Examples Of Propaganda In 1984 By George Orwell

Orwell Essay

In George Orwell’s Novel 1984,there is a dystopian country named Oceania ruled by an group of people known as “The party.” and citizens of the inner and outer party of the country abide by the party’s beliefs and rules,also known as INGSOC. Most notably is how the party manages to maintain power over Oceania.The party maintains power by using propaganda, reducing their country’s language, and teaching children and women to be loyal only to them.
One common form of propaganda that appears in 1984 are slogans . For example, “WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.” These slogans may seem ironic because it is making a comparison between two different things but it does tell citizens under the party, they live happier

lives. To explain, if people did have freedom from the Oceanian government, would they would be happy? They would not be happy because freedom is slavery. If they were free, they would be unhappy and not live the way they do.The citizens of Oceania are made to believe that they live happier lives under the party’s government with double think. Basically, double think is the acceptance of contrary opinions or beliefs at the same time, especially as a result of political indoctrination.Double think is shown in 1984.For example,“ there would be no reduction of the chocolate ration. Actually, as Winston was aware, the chocolate ration was to be reduced...Yes, they swallowed it.”(pg.50) Notice that the citizens were not aware of the reduction as a result of double think .Here, the government uses a lie to convince its citizens that they have more of everything (such as chocolate).The citizens do not think that chocolate rations were reduced but instead have the same amount as before. As a result, the citizens are happier even if they know whether or not there is a reduction . This also shows one of the other principles of the slogan,”IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH”. This belief gives people strength, since they believe that they already have everything they would want and are confident with the party’s government. In all, the party uses this slogan to control the minds of the citizens to believe that anything other than their INGSOC government would not make them happy. This way, the citizens will not consider rebellion because they believe that the Party’s way of government, is the only good way of government. 
Aside from use of propaganda, the party also constantly reduces their country’s language to control the people they rule.

The language of Oceania is Newspeak, a version of the English language that has been deliberately cut down in order to enforce the power of the party. Syme(one of the writers for Newspeak)said “that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought. In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it.” From this quote ,it’s possible to conclude that the party is removing alternative words for things so that there are fewer words for each situation. Therefore, it makes critical thinking impossible, as people can't imagine any alternative word for a certain situation, so they are less likely to rebel. Alternative ways of thinking against the party’s beliefs ,also called “thoughtcrimes”,are the things that the party doesn’t want.By doing this ,the party could gain complete control over people's thoughts, so that the repression of people is complete and resistance to the party is futile. From this, the party’s probably believes that if a people's language is controlled,then they could directly control their thoughts, and then keep them enslaved to the state, because if they take away the language with which people construct rebellious thoughts, they could wipe out those thoughts altogether.So, the party maintains power by implementing a reduced

language.
The final way in which the party maintains power is by making people only loyal to their government and beliefs. One of the ways they do this is by preventing the relationships between people such as love and family. To do this, they make the people only loyal to the party and no one else.For example, even the children in the plot are even loyal to the party to the point where they would sell out their parents.For example,Winston said it as a observation “hardly a week passed in which ‘The Times’ did not carry a paragraph describing how some eavesdropping little sneak —‘child hero’ was the phrase generally used — had overheard some compromising remark and denounced its parents to the Thought Police.”By encouraging such behavior, the party can maintain power when people are loyal to them and at the same time, look for those who go against the party principles.From What Winston said,its possible to say that the practice is common and widespread .In addition, the children are even rewarded for this practice.This practice was even used on one of his other acquaintances, Mr.Parsons,who fell victim to his children when he said”down with big brother.” With no one love except for the government, the children could send their parents to MiniLuv if they felt like if their parents hated the government.By preventing relationships between people, the government can maintain power and get rid of those who go against it’s beliefs.However,there is another relationship they try to control is love.
In regards to love, the Party attempts to remove love and especially eroticism from sex.Sex was to be undertaken only with the purpose of creating children to serve the Party. As said by Goldstien,” The aim of the Party was not merely to prevent men and women from forming loyalties which it might not be able to control. Its real, undeclared purpose was to remove all pleasure from the sexual act....Sexual intercourse was to be looked on as a slightly disgusting minor operation, like having an enema.” By teaching people that the purpose of sex was for children not for love, the party can remove attachments between peoples.How? If one person has absolutely no love to the person he or she is allowed to marry, there is no chance that he or she would care more about that person than the party, which would create a conflict. And if there is no actual love between the people, Then he or should also be more willing to monitor that person and turn them in should they were to commit”thought crime”
In conclusion ,the party maintains power by using various forms of propaganda,reducing the language the country loses, and preventing relationships. Propaganda is often used a method by the party to tell its citizens that they are already living a good life, so they need not rebel or they lose the good life they are living.Reducing language is used as a method to reduce the thought rebellion the citizens may have.The party also prevents relationships from occurring so that people are only loyal to them.