Propaganda, One of the Major Means of Social Control

Propaganda, One of the Major Means of Social Control

  • Submitted By: coopersm12
  • Date Submitted: 02/22/2009 7:36 PM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 271
  • Page: 2
  • Views: 625

“Animal Farm”

Animal Farm is filled with songs, poems, and slogans, including Old Major's inspiring “Beasts of England.” This song serves as propaganda, one of the major means of social control. By making the working-class animals speak the same words at the same time, the pigs evoke an atmosphere of dignity and nobility associated with the recited text's subject matter. The song also erodes the animals’ sense of individuality and keeps them focused on the tasks by which they will supposedly achieve freedom.
I believe that they sing rather than chant, because singing is more meaningful and expressive. This song is similar to each country’s national anthem. National anthems are sung and invite all of that specific country’s members to stand up and silently rejoice.
Every verse to that song is meaningful to the animals however there is one verse that stands out; “Beasts of England, beasts of Ireland, Beasts of every land and clime, Hearken to my joyful tidings Of the golden future time.” These lines from Chapter I represent the first verse of the song that Old Major teaches to the rest of the animals during the meeting in the barn, “Beasts of England” stirs the emotions of the animals and fires their revolutionary idealism. As it spreads rapidly across the region, the song gives the animals both courage and comfort on many occasions. The lofty optimism of the words “golden future time,” which appear in the last verse as well, serves to keep the animals focused on the Rebellion's goals so that they will ignore the suffering along the way.

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