Sunday, August 7, 2016

What are some rhetorical devices that are used in Chapter Three of Animal Farm? Why are these significant?

In Chapter Three of Animal Farm, Orwell uses a number of rhetorical devices to demonstrate the increasing superiority and domination of the pigs over the other animals.


The pigs, for example, are heavily satirised by Orwell in this chapter. While all the animals work harder than ever to get the hay in, the pigs appear to do little more than stand around and watch:


The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised...

In Chapter Three of Animal Farm, Orwell uses a number of rhetorical devices to demonstrate the increasing superiority and domination of the pigs over the other animals.


The pigs, for example, are heavily satirised by Orwell in this chapter. While all the animals work harder than ever to get the hay in, the pigs appear to do little more than stand around and watch:



The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others.



Similarly, Snowball's attempts at educating the other animals are satirised by Orwell. This is evident in the humorous names of the committees, like the Clean Tails League and White Wool Movement. The image of an "indefatigable" Snowball, desperately trying to civilise the animals, further adds to this humorous and satirical scene. 


Orwell also uses rhetorical devices in Squealer's speech in which the issue of the stolen milk is finally resolved. Squealer appeals to science, for example, in his justification of the pigs' greed:



Milk and apples (this has been proved by science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. 



In addition, Squealer uses a combination of rhetorical questions and repetition to further justify this action and to prevent the other animals from questioning it:



Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back.



Finally, this chapter smacks of irony. The animals are no better than off than they were under Mr Jones. In fact, with the pigs in charge, they work just as hard and receive just as little. The only difference between Mr Jones and the pigs is that the pigs know how to use propaganda to their advantage.

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