1984 Doublethink Analysis - 1237 Words

The Role of Doublethink in The Government of 1984 â€Å" War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength,†. The following quote originates from the infamous novel, 1984 by George Orwell. The significance of this popular quote was to display an example of the action of doublethink. Doublethink is the act of having two contradictory thoughts at the same time and believing both are true. Doublethink plays an influential role in the novel, 1984. The novel takes place in a super-state by the name of Oceania which covers the entire continents of our America in reality. The main character of this novel is Winston Smith, a thirty-nine year-old Party member who works at the Ministry of Truth correcting â€Å"errors† in past publication who has a†¦show more content†¦For the Party, the past not fixed and permanent; its reality is evident only in records,† (Becnel 11). Throughout the novel, it was often mentioned that the Party hired workers such as the mai n protagonist, Winston, to alter history the way they wanted it. If the Party has control over what was written down in history, they can easily manipulate their citizens to believe anything that they claim is true. This ability of control over history has also opened up the opportunity to alter the memories of the citizens of Oceania. Being able to control the memories of the people and causing them to believe one thing and another is an example of doublethink. The Party used doublethink in order to increase and strengthen their power over the citizens. Power is also a factor that revolves around the action of doublethink. Becnel mentions the importance of doublethink and power in his critic upon the novel, â€Å" Doublethink is the foundation on which the Partys power rests,† (Becnel 11). Becnel’s claim basically states that in order to maintain and strengthen their power, the Party must resort to doublethink in order to have better control of their citizens. Althoug h the Party has taken actions such as altering history and having a great amount of control over the people to express doublethink, they have also done expressed doublethink inShow MoreRelated1984 Doublethink Analysis1497 Words   |  6 Pages1984 Connection: In 1984, George Orwell illustrates a dystopian society in which he emphasizes the influential contribution of language to the psychological manipulation the Party imposes. Specifically, through the concept of Doublethink, Orwell highlights the ironic names of the Partys ministries as means to euphemize what they actually are. From the very beginning of the novel, it is revealed how the Party characterizes the faà §ade that The Ministry of Truth, which concerned itself with newsRead MoreComparison Of 1984 And Watership Down927 Words   |  4 PagesAt a glance, the two books I read over this summer, 1984 by George Orwell, and Watership Down by Richard Adams, are very different. After looking at similar themes and motifs, I found more similarities than I first thought I would. The authors present power dynamics and hierarchies in different ways, and they use that to show different points. There are more differences than similarities in these books, but the similarities may be surprisi ng. How does Big Brother control everybody? They controlRead More1984 Doublethink Essay885 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"War is peace, Freedom is slavery, Ignorance is strength,† (Orwell 26). In George Orwell’s book, 1984, the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in mind and being forced to accept them, is â€Å"doublethink†. The government of Oceania, also called the Party, uses psychological operant conditioning to brainwash their citizens to keep control over them. The truth can only be proven by consensus of majority meaning if millions believe it , they too should believe it. The act of thinking freely is consideredRead MoreCensorship, By George Orwell881 Words   |  4 Pages Censorship In George Orwell’s novel, 1984, the theme, censorship, greatly influences the storyline. Within the society, Oceania, the government censors everything from the newspapers to an individual s thoughts. Although, Oceania does not have any specific laws the citizens know that challenging the party, even with facial expressions, could result in punishment or possibly death. The prime reasoning behind censorship is control. In order to gain the ultimate control the Inner Party utilizesRead More1984 Discussion1069 Words   |  5 Pages1984 Discussion Questions 1. The world within which Winston lives is replete with contradictions. For example a, major tenet of the Partys philosophy is that War is Peace. Similarly, the Ministry of Love serves as, what we would consider, a department of war. What role do these contradictions serve on a grand scale? Discuss other contradictions inherent in the Partys philosophy. What role does contradiction serve within the framework of Doublethink? How does Doublethink satisfy the needs of TheRead MoreCritics of Novel 1984 by George Orwell14914 Words   |  60 Pages1984 In George Orwells 1984, Winston Smith wrestles with oppression in Oceania, a place where the Party scrutinizes human actions with ever-watchful Big Brother. Defying a ban on individuality, Winston dares to express his thoughts in a diary and pursues a relationship with Julia. These criminal deeds bring Winston into the eye of the opposition, who then must reform the nonconformist. 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Some examples of these contradictions take the form of the slogan that War is Peace and the purpose of the Ministry of Love. Doublethink is essentially â€Å"an unending series of victories over your own memory,† a form of â€Å"‘reality control’† that allows the party to manipulate the outer party members. TheRead MoreThe Dystopia By George Orwell2154 Words   |  9 PagesThe dystopia depicted in 1984 is a direct result of author George Orwell’s exposure to the oppressive regimes of his day. At the time of Orwell’s composition of the novel, authoritarian governments of the 1940s posed a real and danger ous threat to the free citizens of Europe. Much of what he saw in the Nazi and communist regimes inspired the Party, the government of Oceania, in his text 1984. The text argues that the effectiveness of an authoritarian regime depends on its ability to dehumanize itsRead MoreNineteen Eighty Four By George Orwell Essay1601 Words   |  7 Pageshad been aware of Winston s crimes all along; in fact, O Brien was assigned to watch Winston for the past seven years. O Brien spends the next few months torturing Winston in order to change his way of thinking - to employ the concept of doublethink, the ability to simultaneously hold two opposing ideas in one s mind and believe in both: the concept is critical to life in Oceanic society. Winston believes that the human mind must be free, and to remain free, it must be allowed to hold objective