By: Pooja Samaraweera
ENG-1D3: Animal Farm Essay
In Animal Farm, propaganda is an important tool by which Napoleon holds or enhances his power. Choose three important examples of the use of propaganda in the novel, and show how it is an effective means by which those in power stay in power
Being in charge can make a person feel powerful, strong, and important
to others. But with those feelings, it can drive a person to become paranoid to
lose that power and the outcome of this paranoia is shocking just to stay at the
top. In many countries, leaders take advantage of their citizen's faith in them
and use their propaganda to stay in power. Fear, bribery, and fabrication are
key things that leaders use in their propaganda to make the common people do
whatever they desire.
Leaders can use fear to make their people do whatever they want. They
threaten to take their lives or things that are important to them. They kill people
who stand up, to send a message of fear, and show what will happen if anyone
continues to disobey them. They use fear so that the common people always
feel that their leader is superior to them in every way possible. They use fear to
make the common people feel like they can never stand up to their leader. For
example, in “Animal Farm” Napoleon had many animals killed due to the fact
that they associated with Snowball, even though they were strictly commanded
to not have any connection with Snowball. This is shown in the quote “Napoleon
now called upon them to confess their crimes.”(56) said by the narrator. By doing
this, Napoleon sent a message to the animal as to what would happen if any
animal disobeyed him again. Therefore making the animals too scared to stand
up for themselves. In other ways, sometimes leaders come into power because
the government before them wasn’t suitable for the people. When the people try
to question or complain about their work, leaders threaten the people of the old
government, so the people will do what they say. For example, in “Animal Farm”,
before Napoleon ruled the government, the animals were under the cruel rule of
Mr. Jones. Napoleon always makes Squealer threaten the animals that if they
don't work hard enough, Jones will come back. This is shown in the quote
"Surely, none of you wishes to see Jones back?" said by Squealer. The animals
certainly feared that Mr. Jones would come back so they followed Napoleon’s
orders, making the animals do whatever Napoleon wanted them to do
Leaders bribe people into doing what they want. They make them believe
that whatever the leaders do, even if it is wrong, will result in a good outcome
that will benefit their country when in fact it only benefits the leader. People
sacrifice many things in their lives to support their government in hopes that
their actions and contributions will benefit their country but in fact in only
benefits their leader’s selfish needs. For example, Napoleon makes the animals
work so hard to build the windmill and tells the animals that it will benefit the
farm, when in fact all it did was make Napoleon richer leaving the animals poor
and worthless. The animals had such high hopes yet there were granted
disappointment. Leaders also bribe people into thinking that if they help and
follow their leader's orders that they will receive something good in return, which
in most cases they don't. The people will work so hard in hopes that they will
receive something or at least get acknowledgment not knowing that that's not
the case. For example, in “Animal Farm” Napoleon made the animals believe
that after the completion of the windmill they would have the most amazing life
an animal could ask for when in fact they didn’t. Even after the completion of
the windmill, Napoleon continued to make the animals work hard. The animals
never received any praise or rewards for their hard work. “I trust that every
animal here appreciates the sacrifice that comrade napoleon has made in
taking this extra labour upon himself. Do not imagine, comrades, that
leadership is pleasure. On the contrary, it is a deep and heavy responsibility.”
(37), a statement said by Squealer. This quote shows that the animals were
clearly bribed into making the windmill. The animals would work day and night,
surviving barely on rations. While napoleon would stand back and watch as the
animals suffered. This clearly shows how in the end the windmill only benefited
Napoleon in terms on wealth, while the animals were left poor.
Leaders use fabricated stories to convince people that they are good
people and that others who opposed them are bad. By doing this, leaders have
their citizens have their belief under their control. This ensures that citizens
don't rebel against their government. They are left to believe that the good
people are bad and that the bad people are good when in fact, in reality, it’s the
opposite. The government can turn black to white and white to black if you look
at it from that perspective. For example, in animals farm, a quote stated by
napoleon is as follows, “Forward comrades! Long live the windmill! Long live
Animal Farm!” (48) said napoleon. This quote represents the first fall of the
construction of the windmill. During this time, snowball, a pig who used to be in
league with napoleon, had been standing up against napoleon's government.
Napoleon feared that the animals would side with snowball. Therefore napoleon
used the destruction of the windmill as a way to turn the animals love for
snowball into hatred. With the animals believing snowball was the cause of the
windmill’s destruction, the animals are left with nothing but to stand by
napoleon. By doing this napoleon has the animals blindly supporting his
fabricated stories while the truth is snowball is innocent.
Sometimes change is good at first. Sometimes leaders do have the idea of
making their country good and better than ever. The problem is their way
of striving to achieve it is wrong. Using fear, bribery, and fabrication isn’t always
the best solution but sadly it’s done. Maybe future generations will learn from
the past and leaders will learn to lead with honesty, loyalty, and pride instead of
propaganda.
