Question

How does this passage demonstrate the use of propaganda?

It uses bandwagon by claiming that Snowball was fighting alongside Jones.
It uses scapegoating by blaming Snowball for actions he is not responsible for.
It uses hyperbole by exaggerating Snowball’s actions during the Battle of the Cowshed.
It uses repetition by repeating tales of Snowball’s actions during the Battle of the Cowshe

Answer 1

You’re on the right track — the passage uses several classic propaganda techniques, but the labels need a bit of correction and unpacking. Here’s how each technique actually works in this context:

- Scapegoating (correct): The passage blames Snowball for problems and actions he didn’t commit. Making him the enemy diverts attention from the leadership’s failures and unites the animals against a common target.

- False accusation / guilt by association (instead of “bandwagon”): Claiming Snowball fought alongside Jones is not bandwagoning. It’s an attempt to discredit Snowball by associating him with the hated human oppressor — a guilt-by-association or outright false-accusation tactic meant to make him seem traitorous.

- Hyperbole (correct): The passage exaggerates Snowball’s role and actions at the Battle of the Cowshed to make him seem more villainous or monstrous than the facts warrant. Exaggeration increases fear and moral outrage.

- Repetition (correct): Repeating stories of Snowball’s supposed deeds makes the lie familiar and therefore more believable. Repetition reinforces the scapegoating and helps the false narrative become accepted as “common knowledge.”

Overall effect: these techniques work together to manufacture consent and suppress dissent. Repetition and hyperbole build an emotionally charged narrative; scapegoating and false association give the leadership a convenient villain to blame, which protects those in power.