Doublethink In 1984 By George Orwell

When he published his final masterpiece, 1984, Orwell sent a warning to the entire global community about the dangers of not only the totalitarian regime but also the beliefs that emerge out of such a government. When Orwell began to write this novel in 1948, the world was experiencing a post-war tension. After World War II ends in 1945, Western Europe and Asia were torn by ruthless battles and catastrophic wars. As a result, two major powers emerged: the United States and the Soviet Union. These two nations represent two contrasting beliefs and ideals: The U.S. stands for freedom, democracy, and liberty while the Soviet Union stands for oppression, communism, and absolute control by the government. Despite being a socialist, Orwell values
When Winston thought about the Party’s claim that Oceania had never been in alliance with Eurasia, “he, Winston Smith, knows that Oceania had been in alliance with Eurasia as short a time as four years ago” (30). During this time, Winston cannot embrace the idea of “doublethink” because his logic and common sense would not allow it. If Oceania was allied to Eurasia four years ago, Winston cannot accept that Oceania was also not allied with Eurasia four years ago because these two statements are clearly contradictory. Thus, the government cannot fully control Winston’s thought because he has the ability to think for himself and can separate truths from lies. However, after Winston undergoes brainwashing treatments at the Ministry of Love, “he accepted everything...Oceania was at war with Eastasia. Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia” (248). By ignoring the memories that he has, Winston learns how to “doublethink”. He can now fully accepts what the government claims while disregarding any previous memories that contradicts the current stance of the government. Through tortures and coercion, the government successfully manipulates and converts Winston to its cause. This successful psychological manipulation demonstrates how powerful a totalitarian government can be when given enough time and power to take roots into the foundation of a society. Furthermore, if a totalitarian government can not only change the people physically but also psychologically, it would have control over the thoughts and actions of every individual. Ultimately, the entire population will lose the freedom of thoughts and became mere tools and objects for the totalitarian regime to use at the people’s expense. Therefore, Orwell warns against a manipulative government which has complete control of