When Orwell introduces Squealer in Chapter 2, he describes
him as a very persuasive talker who jumps around and wiggles his tail in a way that
makes others believe him. He is said to be able to make them believe that "black is
white."
In chapter 7, Squealer recreates a questoned event
very graphically and, "when Squealer described the scene so graphically, it seemed to
the animals that they did remember it."
Another means of
persuasion he uses is to convince the other animals that they are stupid and he is
intelligent. He does this by using words that they don't understand, like "tactics"
(chapter 5)
Also, he begins to use the threat that if they
don't believe him, somehow that will cause Mr. Jones to return to the farm--something
that none of the animals want. He never explains how a leads to b, he just leaves the
threat hanging there.
Then, he gathers some dogs to look
mean and growl in chapter 5 so that if the people don't agree right away, they feel
threatened.
In chapter 6, when some of the animals begin to
object and say that there had been a prohibition against trade, Squealer asks
them,
" Are
you certain that this is not something that you have dreamed, comrades? Have you any
record of such a resolution? Is it written down anywhere?" And since it was certainly
true that nothing of the kind existed in writing, the animals were satisfied that they
had been mistaken."
In the
same chapter, when some of the animals begin to question the rightness of the pigs, who
have moved into the farmhouse, sleeping in beds. Clover thinks that she remembers one of
the commandments being against beds, but she can't read the list herself. She gets
Muriel to read it for her and discoveres that it says "No animal shall sleep in a bed
with sheets," This is obviously one of the commandments that has been changed after the
fact, but since nobody ever actually sees Squealer changing the commandments, then they
have to believe that it is their own memories that are to fault.
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