An Issue Of Propaganda In Animal Farm Novel

In the Russian Revolution they used a lot of propaganda to convince the citizens that they are working for a better life, but in reality they are working for the benefit of the higher ups. Just like the Russian Revolution, Animal Farm uses a lot of propaganda to convince the animals that they are working for a better future. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the pigs use slogan, plain folks and fear to keep themselves in power and enslave the animals.

One type of propaganda that the pigs use is slogan when they condense the seven commandments into a set of words that is easy to remember. They used a maxium of, “Four legs good, two legs bad,” (51). Snowball accumulated the animals and explained the principles of Animalism, he is also explaining that bird’s wings also count as having four legs, but the birds did not understand. The six word saying will stick in the animal’s heads. This piece of propaganda explains that humans are evil and not wanted. Another use of slogan is when Squealer is telling the animals that Snowball is a criminal, and loyalty is better than bravery. As the animals had no answers to Squealer's argument, Boxer states, “Napoleon is always right” (70). Because Boxer is saying that Napoleon is right, he is making the other animals believe that it is true. The animals also believe that he is right because they believe that Napoleon is making their lives better. Boxer shows that he is not willing to argue with the bad decisions of Napoleon. He chose to leave his problems insoluble and move on. Not only does Animal Farm use slogan but they also use plain folks. In addition, the animals would toil for better lived that the animals believe Napoleon would give them.

Another type of propaganda that is being used is plain folks when Squealer speaks to the animals about Napoleon and Snowball. Napoleon, Squealer and the other animals noticed that the windmill has been destroyed. Squealer made up his mind and said, “ ‘Comrades,’ he said quietly, ‘do you know who is responsible for this?’ ”(82). Propaganda is used here by name calling the animals comrades and comrades is used to show friendship or that they are like friends. Squealer is trying to get the animals to believe that they are on the same page and that they are equal. By saying comrades, the other naima;s would surely believe that they are friends and his opinion matters too because he is like them. Another example of plain folks that is being used is when Napoleon eliminates the public meeting and Squealer has to explain to the animals why that decision was made. “No one believes more firmly than comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal” (69). Once again, Squealer is telling the animals that they are equal. Squealer is saying it in a way that is kind of making the animals to agree. Squealer and Napoleon benefit from this by having the animals on their side and have them follow their orders too. The animals and benefit from this, it only gives Napoleon more power and the animals lose their power.

The most important type of propaganda that the pigs use is fear when the dogs harm the animals and when Squealer tells the animals that their enemy would return. For example the pigs use fear to get the animals to be on the same page as the pigs. Napoleon uses his dogs to show that he is fearless and the animals should be afraid of him. “The dogs...seized four of the pigs by the ear and dragged them squealing with pain and terror, to Napoleon's feet” (92). Napoleon is using the dogs to show the animals that if they do something wrong, they will be just like the pigs. Because the dogs are harming the pigs, Napoleon is using the dogs to show the animals to not be like them or else they will also be dragged to Napoleon's feet and be torchered. So the animals would do whatever it takes to obey him because they do not want to end up on the same path as those pigs. The animals are only doing that out of fear. Fear makes people not want to speak up, and it makes people not want to do the right thing they would usually do because they are afraid to get punished for doing what is right to them. Another example of fear that is being used is when Squealer tells the animals that Jones will come back. “Surely comrades, you do not Jones Back?” (70). Squealer scares the animals by saying that Jones will come back, but because the animals do not want him back, so they choose not to argue, They use this type of propaganda to strengthen Napoleon's power over the rest of the farm.

Besides Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution, in our society, they also use propaganda. Propaganda can be used for good to bring people together, but propaganda can also be bad by wanting you to spend your money on harming products or clothes. Commercials on the television use slogan and fear too. They use it to make you buy their products, or to not buy one’s product, They use fear to show viewers the consequence of using a product like cigarettes. Whether you notice or not, propaganda is used everywhere and we live in a world where propaganda is always used