Lies and Deception Are Tools Used to Maintain Power in Animal Farm

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Lies and deception are tools which can be used to maintain a kind of power, a corrupt power. They are dishonest tools of dishonest leaders. This is certainly the case in “Animal Farm” and as Orwell wrote the novella as an allegory for what he believed to be occurring in Communist Russia it is clearly what he believed to be happening in that country. Propaganda is required to “sell” the truths the leaders want believed and in “Animal Farm”, Squealer is the tool used by the corrupt leader to spread the misinformation required to maintain power and Squealer as all knew, “could turn black into white.” The seven commandments were developed from the words of the visionary “Old Major” who foretold the revolution. The principles of animalism were reduced to seven simple rules. The pigs’ corruption by power progresses incrementally, and as this occurs the rules must be adjusted. The adjustments are made surreptitiously and the new rule’s similarity to the old one leaves the animals confused. “No animal must sleep in a bed with sheets.” Squealer is also able to confuse them with his ability to revise history and also to inspire fear by suggesting that the pigs need the beds so they will be fit enough to protect the animals against Jones. Squealer is able to use the sheep to support his propaganda by training them to bleat his mantras repeatedly often teaching them the new rule first. This was especially effective at the end of the novel when the sheep are trained to memorise the new commandment: “Four legs good, two legs better.” After the Rebellion, when Jones had been driven out, the animals expected that they would be better fed. This was part of Old Major’s vision for a world where the animals would receive the benefits of their own labour. It was the very first day after the Rebellion when we see that there are going to be problems. The pigs are able

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