Oceania

Oceania was founded following an anti-capitalist revolution, which while intended to be the ultimate liberation of its proletariat, soon ignored them. There is, however, no indication in the text to suggest how the Party obtained the power it possesses or when it did so. The state includes the Americas, Australasia, Britain and part of Sub-Saharan Africa. Oceania's political system, Ingsoc, (English socialism) uses cult of personality to venerate the ruler, Big Brother as the Inner Party exercises day-to-day power. Food rationing, which does not affect Inner Party members, is in place. This is intended to strengthen the party's control over its citizens and help with its wars. Winston considers the geography as now stands: "even the names of countries, and their shapes on the map, had been different. Airstrip One, for instance, had not been so called in those days: it had been called England, or Britain, though London, he felt fairly certain, had always been called London. There is countryside outside of London, but this is not a place for enjoying the contrast with the city but purely practical grounds of exercise.

Oceania is made up by provinces, of which Airstrip One, as Britain is now known, is one. The whole province is "miserable and run-down" with London consisting, almost solely, of "decaying suburbs". Airstrip One is the third most populous province in Oceania; but London is not the capital, for Oceania has none. This decentralisation enables the Party to ensure that each province of Oceania feels itself to be the centre of affairs; and it prevents them from feeling colonised, for there is no distant capital to focus discontent on. 85% of Oceania's population are Proles, with the most of the remainder the Outer Party; a tiny number rule as members of the Inner Party. Winston yearns for revolution and a return to a time before Oceania, says Carr; but he realises that "no revolution is possible in Oceania. History, in Hegelian terms, has ended. There will be no political transformations in Oceania: political change has ended because Big Brother will not let it happen". No political collapse is possible in Oceania, suggests Carr, because the government will not allow it, regardless of internal or external pressures.

A totalitarian and highly formalised state, Oceania also has no law, only crimes, says Lynskey. Nothing is illegal; social pressure is used to exert control, in place of law. It is hard for citizens to know when they are in breach of Party expectations; and they are in a state of permanent anxiety, unable to think too deeply on any subject whatsoever so as to avoid "thoughtcrime." For example, Winston begins to write a diary and does not know if this is a forbidden offence, but he is reasonably certain of it. In Oceania, to think is to do and no distinction is drawn between either. Criticism of the state is forbidden; though criticism must be constant for the state's survival for it must have critics to destroy so as to demonstrate the state's power. Governance of Oceania depends upon the necessity of suppressing freedom of thought or original thinking amongst the Outer Party (the Proles are exempted from this as they are deemed incapable of having ideas).