Squealer The Chief Propagandist In Animal Farm

Squealer, the Chief Propagandist
In George Orwell’s fable, Animal Farm, Orwell criticizes the ideas of a totalitarian government. Multiple parallels are formed between Animal Farm, and Stalin’s Russia, with Napoleon representing Joseph Stalin, Snowball as Lenon Trotsky..etc. Along with them, is Squealer, the most famous of the porkers, and the chief minister of propaganda. Much like Vyacheslav Molotov, a constant fanatic of Stalin and his regime, Squealer's charismatic intelligence and unwavering loyalty to Napoleon makes him a model propagandist for any tyrant. To sway the animals in favor of Napoleon’s gluttonous demands, Squealer employs an array of propaganda techniques, such as the complication of matters, oversimplification, and glittering
generalities.

“The best known among them was...Squealer”
In many ways, Squealer’s name says it all: “He was a brilliant talker and when he was arguing some difficult point he had a way of skipping from side to side and whisking his tail which was somehow very persuasive.
The others said of Squealer that he could turn black into white” (2.2). In general, Orwell produces an honest introduction of Squealer’s oral abilities. Throughout the book, his adept oral skills not only penetrate, but alter the accusations, and psychology of the other animals, as indicated by the words“he could turn black into white.” Squealer’s name derives from his primary method of vocalization, squealing, similar to Orwell’s portrayal of a having “a shrill voice” and his tendency to spray nonsense into his opposing audience. As a mouthpiece of Napoleon’s regime, Squealer swiftly rises to power, alongside Napoleon, because of his quick mind, and his nimble
tongue.

There are many instances within the story, where Squealer complicates language unnecessarily and twists logic to sway the uneducated . For instance, when the “thieves” of the milk and apples are discovered, Squealer makes his debut appearance and justifies why the pigs have kept the milk and apples for themselves. He claims that these foods “contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of the pig. We pigs are brainworkers. Squealer explains, that the pigs eat the milk and apples not for themselves but for the good of their comrades. Although not necessarily true, Squealer’s complicates matters, to not only confuse but intimidate the animals. Squealer does the same, when questioned how birds can be considered “comrades” if they only have two legs. To him (and the rest of the pigs) “a bird’s wing...is an object of propulsion, not of manipulation” similar to the hands of man. Time and time again, Squealer complicates language needlessly as to intimidate the ‘lesser’ intellectuals, engendering self-doubt and low esteem, as to take the words of the pigs for granted, or at least never jump to conclusions without the pigs’ mediation. Furthermore, when Napoleon eliminates the public meetings, Squealer is sent to explain the decision to the other animals. He tells them: “No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?” Squealer's logic is completely backward. If the animals are going to be allowed to make decisions, then they should be allowed to do whatever they choose – need it be right or wrong. Yet Squealer’s logic is always tricky, and elusive. By doing so, the reader immediately realizes that his whole purpose seems to be none other than trip up the other animals in any form or manner, so that the animals are only left with the choice to conclude, reassuringly, that Napoleon is right, and perhaps knows best.

A later strategy of Squealer, during the latter end of Napoleon’s regime, is his oversimplification of matters.
Such oversimplification is pronounce with Squealers invention of “four legs bad, two legs better!” Though unoriginal, being derived from Snowball’s “four legs good, two legs bad,” Squealer immediately limits the terms of debates when he teaches the sheep to bleat this radically simplified slogan. In addition, Squealer’s constant mention of the equality among animals in Napoleon’s regime, is another form of oversimplification utilized by Squealer. Before the last chapter, the first and foremost commandment, “All animals are equal” is prevalent throughout, with every other being altered or eliminated in some form or manner by Squealer. His reduction of Animalism into this one commandment, certainly makes Squealer and ideal propagandist for any regime. This is because, such statements can be interpreted in relative terms (such as different gradations of equal-ness; some more having slightly more power than others) rather than an absolute one. Of course, this was the intended purpose, and only the reader, with the exception of Benjamin, can read between the lines to uncover Squealer’s subtle yet dramatic change over the philosophies of Animalism. Though this commandment is soon altered to, “all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others,” Squealer, yet again, vaguely captures the fundamentals of “Animalism.” Only the privileged few (the pigs) are able to
capture the full meaning of these words, that the revised phrase, mentions an “all,” but only in order to differentiate a “some” from that “all,” to specify the uniqueness, the elite nature, and the chosen status of that “some.”

More than to their just logic or oversimplification, Squealer appeals to the animals’ gut instincts and prejudices offering glittering generalities and fear among the animals of the farm. He often justifies decisions by telling the animals that the pigs want to break from the way of Jones. Time and again, he hits them with the line, “Surely, comrades, you do not want Jones back?”, thus, inflicting fear upon the animals. Nobody wants Jones back! Nobody, not appealing to the individual but the group as a whole (yet another form of propaganda, bandwagon). Meanwhile, to the reader, Squealer’s seems to be hiding the fact that Jones is back, just in another form, Napoleon, an animal tyrant, who is evidently worse than man (to the reader, but in the eyes of the animals there is no difference between man and pig, physically nor mentally). As the pigs begin to act more and more like the humans, Squealer is the one who makes up artificial distinctions to convince the animals that they have an improved lifestyle over the past, a past that only a few remember, and do not wish to. A glittering generality, no animal would oppose.

All in all, Squealer uses a number of propaganda techniques, namely the complications of matters, using needless language, baffling vocabulary, and twisted logic. Oversimplification, allowing the pigs to exploit their own fundamental philosophies of Animalism, and glittering generalities to keep the animals satisfied with their lifestyle, and suppress the ideas of a rebellion. Combined, these techniques engender in the other animals self-doubt and a sense of hopelessness about ever accessing the truth without the pigs’ mediation. Squealer’s lack of conscience and unwavering loyalty to his leader, alongside his amazing oral abilities make him the perfect propagandist for any tyranny. Squealer, the Chief Propagandist of Animal Farm!