1984

The Party has
absolute control over all of its citizens, controlling not only their actions
but their minds as well. In children, this is done by teaching them the ways of
Ingsoc as soon as they are able to understand it and by having them join groups
like the Junior Anti-Sex League and the Spies. With adults, they allow them to
work at the community center to organize events such as Hate Week. Sometimes
though, this is not enough. The Party will then employ tactics of fear to push
un-loyal citizens into submission. Fear causes people to shirk away from what
they believe in order to please those who control them.

     Fear is a recurring topic that
is first mentioned at the beginning of the book. When Winston bought the diary
and opened it at his flat, Orwell said "he had carried it guiltily home in
his brief case." Even with nothing written in it, it was a compromising
possession (9). Just by buying the diary, he felt guilty. Nothing had been
written in it as of yet. Just through opening, it was reasonably certain that
it would be punished by death (9). He did not feel too much fear yet, but
Winston panicked after he wrote DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER! all the way down the diary page. He had committed
thoughtcrime, not just by writing that but because he was thinking it
subconsciously. Winston began to think about the Thought Police and all the
rumors about them. The rumors said that they came at night and took you away
and eventually you were vaporized.

     Soon after his first panic
attack about the Thought Police came an incident of the use of fear regarding
children. In the world of 1984, a parent’s worst enemy is his or her own child.
Winston had gone to help Mrs. Parsons with her sink drain when her children
went out of control. They had been inside all day and wanted to see the
hangings of Eurasian prisoners in Victory Square. The children were members of
the Spies and the son had said to Winston you’re a traitor! You’re a
thought-criminal! You’re a Eurasian spy! I’ll shoot you, I’ll vaporize you,
I’ll send you to the salt mines! (23). This behavior was typical of children
now, who seemed to be rebellious in every manner except that they had complete
loyalty to the Party. As Winston left Mrs. Parson’s apartment and went back to
his flat he thought it was almost normal for people over thirty to be
frightened of their own children (24). The Party had shifted the love that
children should have for their parents to love for the Party and only the
Party. The Party used this love to instill fear into possible thought-criminals
and make them serve the Party or suffer a horrible fate.

Later in the novel, Winston fears
that the Thought Police will catch him and Julia and he tells her that "We
are the dead Not physically. Six months, a year, five years, conceivably. I am
afraid of death” (113). Also, he thought of renting Mr. Charrington's room as
if they were intentionally stepping nearer to their graves. As he sat waiting
on the edge of the bed he thought again of the cellars of the Ministry of Love
(116). Winston is very aware that his actions will get him killed, and rather
than accepting this, he fears it. He still remains loyal to Julia, however, and
still covertly works against the Party. This all ends after he is caught and
finally submits to the Party in Room 101.

     The Party’s ultimate victory
over Winston is achieved by exploiting his greatest fear. Winston was horribly
afraid of rats, and the Party used this to their advantage. After the Thought
Police captured Winston and they made him believe everything the Party said, he
still would not betray Julia. However, as the cage of rats grew closer to his
face, Winston yelled, “do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don’t
care what you do to her. Tear her face off, strip her to the bones. Not me!
Julia! Not me” (236). The last flicker of hope for Winston had been lost. He
had betrayed Julia because of the fear the Party pushed on him. He betrayed the
one thing he believed the Party could not take from him, and by doing so, he
finally learned to love Big Brother.