Animal Farm
George Orwell’s 1945 political allegory ‘Animal Farm’ explores several major concerns. These depicted in the novel and excerpt include propaganda and duplicity as well as intelligence and education as tools of oppression.
In order for the pigs to control the lives and viewpoints of the other animals they use propaganda and duplicity to their advantage. Propaganda is the form of communication that serves the purpose of deceiving or fooling others. Squealers uses propaganda to good effect when he provides the animals with false information, songs and spontaneous demonstrations, which gives the animals something to live for. However in the novel, propaganda is mainly used as a means of deception. The characterisation of squealer as a propagandist explores the idea of propaganda as a major concern in the novel. Squealer has the ability to influence the thoughts of other animals through his exceptional speaking skills and gives him power over the other animals. Squealer is constantly persuading other animals and this is demonstrated in the altering of the commandments. The motto ‘All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others’ was painted on the wall by Squealer outlining the hierarchy taking place on the farm that ultimately has the pigs on top. He also justifies the removal of the commandments. Squealer advocates the banning of the song ‘Beasts of England’ and the poem ‘Comrade Napoleon’ much to the disappointment of the animals. This quote from the novel demonstrates the use of propaganda and duplicity by the pigs to control the farm under their reign.
Another major concern explored in the novel is the oppression of the animals due to their lack of education and intelligence. It is clear that education plays a major role in forming a hierarchy on the farm. Since the beginning of the novel the pigs were portrayed as the most intelligent of the animals. However the pigs transform education from a tool of knowledge to one of oppression. Being the
In order for the pigs to control the lives and viewpoints of the other animals they use propaganda and duplicity to their advantage. Propaganda is the form of communication that serves the purpose of deceiving or fooling others. Squealers uses propaganda to good effect when he provides the animals with false information, songs and spontaneous demonstrations, which gives the animals something to live for. However in the novel, propaganda is mainly used as a means of deception. The characterisation of squealer as a propagandist explores the idea of propaganda as a major concern in the novel. Squealer has the ability to influence the thoughts of other animals through his exceptional speaking skills and gives him power over the other animals. Squealer is constantly persuading other animals and this is demonstrated in the altering of the commandments. The motto ‘All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others’ was painted on the wall by Squealer outlining the hierarchy taking place on the farm that ultimately has the pigs on top. He also justifies the removal of the commandments. Squealer advocates the banning of the song ‘Beasts of England’ and the poem ‘Comrade Napoleon’ much to the disappointment of the animals. This quote from the novel demonstrates the use of propaganda and duplicity by the pigs to control the farm under their reign.
Another major concern explored in the novel is the oppression of the animals due to their lack of education and intelligence. It is clear that education plays a major role in forming a hierarchy on the farm. Since the beginning of the novel the pigs were portrayed as the most intelligent of the animals. However the pigs transform education from a tool of knowledge to one of oppression. Being the