George Orwell 1984 Rhetorical Analysis

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“1984” is a novel written by George Orwell. It contains many paradoxes which are all very important to the theme and society of the book. Although some may believe that the most central paradox in Orwell’s 1984 is the ministry of love, it is clearly the ministry of truth as evidenced by the changing of history and posting of the slogans. To help understand how the ministry of truth is the central paradox of all of 1984, it must be defined. Orwell describes the building of the ministry of truth, “It was an enormous pyramidal structure of glittering white concrete, soaring up, terrace after terrace, three hundred meters into the air...picked out on its white face in elegant lettering, the three slogans of the party: WAR IS PEACE FREEDOM IS …show more content…
This ministry is also described by Orwell “ The ministry of love was the really frightening one.There were no windows in it at all...It was a place impossible to enter except on official business, and then only by penetrating through a maze of marbles wire entanglements, steel doors, and hidden machine gun nets” (Orwell 4). The description of the building is the complete opposite of the ministry’s name, but that is not the only contradiction. The ministry of love deals with all of the fear, misery, and torture in Oceania. The thought police, people meant to suppress any thoughts or ideas that may deviate from big brother’s ideas, come from the ministry of love. Without the ministry of love, there would be no thought police to punish citizens and maintain law, meaning citizens can think what they please. That would indeed change the society of 1984, but it is not as important as the ministry of truth. Without the ministry of truth destroying and altering the past, the people of Oceania would understand rebellion and understand the wars, and maybe there could be a chance for revolution, considering the proles make up almost 90% of Oceania population. So, the ministry of truth is still the central paradox of 1984.
In conclusion, although some may believe that the most central paradox in Orwell’s 1984 is the ministry of love, it is clearly the ministry of truth as evidenced by the changing of history and controlling the citizens to believe everything they change is true. Without the ministry of truth altering history, the society in 1984 would no longer be as it