Chapter Summary

Chapter IX Part II
Pages 186 – 227
Summary
· Oceania is no longer at war with Eastasia but with Eurasia.
· Winston is given the Goldstein book during the confusion of Hate Week.
· The Ministry of Truth has to rewrite 5 years of history due to change over in war. Members work 18 hours with two 3 hour naps. This rewrite of history takes 6 whole days of solid work by the Ministry of Truth.
· Winston begins reading the Goldstein book after six days of having it in his possession. Explanation of the Party’s policy is laid out.
· Ignorance is Strength – Class division has always existed as three classes. High, Middle and Low class. The High generally have power in society. The Middle seek to switch places with the High, and the Low are generally too depressed to worry about anything. Through history, the Middle have enlisted the Low to help them overthrow the High and then thrust the Low back to where they were. Ingsoc has effectively frozen history at a certain point ensuring that the High stay in power permanently. In this instance the Inner party will forever have power within society. Newspeak was invented to stop people from truly expressing themselves. This in turn stops them from thinking as individuals and questioning authoritative positions in the society. Also through the use o the Though Police, people who even think about opposing the Inner Party can be dealt with quickly and removed before having a further influence on others within society.
· War is Peace – The nature of war is completely changed. By utilising the principle of continual war, all three super-states can “use up the products of the machine without raising the general standard of living”. A continual general increase in wealth would threaten the existence of a hierarchical society. So excess goods of consumption are used for the purpose of this continual war in which such goods can be destroyed, while keeping enough goods to maintain the basics needs of the population.
Free indirect discourse is used, 3rd person narration, of the Goldstein book especially, gives the effect that it is of unbiased opinion due to distancing effect. Makes it seem more ideological than opinionated doctrine.
Non-linear time sequence, i.e. flashbacks, gives the feeling that much time has passed. Makes time seem more drawn out. Helps us to empathise with Winston and understand how long his week has been.
A serious tone is adopted when Winston begins reading the Goldstein book. This is a contrasting tone to the more fearful one used in the rest of the book. This helps place importance upon the Goldstein book.



Concerns in Text
Abuse of power, control of individuality – by removing the individuality of those in the lower classes the Inner Party remains in power and control.
Truth and Propaganda – the Ministry of Truth is not concerned with the “Truth” at all, rather it changes the facts of history to suit its own purposes and the purposes of the Party.
Rigid class system – Maintenance of the hierarchical system by the Inner Party, to remain in power, and preventing others from moving up the hierarchy.
Suppression of Rebellion, freedom of speech – By controlling language, through the use of Newspeak, the individual’s ability to express opinions is restricted. Also thought police are used to swiftly remove anyone who is thinking or in the act of rebelling against the higher classes especially the Inner Party.

Contextual Links
The Stalin Regime/Stalinism – maintaining power through restricting freedom and suppressing rebellion. Murder of the masses, people going missing during the night. The control over historical information, and rewriting such to create “truths” which agree with certain points of view.
English Socialism – Ingsoc is a perverted version of such, with conflicting views of socialism. Where socialism is meant to bring equality, Ingsoc creates greater barriers between classes, magnifying class division. Using doublethink to reject socialism in the name of socialism.
Entrenched class system within Great Britain – most people were unable to break free from the class divisions within the society due to the great depression.

Miscellaneous
The nature of war as changed to be continuous – the war on terror today has become a continual war, in a sense is also used for the consumption of excess goods.
The recent economic crisis has made the rich richer and the poor poorer, further entrenching our social class divisions, making it harder for people to move up the socio-economic hierarchy.