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In the novel ‘Animal Farm’ a socialist idea is first expressed in Old Major’s speech to the animals of the farm. Socialism is a political system where wealth is shared equally between the people and placing the ownership and control tot capital, land and production in the hands tooth community as a whole. This was a utopian socialist dream that was eventually abolished by political tactics implemented by Napoleon, with the assistance of Squealer and the other pigs in order to make room for their own utopia of having complete control over the farm.
One of the key tactics that Napoleon used was manipulation of the animals. He manipulates by making his lies believable He uses Squealer as his weapon of cunningness to persuade the animals so that they don’t question his doings. As it is described in the book the animals on the farm are not quite as bright as the pigs. Squealer uses this to his advantage because they will believe or do anything that the pigs tell them to do, thinking it’s correct because the pigs say so.
Napoleon managed to change many things on the farm concerning sacred events or actions like the Sunday meetings and the singing Of ‘Beasts f England’. He sends squealer who uses the power of the word to manipulate the animals and convince them it’s for their own good. For example, Napoleon ordered that from now on ‘Beasts of England’, which was considered as the soul of the rebellion, hall be replaced. Squealer justified that by saying that it was the song of the rebellion and now the rebellion is completed.
Propaganda is another tactical strategy used mainly by the ‘silver-tongued’ pig Squealer. He abuses language to justify Napoleon’s actions and policies in two ways. By simplifying engage he limits room for debate, for example when he teaches the sheep to bleat “Four legs good, two legs better! ” By complicating language, he confuses and intimidates the uneducated, thus strengthening the tact that the pigs are the ‘brainteasers’ of the farm.
This strategy makes use of baffling vocabulary and false statistics to increase the feeling of self-doubt among the animals. Squealer also manages to persuade his audience with rhetorical questions. Napoleon uses intimidation as a control tool over the animals on the farm. He never shows interest in the strength of Animal Farm itself, only on the strength of his power over it. He trains a litter of puppies to become his own private army or secret police to enforce his violent will on others.
Napoleon and Squealer also use Jones to spread fear among the animals. Whenever Squealer feels that his justification is not good or that the animals are trying to question Napoleon, he distracts them by addressing Jones, their biggest fear. For example, when Napoleon used force to take over leadership and kicked Snowball out, Squealer made sure that he animals would never sympathy with Snowball by saying “one false step and our enemies would be upon us, surely comrades you don’t want Jones to come back? No animal would speak or complain after this because they are afraid and therefore will obey without question. Through the use of manipulation, propaganda and intimidation Napoleon managed to turn a dream of a working and sustainable socialist ideal into a nightmare of fear, confusion and thirst for power. His thought off ‘perfect’ ideal is almost completely opposite and can be seen as totalitarianism.