Government

Governments change overtime, as they should. People change, cultures change, ideals change and it is the governments job to evolve along with them. How the governments change vary. Some, like 1984, gain more power as time passes, moving towards the ultimate goal of complete power. In order to keep the government the way they want it they must control every aspect of the people's lives. They wish to control what they see, what they think, what they do. Anybody who thinks freely or acts freely or does something other than the governments ideal would be seen as a threat. They inspire fear in the people in order to scare them into doing things that will benefit the government.

Double Think

They way O'Brien uses double think reminds me of many religios people. They think that anything they believe is true no matter what any other evidence says. If you believe something to be true, then it is true for you and that is all that matters. The lines between reality and fiction are blurred so that you can hold on to your own beliefs. Of course, anybody that doesn't hold the same beliefs this that this is completely ridiculous.

The Party uses double think to their advantage. They convince people to believe things that obviously aren't true. They make people forget about the past wars or anybody who has ever been vaporized. They make people accept a lifestyle that they wouldn't never live if they hadn't been brainwashed.

Winston begins to see past double think. He begins to do thinks members of the Party "shouldn't" do according to the Party standards. Of course, these are things that the inner Party members have access to. Once Winston is caught he is tortured until he is forced to follow the double think thought process.