Squealer and Napoleon

The pigs in George Orwell's Animal Farm have assumed the leadership roles that they should not have taken. Those pigs, meaning Napoleon and Squealer, take advantage of the animal's weaknesses.

Napoleon, is described as this in the book:

"Is a larger, rather fierce-looking Berkshire bear, the only Berkshire on the farm, not much of talker, but with a reputation for getting his own way," (35).

This description of him fits perfectly with what he does in the book.  Napoleon has always seemed to be the quiet one, and 'getting his own way' means that even though he is quiet, he knows what he is going to do and what is best for him. The animals are frightened of Napoleon and since they know better than to speak up for themselves, they have no other choice but to do as he says.

The first time Squealer is mentioned, it is when the other animals question the pigs about the missing milk. This point in the book already shows that the pigs are getting more food than what they deserve.

Squealer is described as this in the book:

"He was a brilliant talker, and when he was arguing some difficult point he had a way of skipping from side to side and whisking his tale which was somehow very persuasive. The others said of Squealer that he could turn black into white.” (16)

Squealer is persuasive. That's about right, except that he is Napoleon's right hand pig. Squealer tends to use the word 'comrades' everytime he addresses the animals. By using this word, the animals start to think that Squealer is on their side, and he's not. That's just another part of his persuasive side. This is effective with the animals because it makes them think that Squealer will always know what is right or wrong with the happenings of the farm.

By making the animals think that what he is going to say will benefit all of them, it is only benefiting the pigs:

"It was also more suited to the dignity of the Leader (for of late he had taken to speaking of Napoleon under the title of "Leader") to live in a house than in a mere sty. Nevertheless, some of the animals were disturbed when they heard that the pigs not only took their meals in the kitchen and used the drawing-room as a recreation room, but also slept in the beds." (56)

 While at first, Napoleon and Squealer only took advantage of the food that the animals had, this quote shows that they have gone too far with being 'leaders'. Squealer went from being the right hand pig of Napoleon to his 'mouth.' Meaning that Squealer, instead of being his usual persuasive self, is now just saying what Napoleon wants him to say.

Napoleon, on the other hand, has begun to forget about the actual Commandments, what Old Major had said in his speech, and also what the Revolution has taught them to do, which includes the use of the house and sleeping in the beds.

Every time the animals question the matter, they check the Commandments, which has rules against what they wonder about. But, when they do check, it seems as though the Commandments have changed so that it actually does prove that what the pigs are doing is okay.

Towards the end of the book, Squealer and Napoleon have begun to walk on two legs, and carry whips, which frightens the animals because now, Squealer and Napoleon have assumed an authority that no animal wants to fight against.

“No question now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.” (117)

This quote at the end of the book implies that Napoleon and Squealer have changed from pigs to real mean, and the 'lower animals' see it.