Monday, August 29, 2011

How is Squealer able to convince the other animals to accept whatever Napoleon decides?

We learn from the start that Squealer is a persuasive speaker who "could turn black to white" (convince the animals of anything). He is a "brilliant talker." With this talent, Squealer becomes the chief propagandist for the pigs. After he takes on the role as spokesperson for Napoleon, he will often go to the animals and "explain" to them, for example, that Napoleon had never really opposed building the windmill. The animals, we are told, don't always understand what Squealer is talking about. They don't grasp what he means, for instance, when he says "tactics, tactics, tactics" to explain why Napoleon "pretended" to oppose the windmill, but he speaks "so persuasively" and the dogs growl so threateningly, that the animals come to accept what he says. Squealer will usually travel around the farm with dogs accompanying him. Their growls and the threat they might do harm, along with Squealer's tendency to ask confusing questions and provide smooth rationalizations for what Napoleon wants, keeps the animals off balance. Their confusion allows Napoleon to seize more and more power. We learn too that Squealer makes "excellent speeches." He represents the role of propaganda and doublespeak--saying the opposite of what you mean--in allowing a dictator to maintain control. 

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