The Propaganda Techniques Used In the Animal Farm

It is common in most countries for politicians to utilize propaganda to influence public opinion on a given matter. There are several techniques for instituting propaganda. The methods are the bandwagon, plain folks, transfer, name calling, card stacking, testimonial, and glittering generalities. Propaganda is highly used in the famous novel, Animal Farm, by most of the characters to win over support of the animals on the farm. DISCUSSION Bandwagon A bandwagon is a propaganda technique that is used to woe section of the public to support a given idea just because others support it. There are numerous instances where the bad name for snowball is used as propaganda. For instance, when rats become troublesome in winter, it is purported that they are working in cahoots with Snowball.

While Snowball’s name has been demonized through propaganda, Napoleon is exalted with names like: “Father of all animals”, Ducklings’’ friend, Protector of the sheep-fold, and “our leader, Comrade Napoleon” (Orwell, 2010). Plain Folks It is a propaganda technique whereby the public is cheated into believing the individual or group comes from a humble background; they have the public interest at heart, and thus can be trusted. Orwell captures this technique of propaganda severally in the novel. Pigs are approved to take apples and milk. The general idea is that they are the brains of the farm and therefore they should take milk and apples which are “brain food”. It is public information that the food is good. However, the pigs leave out information that anyone can have the milk and apples as equality means they are at the same level.