Ignorance is Strength

The book, 1984 by George Orwell, was analyzed as the author’s interpretation of his view of the future. George Orwell illustrates his views on the world and what he thinks the world would become. The author connects his lifetime and ours to the future. There are many hidden ironies and slogans throughout the novel. One of the slogans was, “Ignorance is Strength.” The book interprets what this means and I have a view on the meaning as well. This is how I reflected on this literary work.

In the novel the slogan, “Ignorance is Strength” is an ironic statement. The author gives the meaning that in a government (mainly communist), if the society is ignorant enough to believe anything someone says, that leaves a door open for the authority to have strength and manipulate the ignorant. People that don’t think for themselves are part of the reason Big Brother was able to reign so corruptly. The only reason Big Brother was able to destroy the past and create his own was only because people were ignorant enough to believe him. If the people had the knowledge and understood how wrong Big Brother was for Oceania, they wouldn’t let him rule the nation. The people were blinded by ignorance thus, giving strength to Big Brother.

My view of the slogan, “Ignorance is Strength” is quite similar to the meaning Orwell analyzed. Children are ignorant. Ignorant being defined as, the lack of general knowledge. Children do not know some things that adults know. Because children are not aware of some things that adults know, some adults manipulate them. For example, adults tell them things that are not true and they believe them because they are ignorant. A child questioning where babies come from can get an answer referring them to storks. The adults know good and well that babies do not come from storks but because children are ignorant to that fact, they tend to believe what they are told. Adults do not say these things to be mean, most of the time; the adult feels that they are protecting the child from learning something that might disturb them in life. This is how Big Brother feels with the knowledge he allows the citizens to have.

 Overall, the novel, 1984 by George Orwell was clearly written and very well-perceived as the author’s prediction of the future. I think the author was clever because of the way he input so much irony that had such a deeper meaning that most would surface. He also included slogans such as, “Ignorance is Strength,” which is a great form of irony. The slogan had many different perceptions by many people. This is how I reflected on this literary piece.