Squealer (Animal Farm)

Squealer is a fictional pig from George Orwell's Animal Farm, primarily inspired by Joseph Stalin's aide Vyacheslav Molotov also figuratively as propaganda. He is described in the book to be such a brilliant talker that he can turn black into white.

Allegory

In the allegorical form chosen by Orwell for Animal Farm, the pigs are easily identified with the Soviet leaders of the time. Napoleon and Snowball clearly represent Stalin and Trotsky, respectively. However, for those unfamiliar with the Soviet hierarchy in the 1930s and 1940s, Squealer's human counterpart may be obscure. However, there is merit in the interpretation of Squealer being a representation of propaganda overall. Squealer certainly was the key spokesman for the pigs. His command of persuasive language and self-serving re-interpretations of facts illustrates the power of propaganda to control the under- and un-educated masses. Some authors have gone so far as to suggest that Squealer specifically represented the state-run newspaper Pravda. The problem with this interpretation is that it fails to associate Squealer with a specific figure in Stalin's inner circle.

He could also represent Molotov, fitting with Orwell's description of and central role given to Squealer. Squealer is a close companion and protege of Napoleon; Molotov was a close companion and protege of Stalin. Squealer serves mainly as Napoleon's "propaganda minister"; Molotov was Stalin's Prime Minister (1930-1939) and Foreign Minister (1939-1949) and constant spokesman. When the animals suspect that the pigs are breaking the laws, Squealer justifies their actions. For instance, when the other animals want to have the milk and apples, Squealer says that milk and apples help the pigs think; so, eating the apples and drinking milk would prevent Mr. Jones from returning. Similarly, Molotov was a constant apologist for Stalin, rationalizing Stalin's tyranny as being in the best interests of the people.

Squealer's arguments

Throughout the book, Squealer justifies his arguments using his great powers of persuasion, his eloquent words, and his charismatic intellect. His foundation for many of his arguments is that the animals do not want Mr. Jones back in power in the farm, and therefore must support Napoleon. He devises various other reasons to convince the other animals of the farm to believe him, backing them up with claims of scientific evidence (for example, apples and milk), recently discovered "documentary evidence" (proving the complicity of Snowball in working with the enemy) and using difficult reasoning, which confused the other animals.

Squealer takes the central role in making announcements to the animals, as Napoleon appears less and less often as the book progresses.

Breaking of the Seven Commandments

Throughout the book, Napoleon and Squealer break the Seven Commandments, the tenets on which governance of the farm is based. To prevent the animals from suspecting them, Squealer preys on the animals' stupidity and alters the Commandments from time to time as the need arises. This is proven on page 73 of the British version when Squealer falls off the ladder while trying to change the commandments in the night. Orwell uses Squealer to mainly show how some governments and politicians use propaganda to get their ideas accepted and implemented by the people. In the end, Squealer reduces the Seven Commandments into one commandment, that "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others".