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1984 Slogan Analysis

1499 Words6 Pages

In George Orwell’s 1984, the three slogans of the Party—”War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, and Ignorance is Strength” (page 4)—are significant paradoxes that are used to reveal the theme of the novel that fear and ignorance allow one to be easily controlled. The three slogans are introduced early in the novel when Winston Smith thinks about his job at the Ministry of Truth. The building is described as “an enormous pyramidal structure of glittering white concrete, soaring up, terrace after terrace, three hundred meters into the air...it was just possible to read, picked out on its white face in elegant lettering, the three slogans of the Party: War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength” (4). The three slogans present …show more content…

This slogan is an equivalent to the common cliche that ignorance is bliss. If the people are ignorant to their potential, they will not rebel. “If there is hope [wrote Winston] it lies in the proles… Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious” (73). This quote demonstrates that Winston is aware of the power that the proles have. He is aware of their ability to overthrow the Party and is frustrated that the proles do not realize this. Winston also acknowledges the fact that the proles will remain ignorant to their power until they rebel but they will not rebel until they are aware of their power. This cyclic contradiction proves that the proles will never be able to overthrow the government. This ignorance of the people gives strength to the Party. The Ministry of Truth, where Winston works, has a big part in keeping the people ignorant. Winston’s job is to change the past. He destroys old records and create new ones to support whatever agenda the Party is pushing that day. Winston speaks of one instance when, in the middle of a speech, the speaker suddenly switched the enemy from Eurasia to

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