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The Uses Of Ethos In 1984 By George Orwell

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At last, the speaker (O’Brien) successfully uses the audience’s (Smith) interest against him and is able to instill an absolute sense of credibility in his character and words. Ethos is integral to the party’s success in spreading it’s persuasive message to Winston, and which arguments they use in favor of said message will be discussed next in the terms of logos. Correspondingly, the basis of any speaker’s arguments is logos or the logic and reasoning behind their views. In order for the party’s message to be accepted by Winston, they must first analyze and understand the his current views. Winston Smith, above all, values honesty and the truth. The protagonist even goes as far as to root his own reality in objective truth: “Freedom is the freedom is to say that two plus two makes four. If that is granted all else follows.” (Orwell 81). As an anti-historian of a sort, Smith’s purpose is to reshape history in accordance with the party. Though, when he catches the party in a lie he begins to understand that there is no objective truth in his society. The parties lies are the reality for all citizens of Oceania- the fictional nation in which 1984 is set. Winston believes that if a human being uses their own natural logic and comes to the conclusion that two plus two equals four even if the party says that is incorrect- they would still be free in the terms of individual thought. Big Brother and the party’s main focus is to destroy any semblance of free and objective thought

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