1984: Party Slogan

George Orwell, 1984

The Party's main slogan from 1984 is an oxymoron, and runs as follows:

"War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength" (pg 107, Orwell)

Winston encounters this slogan throughout the novel, because of it's extreme importance. The "War is Peace" part, represents the fact that most of the residents from the nation where Winston resides, Oceania, believe the fact that by going to war they can attain peace within the nation. That's because of them believing that through their country's reigning victories, they will have a better lifestyle due to better food, clothes and an overall superior way of living. One common thing that this quote has with events that occurred in real life, is that in the past many nations believed the exact same notion: that by going to war they can achieve peace, and that going to war was the sole way of solving a major conflict.

"Freedom is Slavery" simply shows how the characters in 1984 have no freedom because in order to be free they have to submit to the rules and in fact, be slaves to the government and their regulations. This can also be directly related to the world we reside in, because even though we believe that we are free in many ways, we are actually constantly doing things which we have no control to change, thus making us slaves. Such things include going to work, school, completing the work that we are given etc.

Lastly, "Ignorance is Strength" refers to the fact that ignoring the events which occur throughout the novel is thought of as a strength in the society of Oceania. The characters refer to this as 'double think.' One particular part that 'double think' includes is forgetting whatever is necessary to forget, and drawing it back into memory if it is later needed. For example, throughout the war new alliances are often being formed, but the past is constantly rewritten in order to convince the residents that Oceania has always been allied with none other than the nation that they are allied with at that given moment. "Ignorance is Strength" is also a concept that can be related to the world that we reside in, because whenever something annoys a person, it is often considered best to simply ignore it. Since that is often thought of as a strength, and the best way that one can solve a problem.

The reason why this quote was chosen is because it is an insight into the main theme of the novel: how the truth can be altered, which can lead to one questioning their beliefs about the events which occurred.