Propaganda
Characteristics of all Propaganda
*Propaganda is used to persuade to believe in something, particularly an idea, opinion or thought. In some cases, it is also used to spread information and rumors about someone or something
*Propagandists attempt to hide the truth by providing the audience with false, but realistic, facts as a common and effective method of persuading others
*Propaganda is used to help defeat opposing parties, particularly in political affairs.
*Fear is a common propaganda techniques used to effectively persuade people. It makes the audience scared that
something terrible will happen if they do not agree with the propagandist's idea, opinion or thought.
*Propaganda uses some censorship and manipulation of important information by either altering or removing it.
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How Propaganda Is Represented In Animal Farm (Represented By The Three Main Pigs)
More on the following page !
In Animal Farm, propaganda was frequently used by the three main pigs (Napoleon, Squealer and Snowball) to persuade the animals to agree with their ideas and decisions. When the windmill was knocked down, Napoleon used propaganda by hiding the truth to explain why Snowball was to blame on destroying the windmill. Napoleon frequently provided false information to the other animals to persuade them that he made the farm highly successful. For example, Napoleon told the animals that although the van which took the injured Boxer away had the words "Horse slaughter" on it, the truck was actually taking Boxer to the hospital. He explained that the truck was previously owned by the knackers, but is used by the hospital, who did not bother removing the words on the truck. Napoleon and Snowball opposed each other before and on the day of elections for a leader because both of them wished to become the leader, but the farm could only have one leader. Therefore, the pigs used propaganda to persuade the other animals to vote for them, such as using the mottos "Vote for Snowball and the three-day week" and "Vote for Napoleon and full manger" (pg. 33/34). Napoleon, Squealer and Snowball (before he got exiled) occasionally told the animals "If the pigs fail, then Jones would come back" whelnever the animals were confused or complained about Napoleon and/or Snowball. The pigs knew that the animals would have definitely not wanted Mr. Jones to come back, so the pigs used it to their advantage to create effective propaganda. All of the animals became afraid whenever the pigs said they needed a certain thing, or accomplish a certain task, or else Mr. Jones would come back and reconquer the farm. Therefore, the animals had no other choice but to agree with all of the pig's decisions. Napoleon manipulated information about himself by changing it to trick the animals into believing that he was the one who accomplished all of the outstanding things on the farm. For instance, Napoleon told the other animals that he was the one who actually thought of building the windmill, when in fact, Snowball was the one who originally thought of that idea.
Glittering Generalities
Throughout Animal Farm by George Orwell, the pigs use glittering generalities to make themselves sound much better than the other animals, gaining many privileges over the other animals. They call Napoleon, comrade Napoleon and use lines like “We pigs are brainworkers” (42). The pigs use big fancy words that the other animals cannot understand, but they make the pigs sound very smart. The words like comrade to make the pigs seem like friends, not leaders. Everytime they take something from the animals or break a commandment they have, some speech is thought up to make themselves sound better. By the end of the book the pigs have completely taken away all of the things that the animal rebellion stood for, and even changed the name back to Manor Farm. On page 133, they change the line all animals are equal to: “all animals are equal but some are more equal than others.” By continuing to use the word equal they easily trick the big dumb animals into believing it, and continue their reign. Language is used to trick, distort, and gloss over the truth.
Assertion
Evidence : of this is present throughout the book. A prime example is after the windmill gets destroyed. Napoleon avoids the fact that the food supply will be extremely low, and instead tells the animals, “ Do you know who is responsible for this? Do you know the enemy who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? Snowball!” (72) By asserting that Snowball had destroyed the water tower, Napoleon distracts the animals from the oncoming winter and the problems they will face.
When Napoleon wants to sell the wood to the owner of Foxwood, the farm where Snowball is hiding, the animals are uneasy about it. In order to do what he wants, Napoleon spreads rumors asserting that, Frederick was terrible to his animals, “He had flogged an old horse to death, he starved his cows, he had killed a dog by throwing it in the furnace, he amused himself in the evenings by making cocks fight with splinters of razor-blade tied to their spurs” (92) This rallies the animals around Napoleons choice of buyer.
In the book Animal Farm by George Orwell, there are many types of propaganda used by the pigs to reassure the animals that what they are doing is the correct action. One of the main arguments the pigs used was, “I’m sure you don’t wish Jones back,” calling out that no matter what, anything is better than having the old farmer return as it’s the lesser of two evils. It’s the lesser of two evils to work for themselves rather than man, to be free rather than in slavery, and to consume what one produces instead of selling it for a profit. And even when the animals try to remember what it was like in the days of Jones, they cannot remember enough to make a real comparison. So they must accept it. And the pigs are such masters of propaganda that it makes it easy for their ambitious quest for power to become a success, mixed in with the animals limited brainpower. Orwell is so obviously comparing this to much of life as we know it today, and to many of those in power, such as Stalin, who had completely blinded a whole nation.
Lesser Of Two Evils
Throughout the book Animal Farm by George Orwell, there was many occurrences when the other animals would start to question the pigs motives and decisions. The pigs would repeatedly use the same propaganda to convince the animals that they were actually trying to help them. Every time an animal raised a question Squealer would counter with, “Surely you don’t want to go back to the days of Jones?” If anything bad was happening at animal farm the pigs would always refer back to how terrible it was when Jones ruled the farm instead of the pigs. This can be classified as lesser of two evils propaganda because the pigs are justifying their decisions by only giving the other animals two options. This works for the pigs because the other animals don’t have the brainpower to remember very clearly what it was like when Jones still owned the farm. The animals also are not very intelligent which makes it very easy for Squealer to convince them of things that may not be true.
Jonah Gocke
Assertion and Pinpointing The Enemy !
“Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organization of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back!” (42).
This exact passage expresses various types of propaganda used towards the animals. For one, Squealer uses his best form of assertion, claiming that without the pigs, the entire farm would crumple. He also uses knowledge against the other animals, seeing as though he knows more about the “substances that are necessary to the well-being of a pig.” And the animals aren’t even close to being as educated as the pigs, so manipulation easily occurs. The pigs’ knowledge and way with words are how they gain more power over the other animals, implying that those who are educated are not easily ruled over. Finally, the last type of propaganda Orwell uses is pinpointing the enemy. Squealer, knowing that the animals absolutely don’t want Jones to come back, uses that to remind to animals who the real enemy is. And after explaining why the pigs will receive better food, he quickly brings up Jones to eliminate any further doubt the animals contain.
Simplification (Stereotyping)
In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the human characters are the ones who get stereotyped. Throughout the book they are portrayed as being horrible, cruel and uncaring beings. And since Mr. Jones was an alcoholic that really didn’t help the stereotype of all alcoholics are bad mean people.
George Orwell characters use propaganda to brainwash the animals to willingly accept that “ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS,” (155) by pinpointing the enemy. When anything went missing in the farm or something was broken they would all resolve to that snowball had done it, or create assumptions that Snowball had done it, but in reality it was someone else in the farm. A perfect example of this is, “The cows declared unanimously that Snowball crept into their stalls and milked them in their sleep. The rats, which had been troublesome that winter, were also said to be in league with Snowball.” (78)
George Orwell used pinpointing the enemy towards the end a lot to enforce that everything was all Snowballs fault when in fact it was the other animals fault.