"You have heard then, comrades," he said, "that we pigs now sleep in the beds of the farmhouse? And why not? You did not suppose, surely, that there was ever a ruling against beds? A bed merely means a place to sleep in. A pile of straw in a stall is a bed, properly regarded. The rule was against sheets, which are a human invention. We have removed the sheets from the farmhouse beds, and sleep between blankets. And very comfortable beds they are too! But not more comfortable than we need, I can tell you, comrades, with all the brainwork we have to do nowadays. You would not rob us of our repose, would you, comrades? You would not have us too tired to carry out our duties? Surely none of you wishes to see Jones back?"

Question

Which statement best describes how propaganda reinforces one of the themes of Animal Farm in this passage?

It demonstrates that loyalty is rewarded in totalitarian governments.
It demonstrates that corruption is at the center of totalitarian governments.
It demonstrates that revolution is a constant threat to totalitarian governments.
It demonstrates that written law is the best way to protect against totalitarian governments.

Answer 1

The statement that best describes how propaganda reinforces one of the themes of Animal Farm in this passage is:

It demonstrates that corruption is at the center of totalitarian governments.

In this passage, the pig is using propaganda to justify the change in sleeping arrangements by manipulating language and reasoning to present a seemingly harmless reinterpretation of the rules that were established during the revolution. This reflects how those in power (the pigs) corrupt the original ideals of the revolution for their own comfort and benefit, highlighting the theme of corruption within totalitarian regimes.