Winston’s job at the Ministry of Truth is to change
newspapers so the Party’s predictions are never wrong and Big Brother is always
right. The original piece of writing is destroyed, except for one copy that is
kept in the Records Department. However, since there is only one existing
original copy, there is nothing to confirm the information. The only thing that
can confirm the original information is memory, which most citizens seem to
lack. Whenever the Party presents information, it is blindly accepted by the
population. Winston wonders how people can accept such blatantly contradicting
facts.
This is the
point that Orwell is trying to make about society. It angers him that the
people are so willing to blindly follow whatever the ruler says. Orwell wants
people to think for themselves and think logically about events.
There is
also a long conversation between Winston and Syme, who is an expert on
Newspeak. Syme tells Winston that one day, Newspeak will not possess any words
that have to do with freedom, rebellion, or revolution. Once these words are
out of the vocabulary, rebellion will not be a concept, making people
completely unable to even possess thoughts about revolution. Orwell is warning
the population of what will happen if the totalitarian dictators are not
stopped. He believes that one day, the totalitarian governments will be so
suppressive that freedom won’t even be a concept. Orwell fears this day and is
trying to warn everyone to take action.
In
Winston’s work at the ministry, he can also create fictional people for Big
Brother to commemorate. Winston finds it interesting that these imaginary
people are respected more in death than actual people who have disappeared.
Orwell dislikes this disregard for human life, and that once someone has
disappeared, their disappearance is not even questioned.
Reading
this book in present day society, Orwell warns the readers against submitting
to totalitarian rule, and not to take our basic rights for granted.
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