Many dictatorships vastly differ but two commonly used concepts, oppression and tyranny, bring fear into the everyday lives of citizens. George Orwell, the renowned novelist, uses Animal Farm to illustrate how Napoleon and Squealer apply the ideas of a totalitarian government to grow a tyrannical nation. All of the animals who grow up in the Manor Farm under the cruel ruling hand of Mr. Jones, eventually expel him and establish an animal-ran farm, which Napoleon and Squealer begin to manipulatively take over. Once shifted to Animal Farm from Manor Farm, the animals notice that the boars in charge began to manipulate the once bright vision they had, back to a harsh, dictatorial environment from which they were trying to escape. Napoleon and …show more content…
Serving as Napoleon’s mouthpiece, Squealer defends the boar’s wrong-doings and manipulates the other animals by using his clever vernacular. Orwell shows how Squealer defends Napoleon’s confusing and sometimes selfish actions: “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. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be? “(21). Squealer calms the animals’ disapproval of violently scurrying Snowball away by guaranteeing that Napoleon makes all arrangements in their best interest. The Times Literary Supplement stated, “Dictatorship is evil, argues Mr. Orwell with a pleasant blend of irony and logic while busily telling his fairy story, not only in that it corrupts the characters of those who dictate, but in that it destroys the intelligence and understanding of those dictated to until there is no truth anywhere” (n.pag.). As explained, the other animals’ minds become progressively tainted and they begin to find it more difficult to resist manipulation as Squealer and Napoleon join together to distort the truth and rule in tyranny. Squealer skirts the truth and regularly validates Napoleon’s actions, eventually transforming into his spokesperson and head of …show more content…
The boar’s immense lust for power causes him to act selfishly and violently execute the other animals. Orwell shows Napoleons dictatorial personality often: “But just at this moment Napoleon stood up and, casting a peculiar sidelong look at Snowball, uttered a high-pitched whimper of a kind no one had ever heard him utter before. At this there was a terrible baying sound outside, and nine enormous dogs wearing brass-studded collars came bounding into the barn. They dashed straight for Snowball, who only sprang from his place just in time to escape their snapping jaws” (21). Napoleon’s violent actions and power-hungry attitude creates a place of misery, making him a prime example of tyranny. The critic V.C Letemendia states, “In the last scene of George Orwell’s “fairy tale”, Animal Farm, the humbler animals peer through a window of the farmhouse to observe a horrible sight: the pigs who rule over them have grown indistinguishable from their temporary allies, the human farmers, who the originally fought to overthrow” (127). The animals’ vision of prosperity becomes demolished once Napoleon converts the farm into what they were all trying to escape from. The animal executions, private army, and manipulative tactics used by Napoleon progressively transforms the Animal Farm back into the Manor
Animal Farm begins on Manor Farm, where overworked, tired, and hungry animals are unhappy in the conditions that they are in, but when an old boar named Old Major introduces the idea of a rebellion and encourages the animals to take control over the farm, the animals begin an uprising against the humans, taking control over the land and renaming the farm “Animal Farm.” However, greedy and corrupt leaders rise to power and turn a once prosperous farm, into a nightmare. In Animal Farm, George Orwell asserts the idea that absolute power results in corruption. Napoleon and the other pigs, interested in remaining superior, persuades the other animals by using intimidation and emotional appeals in order to keep control of the gullible animals.
Squealer, the king of Propaganda was a very relevant character in George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm. Propaganda is an idea or a statement that is often false, but serves the point of supporting a cause. Mostly know as Napoleon’s Mouthpiece, Squealer defended Napoleon’s decisions and commandement.This worked every time because of the animals lack of intelligence, compared to his skills to persuade his audience. Squealer’s importance in this novel was crucial. He was like Napoleon’s back legs, and fought for everything Napoleon wanted. Squealer’s way to persuade everyone, even when the right decision was clear, proves his title as propaganda king.
Napoleon’s disastrous reign only supports Orwell’s idea that revolutions always fail, tyrants are only replaced, and a new government is never established. Napoleon is a cruel ruler who, fearful of Snowball’s return, executes all the animals who “confess” to being in league with Snowball. Napoleon uses Squealer as a propaganda spreader to the other animals of the farm. Squealer tells the animals how wonderful life is on the farm, when in fact they
Theme Analysis The theme of Animal Farm is not difficult to understand. Orwell intended to criticize the communist regime he saw sweeping through Russia and spreading to Europe and even the United States. Though he agreed with many Marxist principles, Orwell was unable to accept the communist interpretation of socialism because he saw many similarities between the communist governments and the previous czarist regimes in old Russia. Communism, he thought, was inherently hypocritical.In his self-proclaimed “fairy-story,” Orwell uses his allegorical farm to symbolize the communist system. Though the original intention of overthrowing Mr. Jones (who represents the Czars), is not inherently evil in itself, Napoleon’s subsequent adoption of
The book Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, is the story of the rise of Napoleon, a pig who becomes the brutal dictator of Animal Farm through manipulation, deceit and violence. In this essay I am going to describe why I agree that the character of Napoleon can be likened to any other dictator in history. Firstly by his violent take over, secondly with his purges against anyone who opposed him and lastly the manipulation of his people.
In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the pigs are in control. Napoleon became the official leader after Snowball was chased out by the dogs. Squealer, Napoleon’s sidekick, now has social control over the farm animals. Squealer uses language to confuse and persuade the animals into thinking the commandments did not change, humans are allies and not enemies, and that some animals are more equal than others.
Animal Farm Rough Draft Throughout the novel of Animal Farm written by George Orwell, there are many shown signs of overpower and control over all of the animals who are in the community of animalism. During the introduction of Animal farm, the system of government most fits communism with all the ideas of equality and shared respect. About halfway through the novel, the communication and distribution of the overall power becomes more of a dictatorship as Napoleon, one of the smart ones, uses his position and control in his advantage and his actions to build an atmosphere of mistrust and lack of honesty.
George Orwell, in his novel ‘Animal Farm’, develops an idea through Napoleon. The boar grows more thirsty for power and inevitably corrupts his nature and well-being. This idea is emphasised through his manipulating control over the animals, arrogance in his leadership and the major unequal differences between himself and the other farm animals.
Napoleon and Squealer use lies manipulate the other naive animals, leading to unjust treatment of the workers. when the windmill is knocked over by a heavy storm, Napoleon takes advantage of the situation and blames Snowball. “ ‘Do you know the enemy who has come in the night and overthrown the windmill? SNOWBALL!’ he suddenly roared in a voice of thunder. ‘Snowball has done this thing!’”(70). As shown, Napoleon is blaming Snowball for the farm’s failures, instead of taking the blame for mediocre planning of the windmill. Orwell uses auditory imagery combined with a metaphor to convey how manipulative Napoleon is, reacting emotionally when telling a lie. Here, Napoleon is using his eloquence to give a convincing argument and wrongly persuade the simple-minded animals into believing that Snowball was at fault. These actions demonstrate the dangers of an uneducated and gullible working class, ready to believe anything, making them believe that the leaders could not be at fault. In addition, after many years,
Squealer defends him, and the animals think “If Comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right’” (70). Napoleon is clever enough to use Squealer in order to make every animal think he is making the best choices. However, he does not show the huge part of himself that takes is irresponsible and out of control, which makes animals think that everything he does it
Throughout your life, have you ever heard of a leader doing awful things to the people and citizens of his/her country? Animal Farm by George Orwell proves that having absolute power will always corrupt a leader, as shown by the character Napoleon. Napoleon, the main leader and dictator in Animal Farm never really followed the true laws and rules of Animalism. Although in the beginning of the story, he is introduced as a keen boar, with only the interest in following out the last wishes of the wise boar Old Major, we soon see that he believes the pigs are better than all the other animals. An example of this is when the cows are milked for the first time.
Squealer plays a crucial role in preserving Napoleon’s power and keeping the other animals under control. For example, to push his agenda, Squealer takes advantage of the poorly educated animals who have difficulty with complex speech. Squealer tells the other animals, “Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself, but that the foods are absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig.”
Animal Farm Writing Assignment In Animal Farm, Napoleon uses Squealer as propaganda, he scapegoats Snowball, and a strong force of dogs to set himself up as dictator of Animal Farm and remain in power. The first tactic that Napoleon uses is to use Squealer to justify everything. “Afterwards Squealer was sent round the farm to explain the new arrangement to the others.”(55) As shown here and in many other cases, Squealer is sent to smooth everything over.
“What a pig” attains a new meaning of “tyrant” in Animal Farm by George Orwell. In the novel, the reader is presented with a story following the uprising of the animals on Manor Farm. They are led by the pigs to victories in claiming and protecting Manor Farm as their own, now renamed Animal Farm. As time progresses the true intentions of the pigs become more and more apparent. Eventually, Animal Farm collapses and glory of sole power over the animals and farm is taken advantage of. Through Napoleon, head figure of the pigs, it is visible that when one has unshared authority and power it can often lead to tyranny and manipulation, as seen in multiple events in the once flourishing Animal Farm.
Though Animal Farm can be considered nothing more than a charming animal fable depicting a doomed rebellion, its origin is actually of a more serious and political nature. It is not only the tale of Napoleon and Animal Farm, but a satire and commentary on that of the Russian Revolution, Stalin and Communism. For a person to gain a true understanding of Orwell's meaning in Animal Farm, it is best that he or she has an understanding of the political parties and history surrounding Communism, Stalin, and the upheaval and fear that followed Stalin's rise to power.