In George Orwell's, 1984, the quote, "WAR IS PEACE FREEDOM IS SLAVERY IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH," is the official slogan of the Party, and is printed in massive letters on the white pyramid of the Ministry of Truth. This quote reflects the main idea of "doublethink," which is the ability to hold contradictory ideas in one's mind at the same time. As the Party's mind-control techniques break down an individual's capacity for independent thought, it becomes possible for that individual to believe anything that the Party tells them. Each statement in the slogan is very illogical, yet the people of Oceania lose their abilities to reason things out to such a high extent that they basically believe anything that the Party wants them to believe. "Doublethink" comes into play in the Ministry of Truth where they alter the past records to fit their own needs. "Reality control," they call it "doublethink" (32).
English: Grave of Eric Arthur Blair (George Orwell...
Orwell's former home at 77 Parliament Hill, Hampst...
PartyThe people of Oceania are being manipulated by the false past. The Party knows the state of its citizens so well it can manipulate facts and can even offer an illogical saying for its citizens to follow and they will follow it. "Who controls the past, controls the future" is the Party's slogan about the truth and the records in the Ministry of Truth (32). The Party has taken a stronghold of the present, and as a result, they "own" the past and the future. The weakness of the individuals is the effect of the propaganda-induced by fear. This causes other illogical slogan - for instance, the Ministry of Peace is in charge of war, the Ministry of Love is in charge of political torture, and the Ministry of Truth is in charge of doctoring history books to reflect the Party's ideology. These examples and the majority of peoples'...