Position 8 (Set 1) Analysis: Animal Farm Propaganda Essay, Exams of History

Download Position 8 (Set 1) Analysis: Animal Farm Propaganda Essay and more Exams History in PDF only on Docsity! Position 8 (Set 1) Analysis: Animal Farm Propaganda Position: Thesis This paper scores an 8 for the thesis because it is analytical and nuanced. The nuance this author presents, that, “…the educated must eradicate this propaganda in its infancy or take responsibility for the personal and societal consequences,” was not introduced in the classroom and reveals a deeper understanding of the role an individual could have in stopping governmental propaganda. Assertions are not explicitly listed, nor do they need to be. Essay: Animal Farm Propaganda Prompt: How does Orwell use propaganda to convey his central message? Throughout history propaganda has been used by malevolent leaders to maintain control over naïve populations. These propaganda artists is the art of systematically alter information and opinions and disseminateing these ideas it to the masses. Propaganda works by appealing to emotions in order to alter the way people perceive events. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, an allegory for the Russian Revolution, the pigs usurp control through multiple propagandistic techniques. In Stalinist Russia, the government, in the hands of the communist dictator Joseph Stalin, exploited the public through the effective use of propaganda, ultimately creating a comparatively worse existence for the masses than under the previous regime. People in communist states are more vulnerable to governmental manipulation because they give up personal possessions and individual freedoms, trusting their leaders completely. Similarly, in Orwell’s novel where animals take over a farm and set up their own government, Napoleon, a powerful pig, and his master of propaganda, Squealer, manipulate the animals into complete submission. The characters’ use of propaganda mirrors that of Russia in the height of Stalin’s autocratic rule; both deftly capitalize on different types and techniques. Orwell conveys his central message, that in a communist state, the controlling of the masses through propaganda enables the abuse of power; the educated must eradicate this propaganda in its infancy or take responsibility for the personal and societal consequences. Orwell’s characters use slogans throughout this novel to implant messages into the hearts and minds of each animal. Propagandists constantly repeat these brief, striking phrases, capitalizing on stereotypes and prejudices. They utilize these slogans to captivate, motivate and inspire the audience. Napoleon deploys such slogans to drown out the powerful arguments made by Snowball, or to change the subject when animals begin to question his legitimacy. For example, the pigs teach the sheep a powerful slogan to control key moments in the farm meetings. When dissention is voiced, at the prodding of Napoleon or Squealer, “The sheep… bleat…out ‘4 legs good, 2 legs bad!’” (47). Squealer strategically prompts the sheep to interrupt Snowball’s speeches at key moments in the argument with this seemingly animalist slogan. If the sheep had been better educated, they might have realized Squealer was taking advantage of them. With this quote, Orwell shows that slogans are effective tools used by the intellectually superior to manipulate the inferior. The catchiness and execution of this slogan makes it inevitable for Napoleon and the sheep to achieve their goals. Squealer’s slogans and messaging seep into the heart of Boxer, a work horse and an influential character in the novel, who often mutters powerful slogans to motivate himself and his comrades. His justification, that, “If comrade Napoleon said it, it must be true!” (56), exemplifies how if one powerful figure gets swept away, the masses will follow. Boxer inspires the animals; his blind loyalty encourages and misleads his fellow “comrades”. In essence, he becomes a tool for Squealer. Since Squealer cannot be everywhere at once, he exploits Boxer’s ignorance and loyalty to affirm Napoleon’s points to animals constantly. Boxer does this subconsciously, unfortunately manipulating the animals more successfully because they absolutely trust him. Through his characters’ use of contagious slogans, Orwell suggests that without proper resistance, powerful messages of propaganda spread quickly, infecting the masses. Throughout Animal Farm, Orwell uses Napoleon and Squealer to illustrate another effective propagandistic technique: appealing to fear. This fear, specifically visual and psychological fear, persuades the masses to follow the pigs’ lead. Most notably, this fear comes in the form of the dogs that Napoleon turns into his private army. When Napoleon wants to expel Snowball, “Nine enormous dogs… [come] bounding into the barn” (53). Then they growl in an intimidating fashion at any animal that complains or argues. This successfully uses fear to force every animal into submitting to Napoleon’s regime; the animals literally fear for their lives, imagining the gruesome, bloody consequences for disobedience. However, Squealer also utilizes more subversive forms of appealing to fear to manipulate the animals. When the circumstance calls for a softer approach, like when Squealer must explain why the animals should trust Napoleon and why Snowball’s exile is necessary, Squealer uses psychological fear. Playing off the animals’ distrust of humans, Squealer threatens, “One false step and our enemies will be upon us! Surely comrades, you don’t want Jones back!” (37). Squealer exploits the animals’ fear by reminding them how miserable life was under Jones’s rule;