The primary theme in 1984 is obviously the despotic power of an over-powerful state. The belief that one single authority will always tend toward being corrupt and violent is woven throughout the novel. The other main theme is the idea that access to knowledge is access to power. Throughout the novel, the main conflict is over who gets to speak the truth of history, right and wrong, and even basic reality. It turns out that knowledge is power in this novel and this gives us something to think about for life more generally. Who decides the truth of history and our identities has power.
Might makes right in 1984 and we are invited to question this idea. The Party ultimately wins in the end, but the morality of the victory is compromised on every level. The brutality and ruthlessness of the Party wins out, but they are not “right.” The ending of the novel is profoundly disturbing and this questions the idea that might makes right.
