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^.
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