Unit 1 English
.pdf
School
Cottonwood High**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
EGLISH 10
Subject
Arts & Humanities
Date
Dec 18, 2024
Pages
2
Uploaded by CommodoreLapwing4379
Promotion of propaganda in George Orwell's AnimalFarmIntroductionGeorge Orwell's Animal Farm is a satirical allegory for the Russian Revolution and the rise oftotalitarian regimes in Europe during the 20th century; mainly, these regimes were inspired bythe Soviet or Stalinist regime. Set on a fictional farm, the novel uses anthropomorphizedanimals to symbolize key figures and groups from early 20th-century Soviet history. Forinstance, Napoleon represents Joseph Stalin, Snowball reflects Leon Trotsky, and hardworkingbut gullible Boxer symbolizes the proletariat. Through its narrative, Animal Farm shows howpower corrupts and how language can be twisted to control and deceive.To Orwell's critique, propaganda predominates. Propaganda is generally understood as biasedor misleading information spread with the intention to influence public opinion or behavior. In"Animal Farm," it takes the form of speeches, symbols, and some public policy with the purposeof obscuring the truth for purposes of political gain. It vividly shows how propaganda helpsconsolidate and maintain power, providing a cautionary tale about the dangers of deceitfullanguage and manipulation.BodyOne of the earliest instances of propaganda appears in Animal Farm, namely Old Major'sspeech in Chapter 1, which incites the animals into a rebellion. Old Major draws an idyllicpicture of equality and freedom and inspires the animals to rise up against human rule; hisspeech diminishes complicated issues and incites hatred against humans perceived as the oneevil. Old Major states: "Man is the only creature that consumes without producing," lendingthemselves to the impression that they are the parasitic oppressors. Although the unity amongthe animals in rebellion is made more possible by this oratory, it plants the seeds for a newsystem equally oppressive under Napoleon. The emotional appeal and the false dichotomybetween the animals and the humans dupe the animals into accepting revolution without thelong-term consequences of such acceptance being considered.Another example includes when Squealer tries to defend the pigs consuming milk and applesexclusively. In chapter 3, Squealer conveys:"We do it with one object only: to preserve our health. You know what would happen to us pigs ifwe failed in our duty? Jones would come back!"
The fear-mongering tactics employed by Squealer shifted the animals' attention away from theperks of the pigs towards the exaggerated dangers that accompanied disobeying orders.Furthermore, he passionately claimed the sanctity of their actions because of scientific support,taking advantage of their ignorance. This made the animals believe that all the selfishness ofthe pigs stood in favor of their overall interest, thus reinforcing the political control.The darker aspects of propaganda manifest in Napoleon's rise to power. Unlike Snowball,Napoleon leveraged Squealer and intimidation to assert his primacy instead of being a frontman. For instance, when Snowball is identified as the scapegoat for the farm's problems,Squealer fabricates stories about the so-called treachery of Snowball, saying, "Snowball was inleague with Jones from the very beginning!" All accusations made without any substantiationdeflected the focus from blame upon Napoleon and destroyed any other rival. In association,Napoleon's secret police, his dogs, made use of fear and brutality to stifle opposition, thusfacilitating an atmosphere in which it is impossible to question authority. The amalgamationbetween the politics of propaganda and fear established the dictatorship of appeasement thatmirrors the Stalinist purges and show trials.ConclusionIn Animal Farm, Orwell affects condemnation from the different spheres of manipulation oflanguage and information in order to wield oppression. He explains how propaganda ingrainsignorance, thus rendering the powerful able to exploit the masses. A wider scope of hismessage cautions against any unconditional acceptance of authority and draws attention to thenecessity for vigilance against the undermining of truth and justice.If he were alive today, he would probably find similarities between the propaganda in AnimalFarm and the current manipulative information used in modern societies. From politicalcampaigns to social media algorithms, propaganda remains an ongoing concern. Theplatitudinal example being the Caribbean of terror and deepfake technology distorting reality,whereby fear-mongering rhetorically polarizes the societies. Orwell would affirm that the "tricks"of Animal Farm-presumptive emotional manipulation, scapegoating, and fear tactics-lingering onare recast in new forms rendering his caution as relevant as they can be.This continuing presence of propaganda underscores the criticality of thinking critically andensuring transparency. The absence of said safeguards tilts societies towards recreating thecycle of oppression depicted in Orwell's timeless fable.