the animals consume the milk and apples. He is well aware of the fact that the animals hate Jones and the thought of him returning is a horror to them. So, squealer uses his name to manipulate the animals and makes them do what he wants.
The first example of threatening the animals with Jones would come back is when the pigs ate the apples and drank the milk. “It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back. Surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back (Doc C).”
A necessity to ensure an ideal and functional community, as demonstrated in George Orwell 's 1945 novel Animal Farm, is the ability to detect and prevent corrupt conduct, read, and the will to challenge authority, which the animals do not possess, therefore putting them at major fault. One of the main factors that leads to the downfall of the farm and Animalism itself is the blatant stupidity that the animals, excluding the pigs, possess. They are overly dense to the point where the concept of corruption is near unfathomable, and thus cannot detect it or act upon their suspicions. Their willingness to believe Squealer 's persuasive speeches whenever doubt arises indicate that the animals are unable to think for themselves. “The other animals understood how to vote, but could never think of any resolutions of their own” (Orwell 19).
In the novel written by George Orwell, the presence of narcissism amongst the pigs results in unjust control of the animals, as well as deprivation of their freedom and the ability to interact with the natural world. The use of propaganda within Animal Farm shows a great example of how media controls citizens in a dystopia. In order for the pigs to maintain total control of the farm’s society, they manipulate the other animals. The author presents, “he announced that, by a special decree of Comrade Napoleon, Beasts of England had been abolished” (Orwell 88).
In Animal Farm, Squealer, chief propagandist, attempts to convince the animals that their lives under the regime of the animals is better than that of the humans. Squealer tries to convey this message, for example, by telling the animals that the animals would better off if Napoleon made decisions for them. Squealer says, “No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves.
Animal Farm- Lies and Deceit The book Animal Farm by George Orwell portrays the theme of how someone can lie and deceive others to get what they want just like how the two pigs Napoleon and Squealer used lies and deceit to gain power over Animal Farm. Napoleon lied to other animals, Squealer lied to other animals and they both deceived the other animals, but the sad part is that neither of them lied for the better of the other animals. They both lied to get what they want- power over the animals and the farm.
Manipulation is the most deceitful way for us to achieve the things we desire the most. Throughout George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm, language and the use of persuasive language lead to the accumulation of power. Language and the disappearance of Mr.Jones is where Napoleon dictatorship is made possible. The powerful rhetorical and their smart manipulations skills of language for any situation was what controlled the farm of its entirety. Pigs manipulated the Seven Commandments,Napoleon dictating, and the deceitful lies told by the Pigs were all methods for them to gain more power.
In both events, propaganda is widely used in various ways and was effective. Despite the differences between the propaganda used in World War II and Animal Farm, both of them aims for the same goal - to rule as a dictator. People uses fear to make people follow what they say since they don’t want to get hurt. As what has happened in Animal Farm, Napoleon declared “Snowball’s expulsion” (Orwell 54) without the Comrades’ approval since they made noises of disapproval. As a result, Napoleon uses “the dog sitting around him to let out deep, menacing growls (Orwell 54)” to scare them away.
“It is not wisdom but authority that makes a low.” Thomas Hobbes’ quote reveals that the world is all about authority and how powerful people are. In other words, to be able to rule, wisdom is not essential. However, authority is crucial. This quote relates to George Orwell’s Animal Farm as it represents the theme of power by the pigs that use propaganda, intimidation and false informations to take over the farm and to control the animals.
Animal Farm’s intentions were to be an allegory of the Russian Revolution and both were uses of propaganda in similar ways. In the Russian Revolution, the Bolsheviks used propaganda to declare their laws and rules to the Russian population and their authority of the Russian Revolution. In Animal Farm, propaganda was mostly used by the pigs. The use of propaganda allowed Napoleon to persuade the animals that Snowball was the reason their hard work of the windmill was wasted and that he was the reason of all the negative aspects of their lives. Also, the use of propaganda also benefited the pigs into having to do less work at times or them gaining the most apples or milk.
“Animal Farm” by George Orwell, is a story to show how absolute power corrupts, just as Stalin’s power did during the Russian Revolution in 1917. In the allegory “Animal Farm” each character represents a political figure from the days around the Russian Revolution. For example, Joseph Stalin is represented by a pig named Napoleon, Squealer, another pig, represents Stalin’s propaganda department, and the dogs represent the Secret Police (KBG). Using the nine dogs that Napoleon raises (intimidation), Squealer (propaganda), and manipulation, Orwell illustrates how Napoleon was able to gain and maintain control of the farm. The nine dogs that stay by Napoleon at all times are useful for Napoleon to gain and maintain control of the farm because they scare the other animals, intimidating them so that they do not disobey Napoleon.
In addition, Squealer often threatens the animals that Mr. Jones will return if they did not follow as instructed by Napoleon to manipulate the farm animals. For instance, pigs decided that the milk and windfall as well as the main crops of apples should be reserved for the pigs alone. Ostensibly, pigs need to be in healthy state as they claimed to be the Einstein of the welfare of the farm. Here also, Squealer threatens the animals that Jones would return if they oppose the idea. Therefore, the animals agreed with
He makes them believe everything he and the pigs are doing is for the greater good of the whole farm despite the fact that it is not. Squealer controls them in many ways but the strongest or most apparent are telling the other animals Mr. Jones their neglective abusive owner will come back, lying about Boxer the horse’s death, and finally changing the unalterable commandments into one that reads “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”. One of the very first and most used techniques Squealer uses is instilling fear in the animals. He does this by threatening Jones’s return.
In this process, Squealer plays a significant role in comforting the animals and keeping the farm in peace. Squealer does this by persuading the animals through his persuasive speeches. In this novel, George Orwell illustrates the huge influence a speech can have on the society’s mind and on individuals. Old Major’s speech about how all animals are equal and they should rebel against their oppressors influence the animals heavily. In the
Revolutions are fundamentally unavoidable when democracy fails to exist. Revolutions occur when people feel unjust and mistreated. In Animal Farm, George Orwell writes of a revolution by farm animals against their human leader, Jones. The lack of a democracy and harsh inequality is the root cause of this revolution. In December of 2010 large uprisings and revolutions started around the Middle East and Northern Africa known as Arab Spring.