Animal Farm Propaganda

Bandwagon Definition

Persuading people to do something by letting them know others are doing it.

Glittering Generality Definition

Seeks to make us approve and accept without examining the evidence by connecting it to a virtue word.

Testimonial Definition

The use of a celebrity or seemingly qualified person to support a cause.

Transfer Definition

Using images to bring up strong feelings in order to persuade.

Repetition Definition

Using repeated messages or pictures to persuade.

Name-calling Definition

This technique links a person, or idea, to a negative symbol or bad label. The propagandist hopes the audience will only focus on the negative label, instead of looking at the evidence.

Euphemism Definition

A mild or pleasant word or phrase that is used instead of one that is unpleasant or offensive

Card Stacking Definition

Selectively presenting only part of the information in order to lean the argument one way to another

Plain Folks Definition

Propagandist convincing their audience that they, and their ideas, are just like you.

Fear Definition

Convincing people that a disaster will result if they do not follow a particular course of action.

Logical fallacies Definition

A collapse in logic often used to mislead or distract people from the real issue.

Bandwagon Example

When the sheep bleat, "Two legs good, four legs bad" — the sheep are very persuading when they yell this because they prove whatever Napoleon/Squealer say. It makes everyone want to do what the crowd does and doesn't allow them to think about the choice that they are making.

Four legs good, two legs bad p. 116

Spontaneous generation

Name-calling Example

Squealer and Napoleon keep calling Snowball a "traitor," "criminal," or an "enemy."

Calling Snowball a traitor p. 29

Pigs call the humans worthless human beings p. 28

Glittering Generalities Example

*Minimus's song for Napoleon—the positives on the farm are all credited to Napoleon; friend, happiness, calm, love, faithful and true.

He was always referred to in formal styles as "our leader, comrade Napoleon," p. 93

Minimums' poem for Napoleon p. 94-95

Euphemism Example

Squealer calls the fewer rations of food a "readjustment" instead of a "reduction," — trying to make a lack of food sound better.

Squealer says readjustment instead of reduction p. 112

Transfer Example

The animals have to walk past Old Major's skull every Sunday — positive thoughts about revolution; Old Major was a good leader linking positive thoughts to the revolution, transferring the negative because the revolution isn't going as planned.

There was only one candidate, Napoleon. p. 116

Old Major skull being put by the flagpole so whenever the animals walk by it they remember the rebellion

Card Stacking Example

Squealer lies to the animals about how much food they have, when really they have very little. He lists all the positive statistics of all the food they have. The animals believe him because he is very convincing and they couldn't remember what conditions were like before the revolution.

Production of every class of foodstuff had increased by 200%, 300%, 500% p. 92

The sand in the food bins it make it look like more food

Testimonial Example

Boxer's Slogans of, ''I will work harder," and "Napoleon is always right." — Boxer is extremely respected by the other animals and trustworthy. Whatever Boxer does the other animals will most likely follow.

There was only one candidate, Napoleon. p. 116

Boxer's slogans: "I will work harder" or "Napoleon is always right"

Plain Folks Example

The pigs call the other animals a "comrade" and tell them that they are equal, when really they are not.

All animals are equal p. 25

The pigs call the animals comrade and they call Napoleon comrade

Fear Example

"Surely none of you wish to see Jones back?" — Napoleon constantly reminds the animals of Jones, and how horrible the farm was under his power. They use this to their advantage to make the other animals agree to every they say so Jones won't come back.

Surely, comrades, you don't want Jones back? p. 56

The dogs

Logical fallacies Example

The pigs are the leaders and they have to do all the brain work. Milk and apples are needed for them to do the brainwork and if they don't get the milk and apples Jones will come back.

Have we not driven the enemy off our soil- the sacred soil of animal farm. p. 105

The pigs are the ones doing the brain work, they get more food (they said) or Jones will come back

Repetition Example

The sheep always bleat, "Four legs good, two legs bad."

Surely, comrades, you don't want Jones back? p. 56

Sheep saying four legs good, two legs bad