Animal Farm

Describe a key relationship between two or more characters or individuals in the written text. Explain how the relationship helped you to understand these characters.

In the novel Animal Farm written by George Orwell a key relationship between two characters was Squealer and Napoleons relationship. This relationship helped me understand that they were both dishonest and manipulative: they would both often change the truth and manipulate other animals to what suits them at the animals expense.

The first reason I think the relationship between Napoleon and Squealer helped me understand their characters was when they made Snowball look like a big traitor. After Napoleon got rid of Snowball Squealer tells the other animals that he was ‘no better than a criminal’. When the windmill got ruined because of a violent windy storm Napoleon says ‘Snowball has done this thing’. This taught me that they would not mind twisting the truth to what suits then as these were clearly lies designed to make Napoleon and Squealer look better by comparison. Orwell uses persuasive language here for example when Boxer questioned that Snowball was wounded and running with blood Squealer says “That was part of the arrangement! Jones’s shot only grazed him. I could show you this in his own writing, if you were able to read it’ and when boxer says he does not believe that Snowball was a traitor at the beginning Squealer says ‘Our leader comrade Napoleon, has stated categorically – categorically, comrade – that Snowball was Jones’s agents from the very beginning – yes, and from long before the rebellion was ever thought of.’ Orwell uses this to show that even when something is far from the truth people in power can make you believe it is true.
The second reason I think the relationship between Squealer and Napoleon helped me understand their characters was because they also change the Seven Commandments. For example they change the motto ‘No animal shall kill any other animal’ to ‘No animal shall kill any other animal without cause’ and ‘No animal shall sleep in a bed’ becomes ‘No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets’ and to explain those facts they blame the 'faulty' memory of the other animals. Orwells purpose here was to show that people often use power to change their own commands to their own comfort and to what suits them.
Another way the relationship between Squealer and Napoleon helped me understand their characters is when they decide they want to move into the farmhouse. They have to keep themselves comfortable so that they can do the great work they do. They have to eat apples and drink the milk because otherwise they would lose their strength and not be able to complete the tasks they've chosen for themselves. They also act like they "don't even want to take the apples" but they must as they consider the demands placed on them. This was shown when Squealer was sent to make the explanations to the other animals ‘Comrades!’ he cried “You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in the spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. “ “It is for your sake we drink that milk and eat those apples.” This shows that people in control often act in a caring and concerned way to show thAt they are not doing something for their own good but are doing it for the benefit of others.

Those are the reasons that the key relationship between Squealer and Napoleon helped me understand their self-centered, dishonest and manipulative characters.

Maryam 11VZW