Question

read the passage from animal farm.
the pigs were in ecstasies over napoleons cunning. by seeming to be friendly with pilkington he had forced frederick to raise his price by twelve pounds. but the superior quality of napoleons mind, said squealer, was shown in the fact that he trusted nobody, not even frederick. frederick had wanted to pay for the timber with something called a cheque, which, it seemed, was a piece of paper with a promise to pay written upon it. but napoleon was too clever for him. he had demanded payment in real five - pound notes, which were to be handed over before the timber was removed. already frederick had paid up; and the sum he had paid was just enough to buy the machinery for the windmill.
how does the use of card - stacking support the theme in this passage?

• lack of understanding about foreign concepts can lead to fear of them.
• it is important to acquire the best deal from those you do business with.
• corrupt leaders trust no one because they know that they themselves cannot be trusted.
• leaders will highlight the positives of every situation to make themselves seem competent.

Explanation:

Card-stacking is a propaganda technique that emphasizes favorable details while omitting or downplaying unfavorable ones. In the passage, Squealer highlights Napoleon’s "cunning" in forcing Frederick to raise his price and avoiding a cheque (framing it as cleverness) but does not address any potential downsides or Napoleon’s underlying distrust. This aligns with the idea that leaders use card-stacking to highlight positives and project competence.

Answer:

D. Leaders will highlight the positives of every situation to make themselves seem competent.