“WAR IS PEACE FREEDOM IS SLAVERY IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH”

 This often repeated words belong to the George Orwell’s book which has added a new dimension to the novel genre. I couldn’t stop myself from not commenting on this book which i believe that it will never lose its actuality as being a warning light. 

First of all, the most remarkable characteristic of this book is that it represents  the readers the most unvarnished realities of today’s and future’s world. While i was reading it, i ran into lots of new motions. In my point of view, this book keeps up with our period and it will be on the shelves for a long time.

A motion called “Fanaticism” is one of the key words of the book. Fanatic people believe all the facts that are insisted owing to their unconsciousness about the social incidents. (We can’t know if they benefit from this thing,so,whatever.)In other words they put on blinkers or twisted reality is transferred to their brains with the help of a USB. Hereby, they never ever need to think; and fall asleep after delivering their brains to the party. In my opinion, it is impossible that these kind of people go crazy or commit a suicide.They live happily in their tiny freedom they think that they created it by themselves. And this talks about the same thing: “ignorance is strength.”

“The world-view of the party is more easily imposed to people who never understand it.(…) They swallow everything and they do not get harm because just like a sweetcorn going through the body of a bird without digestion; there is nothing left from the things they swallowed.”

And we see a notion called “Doublethink”. With doublethink, contradictions follow each other, by making a circle. For instance, a video of a car driving on the road is recorded and after this movie is played really fast. The car starts to catch itself and after a while it disappears. In my opinion, this idea is aimed with doublethink. To be conscious about a truth and not to be ,at the same time; to deny something that you believe; to tell that you protect the morality and not to behave like you protect it... etc. These kind of contradictions make a circle and the disappearance of thoughts, beliefs,morality; the wipe-out in people’s brains becomes a primordial step for the Party with the aim of creating a totalitarian system. Thus, people serve the government with loyalty and respect. Past becomes changeable; as a matter fact it changes all the time. For instance, Winston could not prove that they were enemies with Eurasia because he didn’t have any evidence owing to the party destroying all the documents.

The second slogan, freedom is slavery, means the only way to be free is by letting you lose yourself and to be integrated within the Party. That way, you'll be indestructible and immortal.

Ignorance is strength, means the division on high, middle, low classes in society will never be changed. The middle wants to be the high and they'll act "on behalf of the low" to dethrone the high. Afterwards, a new middle class arises, all will change except the low. The high and middle make and uphold the law, the low (proletarian) is just too stupid to revolt. The state maintains its structure by torture, intimidation, violence, and brainwashing.

In nineteeneightyfour, there’s a variation of the idea called “reality” in a time being. An incident that happened in the past can easily be changed in people’s minds. By that way, reality is twisted , making people be suspicious about themselves.* ( p. 105) then, person

questioning themselves starts to feel a sympathy for the Party and to worship. 

In other words, reality is just about the information what Party has imposed to people. 

*We can understand Winston’s psychology from these lines: “As happened in the past a lot, the question ‘am i insane?’ passed through his mind.(…) now believing the constancy of the past is accepted as a symptom of craziness. Maybe solely he could have this belief and if it was like that, then he was a real insane.”

Proletariat is a threat to the Party, possessing information about “Oldspeak” and is wanted to be destroyed until the year 2050. It means the working class , crashed and exploited by the bourgeois.

“Can’t you understand the aim of “Newspeak” is just about restricting the horizon of thoughts? Finally we make “thoughtcrime” impossible, because there will be no word to explain it. Every needed concept will be told by just one forgotten word which is defined sharply and has no connotation.” page 77

With “Newspeak”, all people will think in the same way, will look from a window opened by the Party to just one place. Thus, there will be no difference between human and robot. This situation is for the benefit of the Party, prohibiting rebellion and consequently Party can arrange the suitable place to command the country.  

Commitment means not to think, not need to think. 

Commitment is unconsciousness.

In addition to, sexuality was trying to be under control. 

Desire which is in human nature, and Party cannot control; means a big danger for the future of the Party. Also, suppression of sexuality triggers hysteria and this is for the benefit of the Party because it can be transformed into worship Big Brother and war enthusiasm. Julia thinks the source of all of the shoutings, waving flags is rotten sexuality.

And here are the links: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newspeak

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four

Thank you! I hope you enjoyed. Soon i will publish new reviews. Stay tuned ! All love. B