A Letter from Squealer
by Glen Draeger

To: My Comrades in Great Books
From: Squealer

Comrades,

It has been brought to my attention as I have gambolled about Animal Farm that you may be getting the wrong impression of our wonderful endeavor to give the animals here a better life. Mr. Orwell, though a fine, articulate writer, has not lived on our fair farm and thus really has no business criticizing it. We are, of course, used to criticism from both Mr. Pilkington and Mr. Frederick, but it is a truism, is it not, that one criticizes that which one does not understand or that which presents a threat? We pigs have always been misunderstood.

Do you suppose that the rats and cats and dogs and mice are intelligent enough to govern themselves? Certainly all of you must know the answer to that. Mr. Orwell was fond of animals but I doubt he allowed his cat to make suggestions or changes to his novels. Just as you make decisions to give your dog or cat a nice place to sleep and good food to eat we pigs make decisions to give our comrades a better life. Isn’t that what they have received? They are free. Under Jones they were prisoners. Some must rule and some must obey—even your famous Aristotle would agree with this. We have simply recognized the talents of each animal and placed them in a capacity where they can be the most beneficial to our mutual endeavor, namely, the continued success of Animal Farm.

There has been much criticism regarding the unfortunate, but necessary executions of some of our comrades. The problem is that most animals (and people too) forget to look at the big picture. How long does a dog live? What? Six, eight, ten, maybe twelve years? Ahhh, but how long will Animal Farm go on? Decades and decades, my friends. Decades times decades! We are all going to die—death is not such a big deal. If one animal’s death will ensure the continuance of something that protects the majority of animals and their offspring—I ask you—isn’t that death worth it? I think you will even find that many, if not most, humans agree with me. Nothing is ever as easy as the writer sitting in his own little room by his own little fire in his big, soft comfortable chair tries to make it out to be.

So please, don’t be so quick to judge us, Comrades. You may be rulers some day. You may become the President or a CEO and then it will be up to you to lead and make good decisions for those who cannot decide for themselves. That is all we pigs are doing.

Affectionately,

Squealer

©2005-2012 Glen Draeger (all rights reserved)
Millstone Education: World Literature / http://www.millstoneeducation.com/worldLit