Animal Farm
Summary of Chapter 3
The new era of animal farm begins promisingly. All animals work hard to improve the farm and get the harvest in. Their first-time chance to enjoy the fruits of their own work by themselves inspires them to face the difficulties of farming without man. Their efforts result in the largest harvest in the history of the farm, which they bring in even faster than Mr. Jones and his men did.
Boxers newly adopted personal motto I will work harder is a further inspiration to all animals. Although the pigs do not actually work on the field, they contribute their ability to plan, coordinate and supervise the work. Mollie is the only animal which avoids working and Benjamin remains unchanged after the rebellion as Donkeys live a long time.
Sunday is a day of rest for them, on which they raise the flag and sing "Beasts of England". The education program, which has been initiated by Snowball, gives all animals a certain degree of literacy. Snowball also reduces the Seven Commandments to the maxim Four legs good, two legs bad, which is easier to learn for the simpler animals. The sheep bleat this for hours on end, as soon as they have memorized it.
The dogs give birth to nine puppies, which Napoleon wants to educate. As he keeps them away from the others, they are soon forgotten. The harvested apples and the milk are being reserved for the pigs to fuel their efforts required to manage the farm, which is accepted without protest.
Formal Analysis of Squealers Speech
Squealer is making a speech in front of the animals to explain why the milk and the apples are reserved for the pigs alone. This speech can be divided into two sections, the first from the beginning to "We pigs are brainworkers", the second one everthing following until the end of the speech.
After adressing all animals as comrades, squealer begins his speech with a rhetorical question, which specifies the unspoken reproach of the animals. This question is the first and most important stylistic device in sqealers speech as he now has a starting point for his argumentation which he has chosen himself. This being said, he moves from a general Many of us dislike... to the personal I dislike them myself. He thereby proves that he knows what he is talking about and argues that he is making a sacrifice for the other animals. The necessity is explained and spealer even refers to science to prove his argument. To be absolutely sure that even the simplest animal has understood this, he states We pigs are brainworkers. This statement also shows, that the pigs work hard, even if the harvest is done by others.
The second part has a subtle change in the way squealer argues, as he explains accusingly that the pigs do everything for the sake of the well-being of the whole farm and firstly for the other animals. Squealer knows that the most persuasive method is fear and he uses it by repeating the danger of "Jones coming back" several times. He ends his speech with another rhetorical question, which serves one sole purpose: The animals should acknowledge the reasons squealer has mentioned.
Sqealers speech serves only one purpose: The animals should not get the idea that the pigs are treating themselfes better than the other animals. He manages to convince them that this is the truth.