Transcript 1984: Chapter 9

1984: Chapter 9
The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism
by
Emmanuel Goldstein
Goldstein’s Book: Why is it important?
The book is a manifesto for the Party’s ideology.
Overall, Goldstein discusses how the different
countries merged or separated and major
underlying themes of the government:
 Classism
 Necessary Ignorance
 Poverty
 Warfare
Chapter 1: Ignorance is Strength
Classism
 According to Goldstein, there is and always
will be a class struggle. Societies are and
always will be hierarchically divided.
 There is a structure for this class struggle and
it is consistent throughout history and the
present.
Chapter 1: Ignorance is Strength
Society is structured in the following way:
 The High
o Goal: “Remain where they are.”
The Middle
o Goal: “Change places with the high.”
The Low
o Goal: “Abolish all distinctions and create a
society in which all men should be equal.”
o (when they have the notion of anything outside
their lives.)
Chapter 1: Ignorance is Strength
The Inner Party is the
minority, yet they hold all the
power. Fear and
manipulation are used to
keep those beneath in place.
Propaganda creates
ignorance, and ignorance
means your thoughts are not
your own.
Chapter 1: Ignorance is Strength
The High: Inner Party
 Meant to be obeyed
o Big Brother
The Middle: Outer Party
 Execute the rules laid down by the Inner Party
o Administration
The Low: Proles
 Do all of the work
o With a smile
Chapter 1: Ignorance is Strength
How does the Inner Party keep their power?
Through ignorance!
Crimestop
 The discipline of simply “stopping” any
dangerous thought (like hating Big Brother)
 “Protective Stupidity”
Chapter 1: Ignorance is Strength
Blackwhite
 To any enemy: contradiction of plain facts
o You’re wrong because you’re an enemy
 To a Party member: If the Party says it is, it
is (“… loyal willingness to say black is
white.”)
o Even if you know it’s wrong! Party rules!
Chapter 1: Ignorance is Strength
Doublethink
 “A continuous alteration of the past”
 In order to keep everything in line, we have
to change our past.
You let go of unimportant facts, believe lies
when you just learned they weren’t right, and
overall contradict basic facts
o Again, ignorance is bliss for the Party
Chapter 3: War is Peace
In this chapter, Winston learns about “the
real war” being waged in Oceania. He also
learns how the world is divided into different
states that are “constantly at war.”
But are they really at war?
Chapter 3: War is Peace
We have to ask: why is Oceania at war?
There is no reason.
Each of these states are totalitarian and have
no reason to fight each other. But if the
people knew that, they’d have a reason to
question their government.
Chapter 3: War is Peace
War is internal
 The Party controls labor and production of
goods in order to maintain the hierarchical
structure of society.
 “War is a way of shattering…materials which
might otherwise be used to make the
masses too comfortable…to intelligent.”
Chapter 3: War is Peace
Remember: Ignorance is strength. Don’t let
the Proles know!
Constant war for the majority of society
means constant peace for the comfort of the
minority in charge.
The Manifesto: What do we learn?
Winston remarks that he understands the
“how”, but not the “why”?
What does this mean?