WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
At the beginning of the novel, 1984, author Georg Orwell states the 3 slogans of the Party: War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, and Ignorance is Strength. These mottoes seem to be ambiguous and conflicting to a person innocent to the novel 1984, but in the world dominated by Big Brother, they are essential. In the world of 1984, war is peace. The illusion of peace created by Big Brother is nothing but a battle to seclude the capacity of a free world. The Party intended to engage in war to keep the country at peace. This is a perfect example of an oxymoron because Orwell uses two words that are essentially contradictory to each other. War is a sign of conflict and peace resembles reconciliation. I believe that war abroad can bring peace at home because it can cause the citizens to unite under the same cause. Many people have different opinions yet when everyone is being attacked for the same purpose, in this case where you are from, you tend to come together and unite. Big Brother has created this war to further control its people.
In addition to peace, Big Brother has convinced its citizens that there ‘freedom’ is not true freedom, it is rather an artificial image created by Big Brother. The technological possibilities of surveillance and data collection and storage surely surpass what Orwell imagined. Today, we are constantly influenced by politics and religion. The Party has ingrained in its people’s minds that anyone who chooses to become independent of Big Brother’s control is bound to be unsuccessful. Big Brother believes that a society that is based on free will will ultimately result in turmoil. In order to look past the unspeakable acts of Big Brother, the citizens of Oceania must accept that freedom in Oceania means adhering to the Party’s rules without any slight deviation.
Lastly, Ignorance is Strength is used to destroy the past and manifest a future that is built on the ignorance of its citizens. If the people of Oceania continue to comply with Big Brother they will remain ignorant of the actions being performed around them. The citizens of Oceania are forbidden from questioning the legal institutions, authorities, books, media, history, or any other form of information given by Big Brother. Any deviation from the rules and precepts enforced by Big Brother result in imprisonment. The irony of these phrases establishes the tone for the rest of the novel. The introduction of these phrases at the beginning of the novel forces the reader to pay attention to the widespread use of propaganda and fear of independence. Although having knowledge is fundamental to independent thought, having too much knowledge can have adverse effects. Knowing too much can cause one to over-analyze and never be content with reality. In today’s age, we often find the need to over-analyze situations which ultimately cause more nervousness and confusion. An example of this is seen with the continuous spread of the coronavirus. The amount of information being thrown at people is often overwhelming and confusing. Different and contradictory facts cause people to become nervous and scared. At times is is important to settle with the simple, hard facts and take each day at a time.
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