Snowball represents Leon Trotsky, the military genius who
helped make the Soviet Union a strong world power in the early days of the Russian
Revolution. However, Joseph Stalin (Napoleon), jealous of Trotsky's intellect and
wanting power for himself, had Trotsky banished, and afterwards used him as a scapegoat
for any failures in the system:
"Snowball has done this thing! In sheer
malignity, thinking to set back our plans and avenge himself for his ignominious
expulsion, this traitor has crept here under cover of night and destroyed our work of
nearly a year."
(Orwell, Animal Farm,
msxnet.org)
Since he was
gone, Trotsky was unable to sabotage any of Stalin's plans, but like Napoleon, Stalin
knew the value of a false, subversive enemy. By portraying Trotsky as a hidden force
trying to undermine him, Stalin excused his use of secret police and murder to quell
sedition. Similarly, Napoleon uses Snowball as an excuse for all of his failures,
pretending that Snowball is remaining in the area to perform acts of sabotage. This
shows a powerful method of propaganda, as Squealer and Napoleon tell unashamed lies to
cover up for their power-grabs and alterations of the original, Marxist (Old Major's)
ideals.
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