Animal Farm Essays (1331 words) - Fiction, Literature, British Films

Animal Farm The Importance of Squealer Sly, greedy, and crafty are just a few characteristics that describe Squealer in the book Animal Farm by George Orwell. This pig is also a messenger, an actor, a great persuasive speaker, a follower, and an outstanding liar. Hes nimble, hes clever, hes manipulative and most of all hes sneaky. Squealer uses his intelligence to persuade the other animals on the farm into doing what Napoleon wants, even if they dont really want to do it. He uses his craftiness and cunning to persuade the animals into thinking that he is on their side and hes doing all he can to help them out. His acting ability misleads the animals into thinking that hes one of their closest friends and that he can be trusted with all their secrets. Squealers slick style makes him an important character in the book Animal Farm by George Orwell. Squealers first manipulative deed is committed when he tells the other animals on the farm that the pigs are going to get the windfall apples and the milk from now on. He uses his persuasive speaking skills to talk the other animals into understanding why the pigs were doing this. Squealer explains to the other animals that the pigs are taking the milk and apples merely for their own health and nothing else. He uses this excuse of the pigs taking the apples and milk for their health to persuade the animals into thinking that they should give them the windfall apples and milk without questions. Squealer then says to the animals Comrades! You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in selfishness and privilege? (Orwell 42). He then goes on to say Milk and apples contain substances absolutely necessary to the wellbeing of a pig. We pigs are brain workers, the organization of the farm totally depends on us (Orwell 42). Saying the pigs are taking the apples and milk in the goo d of the other animals is one good example of his manipulative ways because, he then says that Jones will come back if they dont let the pigs have the apples and the milk. Immediately after Squealer says that Jones will come back, it makes all the animals want to give the extras to the pigs. Squealer uses this fear of Jones coming back as one of his main arguments to persuade the animals on the farm to believe him. Another good example of Squealers persuasive talents, is when Napoleon drives Snowball off the farm using his dogs that he trained himself. Napoleon has Squealer go around the farm and explain to the animals the new arrangements of the farm since Snowball was banished off the farm. Squealers main objectives in his speech to the animals of the farm is to give good reasons why Napoleon drove Snowball out of the farm, to put down Snowball as much as possible, and to make all the animals want to be commanded and cared for by Napoleon. One of the ways Squealer brings up Napoleons status in the farm is by saying he has taken on more responsibility for himself. Squealer then goes on to says Comrades, I trust that every animal here appreciates the sacrifice that Comrade Napoleon has made in taking this extra labor upon himself. Do not imagine, Comrade, that leadership! Is pleasure! On the contrary, it is a deep and heavy responsibility. No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon, that all animals are equal (Orwell 59). He then puts down Snowball to make the animals see Napoleons side even more. Once again Squealer uses the argument of Jones coming back and once again this argument is unanswerable for the animals of the farm. Then he goes on to say that Napoleon is always right and Boxer adopts this as one of his maxims. Squealers speaking ability is his primary talent he uses. Squealers great skills with manipulating words are put to the test when some of the animals start to rebel against Napoleon. In this example he tells the other animals that Snowball was teamed up with Jones to try to recapture the farm from the animals to take the rebelling out of there minds.