Doublethink In 1984

“Freedom is the right to tell people what they don't want to hear,” says George Orwell, writer of 1984. The Party has taken away the rights of the people to know the truth in order to maintain power. Although some would believe that the most central paradox in Orwell’s 1984 is the Party’s slogan “War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength,” it is clearly the act of doublethink because it’s the Party’s form of psychological control in order to maintain power. To demonstrate, it is the Party’s main concern to ensure that the people swallow their made-up stories in order to create a diversion from the truth. Winston explains “It was true that there is no such person as Comrade ogilvy, but a few lines of print and a couple of faked
In 1984 Orwell writes, “The Ministry of Truth, which concerned itself with news, entertainment, education, and the fine arts. The Ministry of Peace, which concerned itself with war. The Ministry of Love, which maintained law and order. And the Ministry of Plenty, which was responsible for economic affairs”(Orwell 4). These departments are all of form of psychological manipulation and a way to maintain leadership of the public. The Party gave ironic names to the different divisions as a form of euphemism. Although someone would believe the Ministry of Peace is self-explanatory, it is indeed the opposite. The Party’s intention is to get the public to think the ministries are what they say even though they are contradicting. This way they can portray the different ministries indirectly from what they really are. This is yet another way the totalitarian government attempts to maintain their psychological manipulation over the public. With this sort of control the Party has over everyone, they have found a way to successfully carry out concealed actions without the scrutiny of the
The slogan “War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength” itself is an example of doublethink. Each phrase in the slogan contradicts itself but the people are too brainwashed to notice it. The public is constantly reminded of the phrase but they can no longer acknowledge contradictions due to doublethink. Which is why the most central paradox is doublethink. Within a dystopian society, no one has control over anything expect the group in power. As a form of totalitarian power the Party has created a way as to where even a lie can become truth, or the act of doublethink. Without doublethink as the central paradox the Party wouldn’t have complete control of the public’s beliefs and actions. As long as they have the ability to make the people believe the exact opposite of what the they already know is true, they have the power to make them believe in