Muskaan Mrs. Fleetwood, p. 1 English 9 15 May 2023 Chasing the Scapegoat Typically, accusing someone of something they never did in the first place sounds highly ironic. The accused person faces a stressful situation, as others quickly blame them for their troubles. Throughout history, scapegoating individuals or groups has been prevalent and, unfortunately, misused. A prime example of this is the novel Animal Farm. George Orwell’s Snowball, a well-intentioned and intelligent pig, becomes the unfortunate victim of a scapegoat by Napoleon, a robust pig, and his master propagandist Squealer's ruthless schemes. Napoleon, realizing he was on the verge of losing control, cunningly uses nine enormous dogs who “dashed straight” (Orwell 53) …show more content…
The failure of the windmill project is blamed on Snowball as well, even though he was not there to defend himself. As time passes, Napoleon's skillful use of Squealer helps him spread propaganda throughout the farm. Upon encountering problems with the windmill and fearing potential criticism, Napoleon shrewdly shifts the focus onto Snowball. He has Squealer inform the other animals, "Do you know the enemy who came at night and overthrew our windmill? SNOWBALL!!!" (Orwell 69). He avoids criticism by scapegoating his "enemy" Snowball, and the animals begin to fear him. Despite the fact that Snowball could not have been responsible for the destruction, the naive animals are quick to believe Napoleon's false accusations. By blaming Snowball for both the windmill's failure and its destruction, Napoleon effectively consolidates his power and instills fear in the other animals. Snowball was an easy target to point the finger at because he wasn't on the farm to defend himself. Since Snowball can’t defend himself, all of Napoleon's comments about Snowball are simply regarded as fact. This method …show more content…
By masterfully spreading false information among the animals, Napoleon paints Snowball as a traitor colluding with humans, casting doubt on Snowball's celebrated courage during the battle. Employing devious tactics like unleashing ferocious dogs to expel Snowball from the farm and fabricating stories about him undermining Animal Farm at night, Napoleon successfully turned Snowball into an eternal threat to their safety. One significant change was Napoleon's claim that he, rather than Snowball, had been the mastermind behind the battle strategy. Originally, Snowball was not only present at the battle but also played a crucial role in leading the animals to victory. Later on, Snowball's portrayed as a “traitor” (Orwell 70) who had conspired with humans during the battle. In reality, Snowball was a fierce fighter and fought alone with zero concern for his own safety, "dashed straight for Jones” (Orwell 42), and injured himself in the process. However, Napoleon twisted this narrative to discredit and vilify his rival. Eventually, even Squealer added fuel to Napoleon's scheme by falsely accusing Snowball of selling himself to Frederick and “was in league with Jones from the very start!” (Orwell 72). This contrasted sharply with the initial account of Snowball's conduct, reflecting courage and loyalty
“Every night it was said he came creeping in under cover of darkness and performed all kinds of mischief. He stole corn, he upset the milk pails, He broke eggs whenever something went wrong it becomes usual to attribute it to snowball” (Document D). The whole farm used poisoning the well and blamed snowball for all the problems on the farm. ”And do you not remember that it was just at that moment when panic was spreading and all seemed lost that comrade Napoleon sprang forward with a cry of Death to Humanity! And sank his
The animals did not remember this, they thought that Snowball fought brave against the humans. Napoleon uses this to make him seem like he is going to be a better leader than Snowball would have been if he did not leave the farm. Napoleon also has the animals call him “Our leader comrade Napoleon”, to make him seem like a good
This leads to Napoleon plotting against Snowball and getting nine dogs that he trained, to attack Snowball and run him out of the farm. "Napoleon, with the dogs following him, now mounted on to the raised portion of the floor where Major had previously stood to deliver his speech. " This quote shows how Napoleon takes a place of power over the other animals. Several weeks after Snowball was kicked out, Napoleon decided he would have the windmill built after all. "
This also goes deeper than just people scapegoating others in a group. Some stood against this scapegoating, but their group was too big and powerful. There was nothing they could do. Which shows how dangerous scapegoating can be. We can see this in the dystopian story "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas'' by Ursula Le Guin when she states, “They feel anger, outrage, impotence, despite all the explanations.
Snowball is seen as Napoleon’s rival for
Why does Napoleon blame Snowball for the windmill being destroyed? Napoleon blames the destruction of the windmill on snowball as a manipulation tactic to create a false enemy to have issues focused on (illuminati is to US Government). Gives them smth to be mad abt. 6. Why does Napoleon order that the hens’ eggs be sold?
Snowball was run out of the farm and made seem a horrible and untrustworthy leader to make Napoleon seem better and more “on top”. At times, Napoleon even gave himself more superior titles like “our Leader, Comrade Napoleon, Father of all Animals, Terror of Mankind, Protector of the Sheep-fold, Ducklings’ Friend, and the like…. It had become usual to give Napoleon the credit for every successful achievement and every stroke of good fortune.”. Napoleon made every good thing that happened his fault but any mistake, or bad thing that happened, was at the fault of Snowball, although he was run off of the
Napoleon was so threatened by Snowball that he used his 9 loyal dogs to chase Snowball out of the Farm, and then brainwash everyone into believing that Snowball was the enemy. This is similar to when Joseph Stalin ordered one of his men to go kill Leon Trotsky because he hated everything that Trotsky was about. Stalin banished him from the country and “erased” him from Russian history. Snowball and Leon Trotsky both wanted the best for their country, but had political rivals who wanted nothing more than to see them
Mollie 10. How does Napoleon express his contempt for Snowball’s windmill plans? He despises it. 11. He is able to convince the other animals to accept whatever Napoleon decides by using "scientific proof."
Secondly, another hate speech appears when the windmill blows down in a gale and the animals are in shock. Napoleon uses this situation to put the blame on Snowball as he said that "Do you know the enemy who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL!" (73) and that “Snowball has done this thing! In sheer malignity, thinking to set back our plans and avenge himself for his ignominious expulsion, this traitor has crept here under cover of night and destroyed our work of nearly a year."
SNOWBALL! He suddenly roared in a voice of thunder" (47). It was clear that Napoleon wanted to hide the fact that he himself was guilty; however the pigs and him were able to persuade the animals. Next, the pigs convince the animals that their terrible crop season is because of Snowball. “The wheat crop was full of weeds, and Squealer had somehow discovered that on one of his nocturnal visits Snowball has mixed weed seeds with the seed corn."
After the windmill is destroyed, Napoleon blames Snowball by saying that he is the traitor who is trying "to set back our plans and avenge himself for his ignominious expulsion” (82). Napoleon’s strong desire to keep power drives him to blame Snowball for the destruction of the windmill to make him look good, so he would not be blamed for all the destructions and injuries that occur within the Farm. This impels the animals to assume that Snowball is the victim and consequently the animals would rely on Napoleon to keep Snowball away for their protection. Squealer swindles the animals saying that the windmill was actually Napoleon’s invention and that his opposition towards it is just a fabrication in order “to get rid of Snowball, who was a dangerous character and a bad influence” (71). Napoleon’s only strategy is to make the animals under the impression that Snowball is the source of all destructions in order to keep his power.
Napoleon in the novel is not a wise character. However, he occupies the leader’s position since he is intimidating and authoritative. In contrast, Snowball who is portrayed as the intelligent character, somehow gets expelled from the farm, because he was not as manipulative as Napoleon. To begin with, Orwell uses propaganda as one way of illustrating the theme of power. Napoleon and Squealer both utilize propaganda to brainwash and motivate the animals into following their orders, such as when Snowball teaches the sheep into chanting the slogan, “Four legs good, two legs bad!”(Orwell, page 34).
“He was Jones’s secret agent all the time” (79). This explanation means Napoleon betray Snowball for his own benefit, to become the only leader. This is significant to use of accusation because Napoleon uses Snowball to get more support and to gain more power. In the book, it is shown as animals who opposes Napoleon are the real brave
Napoleon and Snowball have different personalities and. In chapter 2, Napoleon is described as being a fierce-looking Berkshire boar, not much of a talker, but with a reputation for getting his own way. However, Snowball was a more vivacious pig than Napoleon, quicker in speech and more inventive. We can notice that, in the first lines of chapters two, there is already a contrast between the two pigs.