Chapter 7

Chapter 7

1. Deception

   • Napoleon's lack of planning for the winter results in very low food stores and he needs to deal with this and the potentially damaging leaks of such news to the outside world
     • "For days at a time the animals had nothing to eat but chaff and mangels. Starvation seemed to stare them in the face."
       • In order to resolve these problems, Napoleon uses his metaphorically-assumed role as dictator to put on a theatrical production to convince Mr Whymper (and through him the outside world) that everything is going well on Animal Farm thus disguising his failings. Mr Whymper acts as the audience that Napoleon needs to engage and fool into believing in an illusion; the sheep the actors reciting lines about the rations having been increased and the empty grain bins filled with sand the props / special effects.
   • The harmful lies spread about Snowball are another example of deception. Napoleon for uses Snowball as a scapegoat for any of the farm's misfortunes, like Hitler did with the Jews as he rose to power. Both Hitler and Napoleon understand the public's desire to cast blame on an outside soure for all their troubles
     • Squealer's claims that the pigs have found "documents" linking Snowball to Jones are an appeal to the animals' need for proof - although the nonexistent documents are never revealed to them on the grounds that the animals are unable to read them. Squealer says "I could show you this in his own writing, if you were able to read it." However, since Snowball's expulsion, none of the animals have been encouraged to read - for the same reasons that slaves throughout history were similarly deprived i.e. to render them powerless as we know from this novel that knowledge and intelligence is power

2. The Soviet Union

   • The cover-up of Animal Farm's food shortages reflects Soviet Russia's struggle against a largely justified reputation for industrial incompetence, famine and poor management. Stalin's Five-Year Plans for agriculture resulted in the starvation of millions of people and the Soviets were determined to mask their problems and keep them from the eyes of the rest of the world
   • Napoleon's use of Snowball as a scapegoat mirrors Stalin's abuse of the exiled Trotsky

3. Terror

   • Napoleon uses terror to keep the animals in order. Those who threaten his rule are dealt with in a swift and brutal fashion. The execution of all the animals who have even slightly opposed him demonstrates to the animals what will happen if they should refuse one of his orders. The number of animals who confess to Snowball-inspired crimes suggests the degree to which paranoia has gripped the animals, who now feel the need to confess things as slight as "secreting six ears of corn" and "urinating in the drinking pool". Afraid that their crimes will be discovered, the animals confess them because they are unable to stand the strain of their guilt
   • The executions are similar to Stalin's "purges" which were used to eliminate any dissident elements of his government, provide his people with a common enemy to despise and fear (i.e. Trotsky/Snowball), and keep both the populace and his staff in a state of fear for their own safety, making them far less likely to disobey orders or challenge his rule in any way

4. The end of the chapter

   • Boxer
     • After the executions, Boxer concludes that he must work harder to atone for "some fault in ourselves". Like the confessing animals, he wants to purge himself of nonexisitent evils. This is an example of how the pigs have created a society where the animals always blame themselves and never the pigs, allowing the pigs to have complete control over them
   • Clover
     • Unlike Boxer, Clover does have a small amount of insight as to what is going on when she considers that the terrors she has just witnessed were not included in her vision for old Major's dream. However, since she lacked "the words to express" these ideas, her possibly revolutionary thoughts are never brought out and she is yet another example of how impotent and powerless the animals are to do anything about their situation
   • Beasts of England
     • Napoleon's outlawing "Beasts of England" is his next step in assuming total control. Fearful that the song wil stir up some rebellious feelings amongst the animals similar to what hapened on the night of old Major's speech now that he is implementing some new, unpopular regimes, Napoleon decides to replace it with a decidedly blander song that focuses on the responsibility of the animals to protect the farm rather than overthrow its leaders
       • Despite the huge popularity of the song, the animals don't complain because the sheep who accompany squealer yet again put an end to all discussion over it with their incessant bleating

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