Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/4-1-2-language

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# Language

English Lit: AQA GCSE Animal Farm, topic 4.1.2

## Irony

Irony is when words are used to express something deeper or different to their literal meaning.

### Quotes

![Quotes](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/c31a22eb-4b8c-46fe-be22-991a5a3c93e8/shutterstock_465350537.jpg)

- __“The animals worked like slaves”__.
- __“Spontaneous Demonstration”__.
- __“ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS”__.
- Sunday work is __“voluntary”__, but if it isn’t done rations are __“reduced by half”__.
- The animals believe that all of their struggles are __“for the benefit of themselves”__ not for __“a pack of idle, thieving human beings”__.

### Analysis

![Analysis](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/3b741bd4-1ff4-4d38-a2d4-c4a7c67ebf7e/shutterstock_283337396.jpg)

- The pigs use language to control the animals and manipulate their thoughts; the animals believe that life is better now than it was before the revolution. 
- They are (unlike the reader) completely unaware that the pigs are also __“idle”__ and __“thieving”__.

## Political Language

Orwell wrote that __“Political language [...] is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable”__ and it is __“consciously dishonest”__. We can see Orwell make this point through the use of political language in _Animal Farm_.

### Squealer

![Squealer](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/b86111f7-d660-43fc-a6bb-3f121fca3daf/shutterstock_1077815534.jpg)

- Squealer uses political language to control the animals and to enable the pigs to get away with being both __“idle”__ and __“thieving”__ just like the humans were. 
- The animals believe in his statistics, __“readjustments”__, __“voluntary”__ work and presentation of facts (__“proved by science”__ and __"Jones would come back!”__) and therefore think that they are better off under this regime. Therefore they remain loyal.

### Equal

![Equal](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/235695e2-4df2-4e6f-908b-b70b33ef4930/shutterstock_519768715.jpg)

- This can also be seen as the word __“equal”__ loses its meaning completely by the end of the novel: __“ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS”__.

## Squealer's Political Devices

Here are a few quotes that highlight the political devices Squealer uses:

### Distraction

![Distraction](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/0eba417a-6eb9-45f7-a96e-10b77c84a838/shutterstock_568937539.jpg)

- __“He had a way of skipping from side to side and whisking his tail which was somehow very persuasive”__.

### Repetition (and threat)

![Repetition (and threat)](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/ccbf6864-d49f-46af-bc12-db021c635bc1/shutterstock_558299704.jpg)

- __“Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back!”__

### Collective pronouns

![Collective pronouns](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/6e0f743e-dfdc-412d-a162-9a75934e557e/shutterstock_1013923264.jpg)

- __“Comrades!”__

### Rhetorical question

![Rhetorical question](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/48dceab9-e837-45da-850d-551e168a7773/shutterstock_264466154.jpg)

- __“Surely there is no one among you who would want to see Jones come back?”__

### Facts and evidence

![Facts and evidence](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/8aabb48e-4bcf-4d56-a2a6-1e9750929a40/shutterstock_129074777.jpg)

- __“Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig”__.
- __“It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples”__.

### Subversion

![Subversion](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/c01e0ceb-490f-4940-9cbc-d676ae903008/shutterstock_283337396.jpg)

- __“He could turn black into white”__.
- The word __“equality”__ is made to mean the opposite, in the same way work on Sundays is not really __“voluntary”__ as otherwise their food would be halved and __“spontaneous demonstrations”__ are organised as a means of control.

### Obfuscation (making something unclear)

![Obfuscation (making something unclear)](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/1da67013-1c63-4f43-adf9-43b1acc812bc/shutterstock_349708406.jpg)

- __“Squealer told them that the pigs had to expend enormous labours every day upon mysterious things called “files”, “reports”, “minutes”, and “memoranda””__.

## Test yourself on Language

- What is it called when words are used to express something deeper or different to their literal meaning?
- Which of the following is NOT a quote from _Animal Farm_ that demonstrates irony?
- What political language does Squealer use to keep the animals loyal?
- What type of language is used by Squealer to control the animals?
- In _Animal Farm_, Squealer says __“Surely there is no one among you who would want to see Jones come back?”__ What political device is being used here?

[Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/45bed650-4258-11e8-9c8e-b1f077ab1bf9/section/f545b280-43b4-11e8-941c-9b2bccef54e7/session)

- Previous topic: [4.1.1 Form & Structure](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/4-1-1-form-and-structure.md)
- Next topic: [4.1.3 Symbols](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/4-1-3-symbols.md)

## English Lit: AQA GCSE Animal Farm contents

### 1 Plot Summaries
- 1.1 Plot Summaries
  - [1.1.1 Chapters 1-2](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/1-1-1-chapters-1-2.md)
  - [1.1.2 Chapters 3-4](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/1-1-2-chapters-3-4.md)
  - [1.1.3 Chapters 5-6](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/1-1-3-chapters-5-6.md)
  - [1.1.4 Chapters 7-8](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/1-1-4-chapters-7-8.md)
  - [1.1.5 Chapters 9-10](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/1-1-5-chapters-9-10.md)
  - [1.1.6 Keywords](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/1-1-6-keywords.md)
  - [1.1.7 End of Topic Test - Chapters 1-5](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/1-1-7-end-of-topic-test-chapters-1-5.md)
  - [1.1.8 End of Topic Test - Chapters 6-10](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/1-1-8-end-of-topic-test-chapters-6-10.md)

### 2 Characters & Their Links to History
- 2.1 Key Characters
  - [2.1.1 Old Major](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-1-1-old-major.md)
  - [2.1.2 Snowball](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-1-2-snowball.md)
  - [2.1.3 Napoleon](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-1-3-napoleon.md)
  - [2.1.4 Squealer](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-1-4-squealer.md)
  - [2.1.5 Boxer](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-1-5-boxer.md)
  - [2.1.6 End of Topic Test - Key Characters](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-1-6-end-of-topic-test-key-characters.md)
  - [2.1.7 AO2/3 - Key Characters](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-1-7-ao23-key-characters.md)
  - [2.1.8 Exam-Style Questions - Boxer](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-1-8-exam-style-questions-boxer.md)
- 2.2 Other Characters
  - [2.2.1 Mr Jones](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-2-1-mr-jones.md)
  - [2.2.2 Clover](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-2-2-clover.md)
  - [2.2.3 Hens](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-2-3-hens.md)
  - [2.2.4 Sheep](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-2-4-sheep.md)
  - [2.2.5 Mollie](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-2-5-mollie.md)
  - [2.2.6 Benjamin](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-2-6-benjamin.md)
  - [2.2.7 Moses](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-2-7-moses.md)
  - [2.2.8 Mr Frederick](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-2-8-mr-frederick.md)
  - [2.2.9 Pilkington](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-2-9-pilkington.md)
  - [2.2.10 Mr Whymper](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-2-10-mr-whymper.md)
  - [2.2.11 End of Topic Test - Other Characters](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-2-11-end-of-topic-test-other-characters.md)
  - [2.2.12 End of Topic Test - Other Characters 2](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/2-2-12-end-of-topic-test-other-characters-2.md)

### 3 Key Themes & Orwell's Purpose
- 3.1 Key Themes
  - [3.1.1 Education](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/3-1-1-education.md)
  - [3.1.2 Power & Control](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/3-1-2-power-and-control.md)
  - [3.1.3 Power & Language](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/3-1-3-power-and-language.md)
  - [3.1.4 Equality](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/3-1-4-equality.md)
  - [3.1.5 End of Topic Test - Key Themes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/3-1-5-end-of-topic-test-key-themes.md)

### 4 Language, Form & Structure
- 4.1 Language, Form & Structure
  - [4.1.1 Form & Structure](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/4-1-1-form-and-structure.md)
  - [4.1.2 Language](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/4-1-2-language.md)
  - [4.1.3 Symbols](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/4-1-3-symbols.md)
  - [4.1.4 Narrator & Allegory](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/4-1-4-narrator-and-allegory.md)

### 5 Recap: Main Quotes
- 5.1 Characters Quotes
  - [5.1.1 Old Major Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/5-1-1-old-major-quotes.md)
  - [5.1.2 Snowball Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/5-1-2-snowball-quotes.md)
  - [5.1.3 Napoleon Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/5-1-3-napoleon-quotes.md)
  - [5.1.4 Squealer Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/5-1-4-squealer-quotes.md)
  - [5.1.5 Boxer Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/5-1-5-boxer-quotes.md)
  - [5.1.6 Clover Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/5-1-6-clover-quotes.md)
  - [5.1.7 Moses & Mr Frederick Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/5-1-7-moses-and-mr-frederick-quotes.md)
  - [5.1.8 Benjamin Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/5-1-8-benjamin-quotes.md)
  - [5.1.9 Sheep Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/5-1-9-sheep-quotes.md)
  - [5.1.10 Hens Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/5-1-10-hens-quotes.md)
  - [5.1.11 Mollie Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/5-1-11-mollie-quotes.md)
  - [5.1.12 Pilkington & Mr Whymper Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/5-1-12-pilkington-and-mr-whymper-quotes.md)
  - [5.1.13 Mr Jones Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/5-1-13-mr-jones-quotes.md)
- 5.2 Text Structure Quotes
  - [5.2.1 Education Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/5-2-1-education-quotes.md)
  - [5.2.2 Power, Control & Language Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/5-2-2-power-control-and-language-quotes.md)
  - [5.2.3 Propaganda Quotes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/english-literature/aqa/animal-farm/5-2-3-propaganda-quotes.md)