War Is Peace, Freedom Is Slavery, Ignorance Is Strength

War is peace, Freedom is slavery, Ignorance is strength. These three phrases may contradict everything that you know and have been taught, but in the “negative utopia” of George Orwell’s novel 1984 these are

Ayn Rand’s novella, Anthem, depicts a totalitarian society that oppresses the ideology of individualism. Within these societies children live apart from their families and grow up without any inherited characteristics of being an individual. Anthem is an example of this kind of society because it showcases the link between a totalitarian dictator’s power to the oppression of individualism found in a children that live apart from their families. Totalitarian Dictators enforce the arrangement of children living separate from their families because it oppresses individualism and allows for a better grasp of beneficial control over a society.

Within the pages of Ayn Rand’s novel, Anthem, a government which resembles a dictatorship is exhibited. Both the leaders and the society itself seek to control mans body and mind as they follow ideals similar to that of a communist party. The leaders and society in Anthem seek to control mans mind using tactics such as collectivism and suppression of the past to accomplish a tyrannical end.

They are the Party slogans, and are written in big letters on the white pyramid of the Ministry of Truth.

The definition of a paradox is, “A statement that on the surface seems a contradiction, but that actually contains some truth.” In George Orwell’s, 1984, the use of paradoxes is exemplified in an attempt to allow the reader to understand the true intentions of a totalitarian government. By using war as a method of keeping peace in the society or even going so far as to further the degree of ignorance to greaten the government’s power, Orwell constantly expresses the oppression of people under a totalitarian rule, the central theme of the novel. In an effort to gain the further support of the people of Oceania, the controlling party writes the following

George Orwell’s 1984 establishes a paradox in order to display an ironic discovery of truth. The slogan “War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength” used throughout Oceania is crazy, but it is also truthful. A quote from the book states “until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious” (Orwell 70). This quote suggests that the citizens are locked inside this slogan of the party, and have been brainwashed into following the rules that they have in place. Secondly, war is peace demonstrates that being in war constantly keeps Oceania under control. A summary on 1984 says “The reason for the war is to keep their economies productive without adding to the wealth of their citizens” (Celona). This evidence shows how the party believes war keeps their country away from rebellion. Lastly, the statement “Freedom is Slavery” is a paradox shown throughout the novel. An article says “the society he lives in strips its citizens not only of their freedom but of their very humanity” (Becnel). This passage suggests that without slavery and control in Oceania, we would not know of freedom. Orwell’s use of paradoxes helps the reader to understand the true meaning behind the slogan used in 1984.

I believe that Ayn rand was trying to tell us that people will blindly follow the people that are ahead of them in life. Some examples are when they started this new age of humanity they made sure that everyone was equal although some being more equal than others. Then they also completely got rid of some things like freedom, individualism, and the free use of electricity. Even though some people might not agree, Having a government that controls what you chose works because people who are scared and are not leaders can be led astray from what is right.

Have you ever read a book such as The Hunger Games, Twilight, or Harry Potter, and thought it would be amazing to live in those imaginary worlds, where magic and fairy tale creatures exists? Actually, a society just like the one in Ayn Rand’s book Anthem actually does exist among us today, but it definitely not one full of fairy tale creatures or magic, and it is nothing close to the life anyone would want to live. Ayn Rand, a “supporter of rational and ethical egoism (the idea that we should do what we think is right for our own self-interest and not for others)” (page 3), wrote the novel Anthem to give people insight on what the world might turn out to be if the government continues to control more and more of our life. It tells a tale of a world completely controlled by the government, where people can’t be considered a person, but instead a part of a whole. Nobody has any independence, any free thought, but worst of all, nobody can leave. This harsh government can be seen in a country in our

Anthem is a book that explores the difference between a communist type society and a completely free society. Within the story there are many questions that arise. Ayn Rand wrote Anthem in the shape of an onion. Whole at first, but once dissected it exposes many layers. It is possible to skim through the story and take it as what it is. It is relatively easy to dissect the first layer to expose the moral questions to which Ayn Rand addresses. The more difficult task is going beyond what she makes us question to see the full spectrum of social questions. A very smart person told me to examine not only what is looked at, but more importantly what isn’t looked at. I hope to touch on some of Rand’s theories that have been of debate much before her time lasting since the dawn of politics. This book is a great portent of what is to come when we strive to create a utopia.

Believing in yourself and the things you can do is what sets you apart from the others surrounding you. In a world of dystopian collectivism, rules and regulations have turned life negative for generations upon generations of people. The perfect world that they have created has begun to crack. Ayn Rand believed that collectivism was not beneficial to this dystopian life and showed her reasonings through the character Equality 7-2521, the exclusion of the word “I”, and fear.

War Is Peace. Freedom Is Slavery. Ignorance Is Strength. The government slogan illustrates the sense of stringency that characterizes the world created by George Orwell. The vast power of the Oceanian government kept their people in constant paranoia through perpetual publicity, mangled violence and persistent manipulation in order to keep their world regulated as much as possible. The scene in the Novel 1984 is positioned in the expansive nation of Oceania, a realm of the future that replicates London. It is a totalitarian state that is dictated by an perplexing figure named Big Brother, who may not even exist. The government of this world is prevailed by the group of the Inner Party, and use their dominance by inhibiting everything

1984 by George Orwell is an extremely negative outlook on a futuristic, seemingly utopian society. People inhabiting the land of Oceania are enslaved to the government, most without even realizing it. The Party uses its many members to enforce its methods of control on the population. While a bit extreme, Orwell was attempting to warn people about the dangers of totalitarianism.

     War is Peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. These are the beliefs that the citizens of Oceania, in the novel titled 1984, written by George Orwell, live by. In this novel, Oceania, one of the three remaining world super powers, is a totalitarian, a society headed by 'Big Brother' and his regime, known as the ministries of Truth, Love, and Peace. A totalitarian government is defined as a government characterized by a political authority which exercises absolute and centralized control, and in which the state regulates every realm of life. This is the type of world that the citizens of Oceania must live in, ruled by fear and under force every day. The names of the different ministries for example,

Paradox in Orwell’s 1984 novel emphasizes the contradictions of the legal institutions more than in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. The usage of irony to show the cruelty behind the words of the Party slogan, “WAR IS PEACE FREEDOM IS SLAVERY IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.” (Orwell 4). Orwell uses antonyms to show the reader in this slogan the contradiction in its own words. Irony is crucial to understand why Orwell’s use of paradox in 1984 is superior to explain the reversed roles of the institutions on punishment than Measure for Measure. Both authors describe contradictions on the role of the legal institutions through the main characters’ experiences. Once we see that the laws are in contradiction through the actions of those in power, and then we can understand the importance of how each author writes about both events before and after paradox. By using oxymoron, we will see that it is the paradox emphasizing the contradiction of the institution rather than the punishment.

For all of history there has existed the struggle between the strong and the weak. The establishment of government gives the power to a particular group to decide the amount of freedom the majority is allowed, however, though not ideal it provides necessary order. The benefits of security that limitations on freedom provides must be balanced with the individual's pursuit of happiness for citizens to be content. To prevent the governed majority from destabilizing the rulers and seeking power, the government will oppress political and personal freedom of thought. In result, the majority will live under the illusion of contentment and not wish to revolt; those enlightened to the idea that the government should be ruled by the governed, would associate happiness only with ignorance and consequently seek freedom.