Question
On Sunday mornings Squealer, holding down a long strip of paper with his trotter, would read out to them lists of figures proving that the production of every class of foodstuff had increased by two hundred percent, three hundred percent, or five hundred percent, as the case might be. The animals saw no reason to disbelieve him, especially as they could no longer remember very clearly what conditions had been like before the Rebellion. All the same, there were days when they felt that they would sooner have had less figures and more food.
–Animal Farm,
George Orwell
What technique is used in the passage to promote propaganda?
What is the purpose of Squealer’s use of propaganda?
Answers
GPT-4o mini
In the passage from **Animal Farm** by George Orwell, the technique used to promote propaganda is the manipulation of statistics and information. Squealer presents seemingly impressive figures that claim to show significant increases in food production, but this presentation is designed to mislead the animals rather than inform them. By presenting only positive data and fostering the animals' inability to remember past conditions clearly, Squealer reinforces the narrative that the Rebellion has led to significant improvements.
The purpose of Squealer’s use of propaganda is multifaceted:
1. **Control of Information:** By offering distorted or selective information, Squealer seeks to control the animals' perspective and maintain their loyalty to the leadership. He removes any opportunity for the animals to question the reality of their situation.
2. **Maintaining Power:** The inflated figures create an illusion of success and progress under the new regime, which helps to justify the leadership's actions and solidify their authority, even in the face of potential dissent.
3. **Distraction from Hardships:** By emphasizing numerical achievements rather than tangible well-being, Squealer distracts the animals from their actual struggles, such as hunger and labor, thus preventing discontent from growing among them.
4. **Promoting Unity:** The use of propaganda helps to foster a sense of collective purpose and gratitude among the animals by convincing them that they are better off than they were before the Rebellion, regardless of the reality.
Overall, Squealer’s propaganda serves to maintain the power dynamics within the farm and to manipulate the perceptions of the other animals, ensuring that they remain loyal and compliant despite their hardships.
The purpose of Squealer’s use of propaganda is multifaceted:
1. **Control of Information:** By offering distorted or selective information, Squealer seeks to control the animals' perspective and maintain their loyalty to the leadership. He removes any opportunity for the animals to question the reality of their situation.
2. **Maintaining Power:** The inflated figures create an illusion of success and progress under the new regime, which helps to justify the leadership's actions and solidify their authority, even in the face of potential dissent.
3. **Distraction from Hardships:** By emphasizing numerical achievements rather than tangible well-being, Squealer distracts the animals from their actual struggles, such as hunger and labor, thus preventing discontent from growing among them.
4. **Promoting Unity:** The use of propaganda helps to foster a sense of collective purpose and gratitude among the animals by convincing them that they are better off than they were before the Rebellion, regardless of the reality.
Overall, Squealer’s propaganda serves to maintain the power dynamics within the farm and to manipulate the perceptions of the other animals, ensuring that they remain loyal and compliant despite their hardships.