Leaders And Followers In Animal Farm Free Essay Sample

Leaders often use extreme tactics and lies to keep their position in power and authority over people. In fact, this is displayed thoroughly through two power-hungry individuals in George Orwell’s Animal Farm. The novel plays out on a farm, where one pig and his second in command consume all power and control after an animal led rebellion removes its farmer, Mr. Jones. The second in command, Squealer, uses Fear propaganda as a leverage to make the animals work harder. Napoleon, the sole leader of the farm, uses Cult of Personality propaganda to make himself seem superior or above the rest of the farm. Together, both Napoleon and Squealer Reinvent History to keep the other animals on the farm oblivious as to what is actually happening. Overall, Orwell highlights how Napoleon and Squealer use different types of propaganda to maintain their control over Animal Farm. 

The first form of propaganda exhibited in Animal Farm is Fear, and is used by Squealer to increase his control over the animals. Immediately after the rebellion against the humans, Napoleon takes no time to get the animals working on the year's harvest, for hard work and manual labor are the two things needed to get the new farm running. But, when the animals begin questioning Napoleon and the rest of the pigs about their ideas and methods, Squealer is quickly ushered in to calm or in this case silence the animals. He goes on a short rant, talking about how “ Jones would come back”  if the animals did not follow the pigs’ orders. Squealer makes sure to point out that “there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back” (Orwell 36) to make the animals feel guilty for even questioning him and Napoleon. The animals deeply despise their former captor, Mr. Jones, so hearing Squealer mention his name frightens them. The animals have just fought in this rebellion to get rid of him and the rest of the humans, so the thought that he could return makes them even more susceptible to believe anything Squealer has to say. Also, by addressing Mr. Jones by name Squealer is putting salt on an unhealed wound. He makes sure to repeat himself multiple times saying “Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back” (36) to further engrave in their heads that if they do not work or do what he says, the humans will return. For this reason, Squealer continues to spread this Fear propaganda throughout the rest of the book, further extending his control over the animals by constantly using Mr. Jones as a reason to work harder.  Squealer takes advantage of the animals’ greatest fear (Mr. Jones returning), and uses it against them, increasing his control over them through consistent and intentional terror. 

To keep his high position on the farm, and increase his control over the animals, Napoleon uses Cult of Personality propaganda to make himself give the impression of being superior to the rest. As the animals continue to rebuild the first windmill, Napoleon is noticeably absent throughout the process. He is usually seen only once every two weeks, and always accompanied by his larger, guard-like dogs. The days where Napoleon is mentioned simply by his own name are over, now he is “ referred to in formal style as ‘our Leader, Comrade Napoleon,..father of all animals, terror to mankind” (93). Napoleon receives all these titles to appear more powerful than the animals, and to improve his public image. He uses his guard dogs to intimidate the other animals and make himself appear more important and superior to them. It is also mentioned in the text that “there were recitations of poems” (116) that were written 

specifically for Napoleon. Clearly, as head of the farm, Napoleon allows these poems to be composed in his honor to put a spotlight on his many achievements and successes. He also uses this form of propaganda to separate himself even more from the animals. By attaining the name “our Leader, Comrade Napoleon” it gives him more authority and control over the animals. A new, more important title makes him seem like a leader, and not a simple farm animal like the rest. Napoleon displays through the use of all these titles how he is crucial to the farms’ success, and makes the animals want to look up to him and keep him in control. Which is Napoleon's plan  from the beginning, to establish himself as the one leader and use the powerful position to increase his control over the animals.

The final way Napoleon and Squealer use propaganda to extend their control of Animal Farm is through their Reinvention of History. The farm is now running steadily, and the construction of the windmill is complete. Napoleon and Squealer decide to make one more move to obtain full dominance over the animals and to solidify their control. They reduce the seven Commandments to simply one that states “All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others” (134). Clearly, Napoleon and Squealer choose to reinvent the commandments and history along with it for their own, personal benefit of extending their control over the farm. If the animals discover the special treatments and privileges the pigs receive, they would be in disbelief, and question everything the pigs tell them to believe. But, by changing the commandments to say “some animals are more equal than others”, the animals will not suspect anything is corrupt since it says in writing that some animals are allowed to be more privileged than others. The pigs also do this to prevent any future problems from arising, such as the animals trying to rise up against them or simply realizing that life is not fair on Animal Farm unless you are a pig. Napoleon and Squealer want to keep the animals as oblivious as possible when it comes to the inner workings of the farm, because if they do not, they will run the risk of a possible rebellion. Finally, this Reinvention of History allows Napoleon and Squealer to extend their control over the animals because it prevents the animals from questioning, rebelling, or ever trying to break free from the pigs’ firm grasp on their minds. It will shut down any thoughts about unfairness on the farm and be used to control the animals until the pigs come up with a new way to deceive them.

Through Napoleon and Squealer, Orwell expresses how propaganda and lies are used to manipulate and control large groups of people, or in this case animals. Squealer uses Fear propaganda to scare the animals into working harder. Napoleon makes himself seem superior to the animals through his use of Cult of Personality propaganda, and together they both Reinvent History to prevent the animals from rebelling against them. Overall, Orwell alludes to the point that leaders use propaganda to strengthen their power over people, and the danger that comes with there being one, all powerful figure. He uses Animal Farm to represent the events that have already occurred in history, and that could still happen to this day, almost like a warning to the future generations.