Download Animal Farm: Euphemisms and Other Examples of Propaganda

Name: _______________________ Teacher: _________ Class: ___________ Date: ______________
Animal Farm: Euphemisms and Other Examples of Propaganda
Directions: Much of Animal Farm deals with the animals on the farm not identifying various types of
propaganda. One significant type of propaganda used today is euphemisms. A euphemism is practiced when
someone uses a much nicer sounding word or phrase to replace a less pleasant sounding one. For example,
someone may say pass away instead of died.
For the first exercise, select the word from the phrase bank that is the gentler and kinder way to say that phrase.
Euphemism Bank
fibbing
pre-owned vehicles
collateral damage
moving on to a better place
between jobs
correctional facility
fell off the back of a truck
vertically challenged
put to sleep
adult beverage
sanitation workers
armed intervention
1. Used Car: ____________________________
2. Jail: ____________________________
3. Lying: ____________________________
4. Dying: ____________________________
5. Euthanize: ____________________________
6. Beer: ____________________________
7. Garbage Man: ____________________________
8. War: ____________________________
9. Accidental Death: ____________________________
10. Unemployed: ___________________________
11. Short: ____________________________
12. Stolen: ___________________________
George Carlin’s “Euphemisms:” Read the transcript of George Carlin’s monologue “Euphemisms.” Remember,
Carlin is a comedian, so try not to take too much offense to some of the comments he makes. He is simply
illustrating a point about the language we use in the United States. On the lines provided, cite examples of
euphemisms that Carlin points out.
a. ___________________ : ___________________
b. ___________________ : ___________________
c. ___________________ : ___________________
d. ___________________ : ___________________
e. ___________________ : ___________________
f. ___________________ : ___________________
g. ___________________ : ___________________
h. ___________________ : ___________________
i. ___________________ : ___________________
j. ___________________ : ___________________
k. ___________________ : ___________________
l. ___________________ : ___________________
m. ___________________ : ___________________
n. ___________________ : ___________________
Directions: In Animal Farm, Squealer does not call the depleting rations a reduction. Instead, he calls them a
readjustment. For this exercise, imagine you are Squealer and have to come up with a way to rephrase the
following words or events. Remember, that you are going to try to make them sound better. And, you really
cannot just flat-out lie. You have to try to get words that approach the truth without really capturing the truth.
See if you can come up with more than one for some.
1. Dying: ________________________________________________________________________________
2. Being sick: _____________________________________________________________________________
3. A bad harvest: ___________________________________________________________________________
4. A drought: ______________________________________________________________________________
5. Mollie deciding to leave: ___________________________________________________________________
6. Benjamin not voting (ever): _________________________________________________________________
7. The windmill falling down in the storm: _______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
8. The executions: __________________________________________________________________________
9. The chickens giving up their eggs: ___________________________________________________________
10. Frederick’s money being forgeries (fake): _____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
11. Boxer collapsing due to exhaustion: _________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
12. The pigs looking exactly like humans: _______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Other Types of Propaganda in Animal Farm
While euphemisms are an important part of propaganda used by the pigs in Animal Farm. There are several
other types of propaganda throughout the story. Below, there are several types of propaganda with their
definitions. Read the definitions and try to remember a time when that type of propaganda was employed by
the swine.
1. Ad Hominem: Attacking the person instead of the issue
Example: ________________________________________________________________________________
2. Ad Nauseum: Tireless repetition of an idea (slogan)
Example: ________________________________________________________________________________
Example: ________________________________________________________________________________
3. Appeal to Fear: Make people scared
Example: ________________________________________________________________________________
Example: ________________________________________________________________________________
4. “Common Man” or “Plain Folks” Appeal: Convinces people that it is for the common good of all
Example: ________________________________________________________________________________
Example: ________________________________________________________________________________
5. Rationalizations: Those in charge make general and vague rationalizations to explain situations
Example: ________________________________________________________________________________
Example: ________________________________________________________________________________
6. Half-truths: A deceptive statement that contains some truth but is not entirely honest or does not fully satisfy its claim
Example: ________________________________________________________________________________
Example: ________________________________________________________________________________