Title: Two Minutes Hate 1984 - eNotes.com
Headings: Two Minutes Hate 1984
1984
Two Minutes Hate 1984
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Content: It also shows how the Party uses propaganda to manipulate people. It reveals how quickly enemies can change, which forces people to engage in doublethink or quickly forget what they once knew in order to align with a new reality that must simultaneously be accepted as what always has been. Last Updated by eNotes Editorial on December 15, 2020
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The Two Minutes Hate in 1984 is a daily ritual where Party members gather in front of a large telescreen and vent their rage and suppressed emotions towards flashing images of Emmanuel Goldstein and enemy soldiers. During the Two Minutes Hate, Winston and his fellow Party members feel compelled to shout, spit, and stomp in an unrestrained manner. Although Winston is a secret rebel and does not subscribe to the Party's orthodox beliefs, he cannot help but join in the ritual and release his suppressed emotions. The main purpose of the Two Minutes Hate in the story is to underscore the Party's reliance on propaganda and illustrate the government's means of manipulating people's emotions. The intense ritual serves multiple functions and is meant as a therapeutic group exercise. This activity allows Party members to direct their suppressed, negative emotions towards an outside figure or organization, using Emmanuel Goldstein as the primary scapegoat. For example, Winston Smith cannot help but vent his rage and negative feelings he experiences on an everyday basis toward the incendiary images on the telescreen. His violent passions against the Party are redirected toward an outside image.