Question

What changes does Squealer make to the commandments?

• A. They are expanded
• B. They are rewritten
• C. They remain unchanged
• D. None

Answer 1

Answer:

B. They are rewritten

The Manipulation of the Seven Commandments in Animal Farm

• The Seven Commandments were the core principles of Animalism, inscribed on the barn wall after the animals overthrew Mr. Jones. They were meant to be immutable laws guiding their new society.
• Squealer, a pig known for his persuasive and deceptive rhetoric, serves as the propaganda minister for Napoleon's regime. He consistently manipulates the truth to maintain control and justify the pigs' actions.
• The changes to the commandments are made gradually and subtly, often in the dead of night, reflecting the slow erosion of revolutionary ideals and the increasing corruption of the pigs.
• Squealer's modifications are always designed to legitimize the pigs' growing privileges and their deviation from the original principles of Animalism.

• Specific Examples of Alterations:

  • Original: "No animal shall sleep in a bed."
    Changed to: "No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets." (To justify pigs sleeping in beds)
  • Original: "No animal shall drink alcohol."
    Changed to: "No animal shall drink alcohol to excess." (To justify pigs consuming alcohol)
  • Original: "No animal shall kill any other animal."
    Changed to: "No animal shall kill any other animal without cause." (To justify the executions of animals during the purges)
  • Original: "All animals are equal."
    Changed to: "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." This is the ultimate subversion, consolidating all commandments into a single, contradictory statement that epitomizes the pigs' tyranny.
• These alterations highlight George Orwell's central themes: the dangers of totalitarianism, the power of propaganda, the corruption of revolutionary ideals, and the manipulation of language to control thought.
• For competitive exams, remember that Squealer represents the propaganda machine (like Pravda in the Soviet Union) and his actions are crucial in illustrating how a totalitarian regime maintains power through deceit and fear.
• The rewriting of the commandments symbolizes the complete betrayal of the animals' initial hopes and the transformation of Animal Farm into a brutal dictatorship mirroring the human oppression they initially rebelled against.