BentTruth:Couldeverythingweknowbealie?

Thenovel
1984
waswrittenbyGeorgeOrwell,Englishwriterin1949.Thenovelisone
ofthemostfamousdystopianfictionsinliterature.
1984
becameverypopularbecauseof
Orwell'suseofcontradictionsandallusionsintherealworld.Thenovelfocusesonthelife
journeyofmaincharacterWinstonSmith.HeisamemberoftheOuterParty,whosegoalisto
rebelagainstthetotalitarianstateinwhichhelivesin.InOceania,therearefourmainpowers
whogovernthecountry.TheMinistryofLove,Peace,PlentyandTruth.Theministriesare
contradictionsthemselves,sincetheydotheoppositeofwhattheystandfor,anditworks
effectiblebecausethecitizensaretooblindtoquestionanythingthepartydoes.
OrwellusescontradictionsinThefourMinistries,sinceeventhenamesforeachare
misnomersforthem.TheMinistryofLovesmainpurposeistoenforceloyaltyandloveforBig
Brotherbutitcontradictsitself,sinceitsthemostpowerfulatcontrollingthewillofthe
population.WhenWinstonwasarrestedhewastakentotheMinistryofLovetobecured.In
BookIII,chapter3O'brientellsWinston
Wehavebeatenyou,Winston.Wehavebrokenyouup.
Youhavebeenkickedandfloggedandinsulted,youhavescreamedwithpain,youhaverolledon
thefloorinyourownbloodandvomit.Canyouthinkofasingledegradationthathasnot
happentoyou?
(283).

Theyareresponsibleforthepracticeandinflictionofmisery,fearand
sufferingtoitsprisoners.Theytorturethemuntiltheyreachtheirpurpose.Theyalsocontain
Room101,whichcontainsallcitizensgreatestfears.TheMinistryofPlentyisinchargeof
Oceaniaseconomy.Itrationsthefood,suppliesandgoodsthatthepeopleconsume.Butin
reality,theyareresponsibleforcreatingastateofpovertyamongcitizens.InBookI,ChapterII

afterannouncingagloriouswinninginSouthIndia,therewasanannouncementfromthe
telescreen,
BadnewscomingthoughtWinston...cametheannouncementthat,asfromnextweek,
thechocolaterationwouldbereducedfrom30gramsto20grams(26).
Theydothisbecause
theybelieveitiseasiertoruleacountrywithweakandpoorpeople.Theyalsoreducethethings
giventothepeople,inorderfortheinnerpartytohavebetterfoodandsupplies.TheMinistryof
Peaceservesastheoppositeofitsname,sincetheyareinchargeofmaintainingastateofwarin
Oceania.ThemostcontradictoryofallisTheMinistryofTruth.Everythingtheydoisalie.They
aretheoneswhofalsificatefilesofhistoricaleventsandrewritethepastinorderforBigBrother
tocontrolthefuture.
HowcansomethingcontradictoryworkinOceania?ThepopulationinOceaniais
cluelessaboutthetrueintentionsoftheparty.Thepartymembersarebrainwashedtobelievethat
whatBigBrotherdoesisforthegreatergood.Sincethekidsareverysmall,theyaretaughthow
greatBigBrother.Theygrowupwithonlyoneidea.TheMinistryofTruthcontinuestochange
history,sothatnobodycouldeverknowanydifferentfromwhattheyaretold.TheMinistryof
Plentymainpurposeistoconvincethepeoplethattheyareacountryfullofprosperityand
sufficientsupplies.ThatPropagandablindsthepeopletoactuallyseethattheyaredoingthe
opposite.Theywantthepeopletobepoorandweak.TheMinistryofPeaceisjustlikethe
MinistryofPlenty.Theypromoteonethinganddoanother.Peoplebelievethattheyarebeing
protectedandthatOceaniaisapeacefulcountry.Theyarecluelessthattheyaretheonecreating
wartohavethemsuppressed.TheMinistryofLoveistheonethatusesmoremanipulationthan
all.Theyusefearandtorturetohavepeoplesubmitted.Theyknoweveryonesbiggestfearand
theyuseitagainstthemforcontrol.

Orwells1984wasaveryfuturisticbook.Hepredictedmanythingsthatwouldhappenin
thefutureliketherisingpoweroftechnologyandsurveillance.Inpresentday,wecouldseealot
ofconnectionsbetweenthebookssocietyandours.Eventhoughtherearenoministriesyetin
theU.S,wecouldstillconnectittoeventsandorganizationsinourcountry.TheMinistryof
PeaceisverysimilartotheDefenseDepartmentoftheU.S,sincetheyareinchargeofprotecting
thecountry.ItcouldbereflectedinthefactthattheU.ShasbeeninaperpetualwarsinceWWII.
ItsbeeninawarwithKorea,VietnamandIraq.TheMinistryofTruthcouldbeportrayedinthe
mediatoday.Themediaiscontrolledbygovernment.Theycontrolwhatweseeandwhatwe
knowaboutwhatisgoingonintheworldtoday.