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Animal Farm Cunning and Cleverness Quotes Page 3
Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Now when Squealer described the scene so graphically, it seemed to the animals that they did remember it. At any rate, they remembered that at the critical moment of the battle Snowball had turned to flee. (7.18)
The animals are made complete subjects to the pigs in every way – even their memories are no longer theirs to control.
"What victory?" said Boxer. His knees were bleeding, he had lost a shoe and split his hoof, and a dozen pellets had lodged themselves in his hind leg.
"What victory, comrade? Have we not driven the enemy off our soil– the sacred soil of Animal Farm?"
"But they have destroyed the windmill. And we had worked on it for two years!"
"What matter? We will build another windmill. We will build six windmills if we feel like it. You do not appreciate, comrade, the mighty thing that we have done. The enemy was in occupation of this very ground that we stand upon. And now– thanks to the leadership of Comrade Napoleon– we have won every inch of it back again!"
"Then we have won back what we had before," said Boxer.
"That is our victory," said Squealer. (8.26-8.33)
Squealer’s ability to manipulate the other animals lies in his manipulation of terms. He uses his superior intellect to alter definitions, creating false arguments out of flimsy claims.
Here Squealer's demeanour suddenly changed. He fell silent for a moment, and his little eyes darted suspicious glances from side to side before he proceeded. (9.27)
Squealer tries to conceal his own suspicions of Benjamin’s knowledge. He needs to make sure that his lies about Boxer are going over well with the majority of the animals.
