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Distorting Reality In George Orwell's Animal Farm

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Distorting Reality In George Orwell's Animal Farm
Distorting Reality

In Animal Farm, a fable by George Orwell, the severe effects of the Russian Revolution are depicted by some of the most innocent of all creatures, farm animals. One of the most significant of all these characters is Squealer the pig. With his manipulative rhetorical skills, Squealer represents the propaganda spread by Stalin. The propaganda spread by Squealer helped to distort the animals’ true sense of the ongoing oppression.
Squealer was said to be such a great orator that he could convince the animals that black was white. This is proven in the multiple instances in which Squealer’s persuasiveness completely flip-flops the animals’ beliefs. For example, Squealer convinced all the animals that Napoleon approved the creation of the windmill the entire time. Squealer continuously proved vital in Napoleon’s rise to totalitarianism.
Squealer’s phenomenal ability to transform the farm animals’ beliefs was necessary to the success of Napoleon. Some tactics Squealer used in manipulating the common belief of the animals included fake statistic sheets. Even though the animals were well aware their food rations were decreasing, Squealer’s persuasive presentation of the farm’s successes altered their beliefs completely and brought about a new sense of hope and prosperity to the farm.
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Just as Squealer brainwashed the minds of the animals, Stalin did likewise. Stalin and Squealer were both focused on increasing agriculture and industry. Also, Squealer and Stalin repeatedly contradicted themselves. Squealer did this by continually changing the commandments. Stalin contradicted his original beliefs of a classless society by establishing the new elite. Stalin used the media to hasten the spread of propaganda. He used art, music, movies, and books to promote “Stalinistic” ideas. This relates to way that Squealer hung a picture of Napoleon in the

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