War is Peace Examples

The slogan "war is peace" is from George Orwell's novel 1984. It appears near the beginning of the book, as part of a three-line slogan printed on a pyramid outside of the Ministry of Truth. These lines are the motto of the nation:

War is peace,
Freedom is slavery,
Ignorance is strength.

All of these lines are contradictory, and are examples of "doublethink" which is prevalent throughout the novel. The novel satirizes the role of government in the lives of citizens, and the government, or the "Party," in the novel consistently deals in doublethink to keep citizens subservient.

"War is peace" refers to the idea that sometimes, to preserve the peace, wars must be fought. The Ministry of Peace actually oversees war in the fictional society of Oceania. In addition, during the novel, there is a war going on that helps the citizens of Oceania remain united and devoted to their country. What is ironic, however, is that in actuality, there is no war. The war that citizens believe is being fought in a distant land is a myth perpetuated by the Party. While the reader may also believe that war is necessary sometimes to keep the peace or preserve the rights of a people to remain free, the veracity of the slogan comes into question when the reader realizes that the war being fought in the novel is a myth.

The myth of war serves the Party's purposes to keep the peace. While the citizens are united in their support of the war-the war that is fought to preserve the peace-they are not focused on all of the ways in which the Party is stealing their freedoms and keeping them subservient at home. The war is a distraction to the citizens of Oceania. The war is also just one example of the propaganda used by the Party throughout the book. Their use of propaganda helps to create a culture of fear that keeps the citizens of Oceania dependent on the government.