Skip to main content

In Orwell's Animal Farm, how does Squealer manage to persuade Boxer and the other animals that Snowball was Jones's agent at the Battle of the...

Squealer was incredibly persuasive and used scare tactics about Jones coming back constantly.


The pigs use Jones as a propaganda technique long after the humans are gone from the farm.  They are constantly reminding the animals about the atrocities of Jones, and telling them that if they do not cooperate, Jones will come back and behave tyrannically as before.


“… Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would...

Squealer was incredibly persuasive and used scare tactics about Jones coming back constantly.


The pigs use Jones as a propaganda technique long after the humans are gone from the farm.  They are constantly reminding the animals about the atrocities of Jones, and telling them that if they do not cooperate, Jones will come back and behave tyrannically as before.



“… Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! Surely, comrades," cried Squealer almost pleadingly, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail, "surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?" (Ch. 3) 



The animals do not want Jones to come back, so they do whatever the pigs say.  They do not complain about the pigs’ abuses, such as taking the milk and apples for themselves.  Whenever the pigs want the animals to stop complaining or to not think too hard about something, they just mention Jones and the matter will drop. 


Connecting Jones to Snowball was easy.  Squealer and the pigs have been telling the other animals that Jones will come back and that the farm is in dire peril.  Now they can claim that Snowball, who opposed Napoleon, was secretly in league with Jones.  It fits perfectly, and the animals believe anything Squealer says, so it is perfect. 



We had thought that Snowball's rebellion was caused simply by his vanity and ambition. But we were wrong, comrades. Do you know what the real reason was? Snowball was in league with Jones from the very start! He was Jones's secret agent all the time. (Ch. 7)



Napoleon slowly tightens his control over the other animals.  In time, his leadership is even more controlling and damaging than that of Jones.  The animals are actually worse off than before.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more