Title: Two Minutes Hate 1984 - eNotes.com
Headings: Two Minutes Hate 1984
1984
Two Minutes Hate 1984
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Content: Although Winston does not believe all the lies about Goldstein and is not even sure that he exists, he finds that he does not need to pretend to hate the figure on the telescreen. After about thirty seconds, he feels a sense of passionate hatred for the figure on the screen and the words he hears, and he joins unaffectedly with the other Party members in their frenzy of hatred. The Party is therefore able to promote orthodoxy and cohesion at the same time. Last Updated by eNotes Editorial on November 30, 2020
marilynn07
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The Two Minutes Hate is a ritual observance that is designed to use the collective rage of the people against supposed "enemies of the Party" to strengthen the Party's position among the people. The ritual serves to unify the people in the observance of the ritual. The Two Minutes Hate also serves the purpose of religious observance by deifying Big Brother. It serves to channel the rage that persons may feel toward the lack of control over their own lives away from the Party and against purported enemies of the Party. Because Big Brother is proclaimed to be benevolent and good, any enemy is automatically evil and bad. While it is a "two minutes hate" the desired end result is less hatred of Big Brother. This is very similar to what some politicians do to strengthen their position when they feel threatened.