Depiction of "Freedom is the Freedom to Say That 2 Plus 2 Make Four" in 1984

The Power of Language “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows” (81). This phrase, written by Winston Smith in George Orwell’s 1984, reflects the twisted truth that is manipulated by the government in his “Nation” of Oceania. In this dystopian future, the government seeks to control the thoughts and actuals of its citizens, leaving them incapable of challenging the government’s authority. In this society, there are three social classes. This society is composed of three classes. The Inner Party, which comprises approximately two percent of the population, serves and the elite ruling class. They act under the leadership of the “Big Brother,” the figurehead for their fascist regime. The …show more content…
The Ministry of Truth is responsible with altering all documents to match what the Big Brother claims is true, regardless of whether it is fact or not. By restricting and altering the media, the Ministry of Truth is able to shape public opinion, and one key example of this is the Two Minutes Hate. The Two Minutes Hate is a social event in which individual’s direct pent-up rage toward the image of Emanuel Goldstein, the enemy of the party. Often people join into a frenzied mob mentality, with “uncontrollable explanations of rage … breaking out from half the people in the room” (13). The goal of the two minutes hate was to direct people anger towards an external source, as well as unify people under a common belief. To smith, the most horrifying thing about the Two Minutes Hate was “not that one was obliged to act a part, but that it is impossible to avoid joining in” (14). The Two Minutes Hate serves its goal for the party by unifying individuals against a common figure, as well as directing all hatred away from the party. The other primary way that the Party shapes public thought is through the Ministry of Truth, where smith works. The Ministry of Love is tasked with altering official documents to match what Big Brother supposedly claimed, giving the party the illusion of accuracy and reliability. Through the Ministry of Truth, “every prediction made by the Party could be shown by …show more content…
The Ministry of Truth tells people what to believe, and as a result, controls what people think. The principles of the word “Doublethink” enable people to believe two contradictory beliefs and accept both as true, and as a result, manipulates public opinion. Finally, Newspeak robs language of meaning and leave people unable to have heretical thoughts, and as a result, controls the beliefs of society. 1984 paints the picture of a future stripped of meaning by the degradation of language and the manipulation of the media, and warns against the power of government as a weapon against original