What is the symbolic significance of 2+2=5? I am trying to prepare an essay addressing what the symbolic significance of 2+2=5is and how it affects...

The
illogical math problem symbolically represents the Party's control over reality, which is a
primary aspect of their totalitarian regime. The Party employs various means of oppressing and
manipulating the population, and reality control is one of the most significant ways they
maintain complete authority over the dystopian society.

The Party
successfully controls reality by continually revising, destroying, and fabricating historical
records in order to make the Party seem omniscient. The Party members are also required to
practice doublethink, which is the ability to hold two completely
contradictory thoughts simultaneously while believing both of them to be true. The wide use of
paradoxes and strict control over language is another means of reality control. From the Party's
perspective, completely orthodox, obedient Party members can firmly believe that two plus two
equals five. By believing this illogical math problem, the citizen has allowed the Party to
successfully form and manipulate their reality.is not one of the Party members who believe this
lie, writing,

Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus
two make four. If that is granted, all else follows. (, 103)

Overall, the illogical math problem symbolically represents the Party's control over
reality and is used as a gauge to assess a Party member's orthodoxy.