Does George Orwell Use Squealer As Agents Of Influence In Animal Farm

From the U.S.S.R to Nazi Germany, propaganda has been the precursor for the fulfillment of ideological agendas of regimes and corporations. Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman’s description of the Propaganda Model’s filters in Manufacturing Consent is reflected in Napoleon’s use of Squealer, Minimus, and Mr. Whymper as agents of influence in George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Napoleon serves as “the powerful source” Manufacturing Consent describes, while Squealer, Minimus, and Mr. Whymper act as the mass media and instruments of propaganda.

Napoleon uses Squealer as the primary means of propaganda due to his eloquence and gift for swaying the other animals, thus Napoleon’s frequent employment of Squealer is indicative of the “dichotomization and

This describes the cautionary tales told by the state of heroes and enemies to further their political or corporate agenda. Under the instruction of Napoleon, Squealer frequently tells the “useful and dramatic” story of Snowball’s treachery to nurture the animal’s allegiance to Napoleon. Upon increasing hardships at the farm, Squealer declares, “Comrades!... Snowball has sold himself to Frederick of Pinchfield Farm, who is even now plotting to attack us and take our farm away from us! Snowball is to act as his guide… Snowball was in league with Jones from the very start!” (Orwell 53). The information that Squealer imparts to the animals solidifies Snowball as an enemy and strengthens their loyalty to Napoleon, rendering his propaganda campaign strong. Conversely, after Boxer’s death, Squealer relays his story to glorify complete devotion to Napoleon to the point of death. Squealer lies about Boxer’s last words, “At the end, almost too weak to speak, he

This concept is expressed in the third filter that determines what is newsworthy: sourcing the mass-media news. Manufacturing Consent explains, “the powerful can use personal relationships, threats, and rewards to further influence and coerce the media. The media may feel obligated to carry extremely dubious stories and mute criticism in order not to offend their sources and disturb a close relationship” (Garside et al. 450). By virtue that the media sources its information and other rewards from the elite, the media is easily deceived and forgoes truth in order to maintain this relationship. In Animal Farm, Mr. Whymper acts as the intermediary between the human world and the farm, and in his reciprocal relationship with Napoleon, he receives a lucrative business deal. Whymper is introduced as “a sly-looking man with side whiskers, a solicitor in a very small way of business, but sharp enough to have realized earlier than anyone else that Animal Farm would need a broker and that the commissions would be worth having” (Orwell 44). Whymper benefits from his weekly visits to the farm monetarily, as the media does from their powerful sources. In return, Napoleon is given the opportunity to present an impression of the farm’s success to the human world. During