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Squealer is the modern propagandist and political courtier par excellence. Discuss.

Sketch the character of Squealer and discuss him as a srewd politician.

Sketch the character of Squealor and discuss him as a cunning politician.

Squealer plays the role of public relation officer of Napaleon. He impresses the readers by his brilliant conversation and argumentative style. Like other characters, he is also a symbolic character. He symbolizes Dr. Goebbels, Hitler’s Minister of propaganda, who believed in the ethics, “If a lie was repeated by hundred times, it converted into truth.” He is introduced in the fifth chapter of the novel, when Napoleon takes charge of the farm. His skill to convince the animals with his arguments, very appealing. Orwell describes him as a small fat pig, with very round cheeks twinkling eyes, nimble movements and has shrill voice. He is a brilliant speaker. When he was driving home, some difficult points he had a way of swaying from side to side and wagging his tail which was somehow very persuasive.

Squealer is a thick and thin supporter of Napoleon. Napoleon uses him at every turn of events. At every crucial moment, his presence is felt essential. He always remains busy in assuring the animals that Napoleon is a worthy leader. He always says that “No one believes more firmly than comrade Napoleon that all the animals. are equal.” When Napoleon drives away Snowball from farm, Squealer comes forward and convinces animals that “Snowball, who ran away from the farm was no better than a criminal.” Similarly, when Napoleon declares that he is going to build the windmill, it makes the animals surprised and shocked. Then, Squealer again comes forward and tells the animals that it was the idea of Napoleon only. He opposed windmill simply to get rid of Snowball who was dangerous for farm and was putting bad influence.

Napoleon knows his abilities and he uses him to spoil the image of Snowball, by spreading lies about him. Even in the last chapter, when the old generation is almost disappeared, Squealer has been presented as a very fat pig who becomes fat because he was a henchman of Naopoleon. Squealer is a good politician. After Napoleon, there is no animal who may lead the animals. His contribution to the success of Napoleon is of great importance. Napoleon commits many blunders and many times animals try to revolt against him, but Squealer convinces them that if they will not follow Napoleon Jones would come back.

Squealer plays a very important role as a propagandist of Napleon. In order to make the life of pig more luxurious, Squealer propagates that milk and apples are to be reserved for pigs only because they are required to do brain work which is more important and labourious than other animals. He also convinces animals that pigs are taking milk and appels for the benefits of animals only. He is expert in painting black and white. He violates all the seven. commandments of Animalism with help of propaganda. He modifies all the commandments time to time in favour of pigs and Napoleon only.

After exile of Snowball it is very difficult to lessen his influence on animals. Squealer not only assures animals that he was a traitor, but also proves it in open field that Snowball was secret agent of Jones and was responsible for the ruin of windmill. He also convinces animals that Snowball was never given the military award of ‘Animal Hero of first class. Animal farm is a political satire in which propaganda plays an important role. The miseries of animals are due to tyranny of Napoleon, who does it with help of propaganda. Squealer plays very significant role as a progpagandist. The effect of his propaganda is ironically mentioned by the novelist. “If hens lay six eggs in six days, the credit of this goes to Napoloen.”

Summing up it may be said that the novel, ‘Animal Farm’ is a glorious example of the power of propaganda. Orwell opines that the propaganda is the most remarkable weapon of a dictator. In modern politics, the work of propaganda is carried on by Public Relation Officer. In the novel, Squealer does the job of propagandist and thus, he becomes Napoleon’s Public Relation officer. Since he has ability to turn black into white, he is a wonderful and remarkable creation of George Orwell.