Squealer and Old Major: Compare/Contrast

Squealer and Old Major: Compare/Contrast
Old Major is highly respected among the farm animals, as he claims to “understand the nature of life on this earth as well as any animal now living” (28). Major serves as the source of the ideals that the animals continue to uphold even after their pig leaders have betrayed them. Before his death, he calls a meeting of all the animals and tells them that human beings are the sole reason that “No animal in England is free” and that “The life of an animal is misery and slavery.” Therefore the animals must take charge of their destiny by overthrowing Man in a great Rebellion. Old Major uses some techniques of propaganda in his speech to the animals as he identifies humans as the enemy, and attempts to unite them all against this common enemy. He promises that their lives will be better and easier if they do what he suggests and overthrow the humans. He also teaches them a simple, easy-to-remember song, Beasts of England, to inspire them with his ideas. Although he genuinely believes that he is acting in the animals' best interests and is not trying to deceive them, this is all still propaganda. After his death, the socialism he professes is drastically altered when Napoleon and the other pigs begin to dominate.
Squealer is described as “a brilliant talker” who is talented in the art of argument, and is described as a manipulator and persuader. Under Napoleon’s rule, Squealer acts as the liaison to the other animals. He lies to them, rewriting history and reading them encouraging, but false, statistics. Squealer is especially good at playing on the animals’ ignorance and gullibility. He represents the propaganda machine of a totalitarian government. The others say that Squealer could “turn black into white” (2.2) Squealer becomes the mouthpiece of Napoleon’s regime. He rises to power because of his quick mind, his nimble tongue, and the fact that he seems to have absolutely no morals whatsoever.
Squealer justifies the fact that the pigs have hoarded 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” (3.14) He tells the animals that he hopes they don't think the pigs are doing this to be selfish, and that many of the pigs in fact dislike milk and apples and take them only to stay healthy for the sake of the other animals. Squealer tells them it is scientifically proven that milk and apples contain substances absolutely necessary to the health of a pig. He says that because the pigs are brainworkers and do all the management, they have a duty to stay as alert and healthy as they possibly can. He plays off the animals' fears by telling them that if the pigs fail in their duty, Jones will come back. All the animals are very afraid of Jones coming back, and so if the only way to avoid it is to give the pigs all the milk and apples, they would happily agree.
Squealer often justifies decisions by telling the animals that the pigs want to break from the way of Jones. Time and again he says, “Surely, comrades, you do not want Jones back?” (5.21). This argument is unanswerable because certainly the animals don't want Jones back. Squealer emphasizes that with one false step, the animals will bring Jones back. He uses their fear of Jones to make them cooperate. 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 made a clean break with the oppressive past. He has the ability to persuade other animals that the pigs are always moral and correct in their decisions. It is clear that the falsity of mass media is shown when Napoleon decides to build the windmill, warning the animals that this extra task will mean very hard work and a possible reduction of their rations. By Squealer’s persuasive language, "the animals accepted his explanations without further question".
Napoleon announces that the animals will begin trading with humans, but some protest that they remember agreeing never to have any dealings with men. Squealer assures them that "it was pure imagination, probably traceable in the beginning to lies circulated by Snowball." Squealer persuades the animals that their memories are at fault when they think they remember passing a resolution against money and trade at the first meeting after the Rebellion. He also asks them how they can be sure they did not dream it, since there is no record in writing and no proof of such a resolution.
When the pigs move into the farm house, again the animals seem to remember a resolution against this, but Squealer explains that they were only imagining and that it was necessary to the dignity of Napoleon. He emphasizes that it is necessary for the pigs as brainworkers to have a quiet place to work, and that it is unsuitable for Napoleon to be living in an undignified sty. Squealer informs them that “the rule was against sheets, which are human invention” and ends his brainwash using his constant threat, saying "surely none of you wishes to see Jones back?" With this magic question, the animals are convinced and agree without saying another word.
Later on, Squealer is able to convince the animals that Snowball was a traitor and an agent of Jones from the beginning, although they remember him fighting heroically at the Battle of the Cowshed. Since most of the other animals only have vague memories of the occurrence, they find it easy to believe and abstain from any argument. He does this by telling them that the pigs have found secret documents proving it. He tells Boxer he could show him evidence of the plot in Snowball's own handwriting, but Boxer could not read it since Boxer only knows the first four letters of the alphabet. The animals remember seeing Snowball wounded by Jones's gun, but Squealer tells them it was part of the arrangement and the shot only grazed him. Squealer describes Snowball's cowardice at the scene of the battle and Napoleon's imaginary bravery, in such detail that it seems to the animals they do remember these things. When Boxer still refuses to believe that Snowball was already a traitor at the Battle of the Cowshed, Squealer convinces him that he is mistaken. Finally, Boxer is convinced that "if comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right". This shows how propaganda brainwashes the animals. Now that the animals have finally accepted Squealer's version of the Battle of the Cowshed and remember this as the true version, he is able to convince them further that they are still remembering things wrong and Snowball was in fact criticized for his cowardice in the battle.
Snowball changes the name of the farm to “Animal Farm” and comes up with Seven Commandments, which are to form the basis of Animalism. As time goes by, the pigs increase their control over the animals and award themselves increasing privileges. They suppress the animals’ questions and protests by threatening Mr. Jones’s return. Animals on other farms have begun lashing out against their human masters and singing the revolutionary song “Beasts of England.” The animals celebrate their victory in what they call “The Battle of the Cowshed.” In the winter, as conditions become worse on Animal Farm, Napoleon deceives the human world into thinking the farm is prospering. Around the same time, Napoleon begins negotiating with Frederick and Pilkington to sell Animal Farm’s store of timber. He also spreads propaganda against Snowball, claiming that Snowball was always a spy and a collaborator while Napoleon was the true hero of the Battle of the Cowshed.
As the animals reminisce about Animalism’s ideals and consider how much they differ from the violence and terror of Napoleon’s reign, they sing “Beasts of England,” but Squealer informs them that the song is useless now that the Rebellion is completed and that it is now forbidden. Napoleon bans the song Beasts of England and replaces it with a new song praising the glories of Animal Farm. Squealer explains the action by saying that Beasts of England is outdated because it was a song wishing for freedom and the animals now have their freedom and no longer need the song. Some of the animals protest, but the sheep start bleating “Four legs good, two legs bad” over and over again and put an end to the discussion.
Years go by, and although Animal Farm’s population has increased, only a few animals remember the Rebellion. Squealer teaches the sheep to chant, “Four legs good, two legs better.” Although they do not fully understand what it means, they all memorize the slogan "Four legs good, two legs bad." Such a slogan is simple, easy to remember and repeat, therefore the sheep develop a great liking for it. The Seven Commandments have been replaced with a single maxim: “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.” Napoleon announces that the farm will be called “Manor Farm” again, the animals will no longer call each other “comrade”, and they no longer will march ceremoniously past Old Major’s skull.
The pigs persuade the other animals to agree with the principles of Animalism. They hold secret meetings in the barn, which always end with singing 'Beasts of England'. When the animals talk about loyalty to Mr. Jones, or ask why they should care about the Rebellion if it is going to happen after they die, the pigs do not focus on logically explaining these difficulties. Instead, they tell the animals that these ideas are contrary to the spirit of Animalism. It is very difficult to oppose an abstract argument like this.
When the animals become upset due to the lack of food, Squealer starts telling them every Sunday that the production of every type of food on the farm has increased using fabricated facts. The animals do not remember very well what conditions were like under Jones, so they do not dispute this. Squealer overwhelms the animals and prevents their complaints with endless lists of 'facts' which they cannot disprove because the facts are total nonsense. Squealer’s Speeches:
23: Milk and apples
37: Napoleon taking control
43: animal farm begins trading with humans
53: snowball betrayed animal farm?
59: beasts of England is abolished
62: propaganda to support Napoleon is plentiful
71: squealer motivates animals after battle
83: squealer’s speech on boxer’s death
89: squealer changes sheep’s maxim