Parsons agrees that the Ministry of Plenty did a "good job this year". (pg.53) Why is the question that he asks Winston at that point ironic in 1984?

Parsons'
question shows the enormous gap between reality and delusion in Oceania. The very name of the
government departmentthe Ministry of Plentyimplies that the economic system delivers a plentiful
supply of everything the citizens of Oceania could possibly want. By the same token, the
Ministry of Truth, whereworks, implies that the government always tells the truth to its
citizens.

In both cases, however, the truth is very different. Just as there
is no truth in Oceania, so there is no plenty. Most people outside the Party's inner sanctum
lead impoverished lives, experiencing chronic shortages of even the most basic necessities. When
Parsons comments on what a good job the Ministry of Plenty has been doing, it's clear that he's
simply parroting the Party line, which deliberately blurs the distinction between truth and . If
the Ministry of Plenty really were doing such a great job, then Parsons wouldn't need to ask
Winston if he could borrow a spare razor blade. Therein lies the . The fact that he needs to
make such a request should tell Parsons that what he's been told about the Ministry of Plenty is
a total lie. But in a society where 2+2=5 if the Party says it does, Parsons's cognitive
dissonance is by no means uncommon.