I think that was the point, the book challenges the idea that there even is a war going on multiple times. But whether there is a war going on, or not, is ultimately irrelevant to the context of the book.
I would go a step further and say that “Oceania” doesn’t exist and is only Airstrip One. They are isolated from the rest of the world and terrorized by the government into believing that they are fighting an endless war.
Both Julia and O’Brien have multiple lines that essentially confirm the idea that the war is fake too. For example Julia states that the missiles hitting London are probably fired by the government itself, as they always hit the Prole districts and after decades of bombing the rich sections are virtually untouched. None of the Proles are ever drafted either, and there is no mention of veterans, dead soldiers, widows, or any sort of conscription; all despite the war being decades long at that point.
Then there’s one very suspicious line from O’Brien where he states, “Our surgeons can alter people beyond recognition. Sometimes it is necessary.” Now remember back to how they describe the POW’s that are always being marched through London. Winston describes them as all Mongoloid, which is bizarre because there are no mention of white Europeans, black people, or any other race for that matter, despite the whole world being at war. They are mutilating the thought criminals and marching them through the streets as POWs.
I think that was the point, the book challenges the idea that there even is a war going on multiple times. But whether there is a war going on, or not, is ultimately irrelevant to the context of the book.
I would go a step further and say that “Oceania” doesn’t exist and is only Airstrip One. They are isolated from the rest of the world and terrorized by the government into believing that they are fighting an endless war.
Both Julia and O’Brien have multiple lines that essentially confirm the idea that the war is fake too. For example Julia states that the missiles hitting London are probably fired by the government itself, as they always hit the Prole districts and after decades of bombing the rich sections are virtually untouched. None of the Proles are ever drafted either, and there is no mention of veterans, dead soldiers, widows, or any sort of conscription; all despite the war being decades long at that point.
Then there’s one very suspicious line from O’Brien where he states, “Our surgeons can alter people beyond recognition. Sometimes it is necessary.” Now remember back to how they describe the POW’s that are always being marched through London. Winston describes them as all Mongoloid, which is bizarre because there are no mention of white Europeans, black people, or any other race for that matter, despite the whole world being at war. They are mutilating the thought criminals and marching them through the streets as POWs.