How does Orwell explore the problem of rhetoric in Animal Farm? Paying particular attention to the character of Squealer, how is language used as an instrument of social control? How do the pigs rewrite history?
George Orwell constructs the rhetoric through squealer the strongest. It is through Squealer that he shows how language reflects power. Without Squealer, Napoleon would not be able to acquire the power that he had. Squealer shows how powerful words can be and it is through language and rhetoric that he is successful in helping keep Napoleon's power. When Squealer rewrites history, he bends the truth to make it look like the pigs are the heroes and he bends the truth manipulatively so that the animals have no choice but to believe Squealers rhetoric. Orwell's language portrayed through Squealer is used as an instrument of control and the pigs rewrite history very craftily to gain and keep Napoleon in power.