Propaganda: Creating and Critiquing It

Introduction to Propaganda

Propaganda, as a literary device, involves the deliberate use of persuasive and often biased or misleading communication techniques to promote a particular ideology, viewpoint, or agenda within a literary work.

It may employ emotional appeals, selective presentation of information, and rhetorical devices to influence the audience’s beliefs or attitudes.

This device is commonly used to advance political, social, or cultural narratives and can be found in various forms of literature, including novels, essays, and speeches.

Literary Examples of Propaganda

Work	Example	Quote	Explanation of Propaganda
Animal Farm by George Orwell	Technique: Doublespeak	“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” (Chapter 10)	Explanation: This quote from Animal Farm employs doublespeak, using language to obscure the truth. The pigs claim to champion equality while establishing a privileged ruling class.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley	Technique: Bandwagon Appeal	“Alpha children wear grey… I’m really awfully glad I’m a Beta… And then we are much better than the Gammas and Deltas.” (Chapter 2)	Explanation: This quote employs the bandwagon appeal, encouraging conformity to the social hierarchy within the dystopian society.
1984 by George Orwell	Technique: Slogan/Catchphrase	“WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.” (Chapter 1)	Explanation: This quote uses a slogan or catchphrase to promote doublethink, where contradictory ideas are held simultaneously.
Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler	Technique: Name-calling	“The receptivity of the great masses is very limited, their intelligence is small, but their power of forgetting is enormous.” (Chapter 10)	Explanation: This quote employs name-calling by negatively characterizing the masses and indirectly discrediting political opponents.

How to Create Propaganda in Literature

Creating propaganda in literature is done using various techniques and strategies. Here are some tips on how to create in literature:

1. Choose a specific message: Before starting to write, decide on the specific message you want to convey . The message is clear, concise, and focused on a specific goal.
2. Use emotional appeals: It is often effective because it appeals to people’s emotions rather than their rational thinking. Use language and descriptions that evoke strong emotions in your readers, such as fear, anger, or pride.
3. Create a sense of urgency: Propaganda is often used to convince people to take immediate action. Use language that creates a sense of urgency in your readers, such as “Act now!” or “Don’t wait!”
4. Use repetition: Repetition is a powerful technique. Use key phrases or slogans repeatedly throughout your literature to reinforce your message and make it more memorable.
5. Use loaded language: Propaganda often uses loaded language, which is the language that is biased or emotionally charged. Use words and phrases that evoke strong positive or negative connotations in your readers.

Benefits of Propaganda

1. Influence: It is a powerful tool for influencing people’s beliefs, opinions, and actions. By presenting a persuasive message in a compelling way, it can motivate people to take a particular course of action or support a particular cause.
2. Mobilization: It is an effective way to mobilize people to take action on a particular issue. It can be used to galvanize support for a political candidate, raise awareness about a social issue, or encourage people to participate in a social movement.
3. Simplification: Propaganda often simplifies complex issues into easy-to-understand messages, making them more accessible to a wider audience. This can help people who may not have a deep understanding of an issue to form an opinion and take action.
4. Education: It is used as a tool for education, raising awareness about important issues and providing people with the information they need to make informed decisions.
5. Persuasion: Propaganda can persuade individuals to align with a particular viewpoint or cause, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose among those who support it.

However, it is important to note that it also has negative consequences such as promoting biased or false information, suppressing opposing views, and manipulating people’s emotions. As with any tool, it’s essential to use propaganda responsibly and ethically.

Propaganda and Literary Theory

Propaganda can be studied and analyzed through various literary theories, such as:

Theory	Critique of Propaganda	Application on a Literary Work
Marxist Theory	Marxist theory focuses on power dynamics within society and how it serves ruling class interests.	Application: Analyze how propaganda in George Orwell’s 1984 reinforces the ideology of the ruling Party and perpetuates social inequality, examining slogans like “War is Peace” and “Freedom is Slavery.”
Feminist Theory	Feminist theory examines how propaganda can reinforce gender stereotypes or promote patriarchal values.	Application: Evaluate how propaganda in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” portrays gender roles and how it may reflect or challenge traditional gender norms.
Psychoanalytic Theory	Psychoanalytic theory delves into the unconscious motivations in propaganda, tapping into fears, desires, and anxieties.	Application: Explore how propaganda in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World manipulates characters’ subconscious motivations and emotions, such as their desire for pleasure and fear of social exclusion.
Postcolonial Theory	Postcolonial theory analyzes how propaganda can perpetuate colonialist attitudes or promote cultural assimilation.	Application: Apply postcolonial theory to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and examine how propaganda may reflect or challenge colonialist ideologies and the dynamics between colonizers and colonized.
New Criticism	New criticism focuses on the formal elements of propaganda, such as language and structure.	Application: Critique the rhetorical devices and literary strategies used in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 to convey the government’s propaganda and manipulate the reader.

Suggested Readings

1. Chomsky, Noam, and Edward S. Herman. Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media. Pantheon, 1988.
2. Ellul, Jacques. Propaganda: The Formation of Men’s Attitudes. Vintage Books, 1973.
3. Miller, Arthur H. The Assault on Privacy: Computers, Data Banks, and Dossiers. University of Michigan Press, 1971.
4. Orwell, George. 1984. Signet Classic, 1949.
5. Lasswell, Harold D. Propaganda Technique in the World War. MIT Press, 1971.
6. Tuchman, Barbara W. The Guns of August. Ballantine Books, 1962.
7. Arendt, Hannah. The Origins of Totalitarianism. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1951.
8. Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. Penguin Books, 1986.