Animal Farm portrays the dangers of propaganda through various techniques and characters, highlighting how it can manipulate and control a population. Orwell uses the pigs, particularly Squealer, to demonstrate how language can be twisted to serve those in power. The novel shows how propaganda can:
- Distort truth and rewrite history
- Create fear and division among the populace
- Justify unequal treatment and oppression
- Prevent critical thinking and questioning of authority
- Spread through unwitting supporters
Key examples include Squealer's persuasive speeches, the use of slogans and songs, and the gradual changes to the Seven Commandments. The novel warns of propaganda's ability to maintain unjust power structures if left unchallenged.