Original artwork, not a still
Nineteen Eighty-Four (aka 1984)
The three slogans of the Party, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949)
War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Each slogan is a contradiction the Party insists its members accept, which is Orwell's picture of doublethink: believing two opposed things at once. Together they show a state that renames its violence, its control and its lies as virtues. The three phrases are now a stock way to point at political doublespeak.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Nineteen Eighty-Four (aka 1984)Show the scene
In the novel's first part, Winston Smith looks up at the Ministry of Truth, a white concrete pyramid in London that rises about 300 metres. On its face, in elegant lettering, are the three slogans of the Party. They are the ones named in the line: war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength. They sit on a building that rewrites the records, and Winston passes it every day. The Party's ministry of war is called the Ministry of Peace, which fits the first slogan.
Sources (2)
- Nineteen Eighty-Four (Wikiquote)Part One, description of the Ministry of TruthReference checked
- Ministry of Truth (Wikipedia)Description section; Ministry of Peace discussionReference checked
Context reviewed
