Example Of Squealers example essay topic

1,411 words
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 merely 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 ar 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^..