Video 1: “God is Power”
The video “God is Power” raises a very important and deliberate question: if Oceania in Nineteen Eighty-Four is an atheistic and totalitarian state where religion has no official place, why does the word “God” appear in the novel at all? The society of Oceania does not allow religious worship, prayer, or spiritual belief. Yet, the word “God” appears around eight times in the text, especially in Part III during Winston’s imprisonment and torture. This is not accidental. Orwell introduces the idea of God in order to show how political power replaces religious authority. The novel suggests that even when religion disappears, the structure of religion remains — only the object of worship changes.
Context of the Phrase “God is Power”
The phrase “God is Power” appears twice in the novel. First, it is spoken by O’Brien while he is torturing Winston. Later, after Winston has been mentally broken and reconditioned, he himself writes the phrase. This shift is very significant. When O’Brien declares that “We are the priests of power,” he is redefining the concept of divinity. In traditional religion, priests serve God. In Oceania, the Inner Party serves power. Here, power itself becomes sacred. The Party does not merely rule; it demands worship, obedience, love, and faith — just like a religious system.
Meaning of “God is Power”
In religious belief, God is understood as omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipresent (everywhere). In Oceania, the Party possesses these same qualities. Big Brother watches everyone through telescreens, the Party rewrites history, and it controls reality itself. O’Brien makes it clear that power is not a means to an end; power is the end. Power exists for its own sake. Therefore, when he says “God is Power,” he means that power has taken the position of ultimate authority. There is no truth outside the Party. There is no morality beyond its ideology. Just as God in theology defines reality, the Party defines reality in Oceania.
Winston’s Resistance and Final Submission
At the beginning of his interrogation, Winston does not believe in God. When O’Brien asks him if he believes in God, Winston answers no. He does not expect divine intervention or salvation. Instead, he believes in something else — the indomitable spirit of humanity. He hopes that the rebellious and revolutionary nature of human beings will one day defeat tyranny. However, the Party’s goal is not only to punish Winston physically but to conquer his mind. After torture in Room 101, Winston writes: “Freedom is Slavery,” “2 + 2 = 5,” and finally, “God is Power.” This final statement marks the destruction of his individuality. He no longer believes in human spirit or objective truth. He now accepts that power is absolute and sacred.
The Religious Structure of the Party
Although Oceania claims to reject religion, it functions like a religious system. Big Brother replaces God. The Two Minutes Hate replaces prayer. Thoughtcrime replaces sin. Confession during interrogation replaces religious confession. The Inner Party functions like a priesthood. Even the language of “worship” is used in connection with loyalty to Big Brother. The Party does not eliminate faith; it redirects faith toward political authority. The emotional energy that once belonged to religion is now invested in the Party. This shows that totalitarianism often imitates religious structures in order to maintain control.
Orwell’s Warning About Power
George Orwell was deeply critical of authoritarian systems, whether political or religious. In Nineteen Eighty-Four, he is not simply attacking religion itself; rather, he is exposing how any institution that becomes absolute and unquestionable can become dangerous. When power is treated as sacred, resistance becomes heresy. When authority becomes divine, truth disappears. The phrase “God is Power” therefore reflects the novel’s larger warning: absolute power corrupts absolutely, and when political authority takes the place of God, humanity itself is destroyed.
The phrase “God is Power” represents the core ideology of Oceania. It signifies that power is the ultimate source of truth, morality, and reality. By equating God with power, Orwell demonstrates how totalitarian regimes replace spiritual belief with political worship. The novel ultimately warns readers that when a state demands not only obedience but love and faith, it has become a pseudo-religious system. In such a system, individuality, freedom, and truth cannot survive.
Video 2: Critique of Religion
The video argues that although Nineteen Eighty-Four is usually read as a political satire, it can also be interpreted as a critique of organized religion, particularly Catholicism. The speaker highlights several parallels between the Party’s structure and religious systems. Big Brother functions like a god-figure who is always “watching,” similar to the religious belief in an all-seeing God. The Inner Party acts like a priesthood, and O’Brien’s statement that “we are the priests of power” suggests that power itself has replaced God.
The video also compares political confessions in the novel with Catholic confession. Winston’s torture in the Ministry of Love resembles a process of penance and purification, where suffering leads to forced repentance and final “conversion” — shown when he says, “I love Big Brother.” Room 101 is compared to a symbolic hell, a space of fear meant to cleanse and transform the sinner.
The speaker further connects this interpretation with George Orwell’s personal criticism of organized Christianity. Orwell, especially after the Spanish Civil War, viewed the Church as authoritarian and politically aligned with fascism. Therefore, the novel not only criticizes totalitarian politics but also warns against any system — religious or political — that demands blind obedience and worship of power.
1984: The Party as a Religious Satire
This infographic illustrates how Nineteen Eighty-Four can be read not only as a political satire but also as a critique of religious structures. It highlights parallels between the Party and organized religion — Big Brother as a god-figure, the Inner Party as a priesthood, confession and torture as sacramental penance, Room 101 as a symbolic inferno, and the doctrine “God is Power” replacing traditional divinity with absolute political authority.
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