1984 1

    With its slogans, the party seems to be trying to increase its influence over the people. War is peace could mean that a time when one is not at war with the enemies of the state, one is never at peace because of threats and dangers from an unoccupied enemy. Freedom is slavery could mean that when one is truly free from rule, one is also leading a meaningless existence with only survival to occupy oneself with, becoming a slave to your own needs. Ignorance is strength could mean that the less one knows, the better a tool they become. Each slogan, while I would consider them completely false at first glance, have some truth to them when looked at from various points of view. While still important to Oceania's philosophy, the first two slogans I would consider less important as propaganda. An authoritarian fascist state would have to keep their population in check, and the more ignorant and carefree they are, the easier they are to control and manipulate. At some point, the children of Oceania would grow old and have children of their own. As it has been shown in the book, children are the biggest slogan swallowers in the country, and once they raise children of their own, they will likely engross them even more in the party's slogans and propaganda. This would eventually give the party an iron grip upon the populace, making the country much stronger in the process.