slogans!!

war is peace
freedom is slavery
ignorance is bliss

PLS EXPLAIN!!! :o

[Wanderer]

First things first: the third slogan should read "Ignorance is Strength"

The Party in 1984 holds power over the people by maintaining a class society, and by manipulating the truth. The more ignorant of the truth people are, the more power the Party gets. "Whoever controls the past controls the future, whoever controls the present controls the past." Hence "Ignorance is Strength". This also applies to the proles, where the proles' ignorance gives the Party more power.

To maintain a class society, certain supplies must be regulated. To consume excess supply, the Party has engaged in a never-ending war, ensuring never-ending power, or "peace" for the Party. Hence "War is Peace".

I'm not sure about "Freedom is Slavery". However I offer 2 interpretations: First, the proles are the ones who are free in the sense that they are not monitored by telescreens, yet the Party still enslaves them. Secondly, the Party members are educated or tortured until they freely accept the views of the Party, yet they are still slaves.

Lastly, Orwell deliberately used contradiction in the slogans to highlight the acceptance of doublethink in the society. He may also be justifying the use of Newspeak, since he is implying that "war" can be "peace", whereas the exact opposite of war should be "unwar".

[WinstonSmith]

If that comic doesn't explain it nothing will.

[Ninjai]

^ lmao
DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER!
*runs away from the thought police*
"Runs away from the thought police"

[DumbLikeAPoet]

Actually that comic does not explain it all. The implication that our government is Big Brother is pretty silly, in all honesty. The fact that you aren't being drug away and beaten until you accept the governments view is example enough that it isn't even close.

God Bless,
JonUs

[TexaninNihon]

I think that the slogans are extremely well explained in chapter 17, when he is reading the book of the Brotherhood. I read chapter 17 last night and it was incredible.