Animal Farm 3 Essay, Research Paper
Question: Write the importance in the book ^?Animal Farm^? of Squealer.
Sly, greedy, crafty, these are just a few characteristics that describe
Squealer. Squealer is also a messenger, an actor, a persuasive
speaker, a follower, and a liar. He^s nimble, he^s clever, he^s
manipulative and most of all he^s sneaky. Squealer uses his
intelligence to persuade the other animals into doing what Napoleon
wants, when they don^t really want to do it. He uses his craftiness
and cunning to deceive the animals into thinking that he is on their
side and that he^s doing all he can to help them. His acting ability
can mislead the animals into thinking that he^s 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^. Squealer is first introduced in chapter 2, and he commits his
first deed in chapter 3. This deed is an example of Squealers
persuasive speaking. Snowball and all the other pigs decided that
Squealer should tell all the other animals that all the windfall apples
would be collected and given to the pigs. The pigs also wanted extra
milk to be mixed in with their mash. Squealer explains to the other
animals that the pigs are taking the apples and milk merly for their
health. He uses this excuse to persuade the animals into thinking that
they should give them the extra food and drink. He says to them
^Comrades! You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in
selfishness and privilege?^ He then goes on to say ^Milk and apples
(this has been proved by science, comrades) contain substances
absolutely necessary to the wellbeing of a pig. We pigs are brain
workers, the organisation of the farm totally depends on us^. Squealer
says that the pigs are taking the apple! s and milk in the good of the
other animals because, he says that Jones will come back if they
don^t. This immediately makes the animals want to give the extras to
the pigs. Squealer uses this fear of Jones coming back as one of his
main arguments. Another example of Squealers persuasive talent is in
chapter 5. This is where Napoleon drives Snowball off the farm using
his dogs. Napoleon asks Squealer to go round the farm and explain to
the others the new arrangements. Squealers main objectives in this
speech is to give good reasons why Napoleon drove Snowball out, to put
down Snowball as much as possible and to also make them want to be
commanded and cared for by Napoleon. One of the ways that Squealer
puts up Napoleons status is by saying that he has taken on more
responsibility. He says ^Comrades, I trust that every animal here
appreciates the sacrifice that comrade Napoleon has made in taking this
extra labour 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 does, that all
animals are equal^. He then puts down Snowball by saying ^Suppose you
had decided to follow Snowball, with his moonshine of
windmills-Snowball, who, as we know now, was no better than a
criminal?^ One of the animals then shouts out ^He fought bravely at the
battle of the cowshed^. Squealer then goes on to say ^Bravery is not
enough, loyalty and obedience are more important. We now have found
out that Snowball^s part in the battle of the cowshed was much
exaggerated. Discipline, comrades, iron discipline! That is the
watchword for today. One false step and our enemies would be all over
us. Surely, comrades, you do not want Jones back?^ Once again
Squealer uses the argument of Jones coming back and once again this
argument is unanswerable. Squealer then goes on to say that Napoleon
is always right and Boxer adopts this as one of his max! ims.
Squealers speaking ability is his primary talent. Another good example
of this skill is in chapter 7 when some animals (including some of the
pigs) start to rebel. In this example Squealer says to the other
animals that Snowball teamed up with Jones to try and recapture the
farm. In this particular example one of the animals says in Snowballs
defence that he fought well in the battle of the cowshed, and that
everyone saw him running with blood seeping out of him. Squealer
replies by saying, ^That was part of the arrangement! Jones^ shot only
grazed him. I could show you this in his own writing, if you were able
to read it. The plot was for Snowball, at the critical moment, to give
the signal for flight and leave the field for the enemy. And he very
nearly succeeded-if it had not been for our heroic leader comrade
Napoleon^. Squealer recalls the battle of the cowshed with much detail
of Napoleon saving the farm that although the animals don^t actually
recall it t! hey think that because Squealer has remembered it in much
detail that it must have happened. This is also an excellent example
of Squealer manipulating the other animals. He also takes their lack
of intelligence to advantage. Personally, I think that Squealer is
more important under the reign of Napoleon. I think that when Snowball
was in charge Squealer was living in his shadow. Squealer wasn^t being
used to his full potential under Snowball, but when Snowball had gone
Napoleon took advantage of all his talents, especially his speaking
ability. It^s like he^s second in command when under the reign of
Napoleon. This also is an example of him always being a follower and
never a leader. Although Squealer is a good persuasive speaker, he^s
also a back stabbing liar. A good example of this is also in chapter
7. In this example Squealer announces that the hens must surrender
their eggs for trade with a neighbouring farmer. This shows that
Squealer is a liar because he gets the hens friendship by talking to
them and he says that he^s doing the best for them, then he back stabs
them and asks for their eggs. Squealer knows that the hens aren^t
going to protest against the pigs because he knows that they^re not
intelligent enough to understand what is actually happening. This also
shows Squealers acting skills, as he pretends to be everyone^s friend.
There is a speech in chapter 9 where Squealer is explaining the death
of Boxer to the others. In this speech he combines his persuasive
speaking talent, his acting ability, his greed and also his cunning.
Squealer announces the death of Boxer, and he says that he died in a
veterinary hospital. Every animal on the farm knew that Squealer was
lying and that he had been taken to the slaughterhouse. Squealer says
that he was at Boxers deathbed at that his last words were ^Long live
Animal Farm, long live comrade Napoleon, Napoleon was always right^.
At this point Squealers demeanour suddenly changes. Squealer obviously
knew that they weren^t buying his story, this might be because some of
them could read ^Horse Slaughterer^ on the side of the van. Squealer
uses his cunning to wiggle his way out of this by saying that the
knackers had previously owned the van, and that the veterinary surgeon
that had brought it had not had the time to paint over it. Squealer
had now won ov! er the less bright animals and he left the bright
animals to think what they want. This was wise of him because he knew
that if they brought the subject up in front of Napoleon then he would
simply set his dogs on them and they would be executed. Squealer is a
manipulative, clever pig who could persuade black to turn into white.
He^s a follower who obeys whoever is in charge. His importance
increases I think under the reign of Napoleon. Squealer^s sly style
unconditionally makes him an important character in the book ^Animal
Farm^.