The Use of Fear and Control in Nineteen Eighty-Four
The subject of totalitarianism is upheld in the book "Nineteen Eighty-four" when the government completely instills fear in its citizens. In his novel, George Orwell explores the use of power to persuade people and establish a dictatorship. Big Brother asserts that the new system of government is more effective than the old one. People's unease is caused by fictitious ideas and real-world anxieties that are a result of the government's lust for power. Because the Party was aware that people were experiencing fear, they had complete control over the ignorant populace. Nineteen Eighty-Four theme of fear is mainly used by the authority is to control its people, keep them loyal and also modify the real situation at stake.
The Impact of Fear on Freedom and Control
Due to fear, the people lack the freedom to question any statements or arguments that are against the reality (Gleason, Goldsmith, and Nussbaum 21). This results in the authority having total control over the citizens. The impacts of errors and challenge to the government caused fear in 1984. The party's habit of training the children to adhere to their rules is similar to what Napoleon did when he was training the puppies in one of George Orwell's books. Children were taught how they should report crimes and anybody who is against the Party. Parents were also filled with fear that their children will report them of their actions, making them be taken away by the Ministry of Love. Today, we find some nations denying the press some freedom since they fear criticism. Also, political activists are always in life-threatening situations because of their opposing nature.
The Power of Ignorance and Enslavement
Both the inner and the outer parties became obedient to the laws imposed by Big Brother. They dreaded being rebellious hence, doing away with opposing thoughts and making the tyrannical rule prevail in controlling the people. Another perceptive factor to analyze is the main Party Slogan; "Slavery is Freedom", "Ignorance is Strength", and "War is Peace". These slogans brought fear to the citizens (Gleason, Goldsmith, and Nussbaum 32). Today authorities have powers and they can place rules whereby they dissolve other political parties. When the government is manipulated, it gains power, this is simply because of the citizen's ignorance allowing the authority to take control. When the citizens are enslaved, it is due to a lack of knowledge and their inability to question the authority. The possession of ignorance by the citizens allows them to adapt to the fearful atmosphere that is being created by the conflict. A combination of ignorance and fear controls the knowledge the citizens have thus creating a breeding ground for totalitarianism to prevail. The leaders today brainwash their citizens making them believe in what they say even if they had a bad reputation.
The Influence of Fear on Relationships and Warfare
Other instances when fear was impacted in the novel are when Winston pursues to be in a relationship with Julia and the writings he had in his journal. He, together with the people fears that they might be found by the Thought Police. This is the same as today whereby individuals' accounts are monitored to see any fraudulent activity. The Party's use of constant warfare is to bring fear to the people, and it is ridiculous that these wars are used in unifying the citizens (Gleason, Goldsmith, and Nussbaum 49). Today, we have several terror wars, the battles that are involved in the world have an unclear battleground, and they have no sighted end.
Torture as a Tool of Fear
The theme of torture, especially to individuals, is vividly tailored in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. They have a room that is used to torture individuals, especially the protagonists. The dread room is filled with rats, and it is used in the infliction of pain. Torture is being used by The Party the same way they use fear. Torture makes the citizens fear The Party, ensuring they adhere to the rules passed by the authority. Torture is described as a practice that involves physical damage or hurt to the body intended to make someone reveal a hidden secret or follow their rules. The citizens are afraid of being beaten if they step out of the queue (Finigan 435). Taking an example of Bumstead, we see that the guards beat him when they are signaled by the officer to stop him from stepping out of the queue. Nowadays, the police are seen to beat many civilians with no proper reason. Most of these abuses are racially based, making the people question the authority.
Loss of Freedom and Betrayal
The force that the guards used almost knocked him down to the ground. Bumstead being beaten by the guards was simply because he followed his natural instincts and offered a piece of bread to a skinny man. This made him be punished violently. Another example of torture is vividly seen in Winston. In these torture sessions, he felt waves of pain that were frightening and made his body feel he had mortal injuries. These torture sessions did not feel like a reality to him, and it was as if his joints were being torn bit by bit. Winston went through this pain to stop him from rebelling against the Party. Today, we have given up our freedoms the way Winston had to love the big brothers, all our opinions have no privacy due to terrorism and the advent of technology. The trends in social media also play a big role in our opinions. The final example of torture is seen when Winston betrays Julia, the person he loved, to end his pain. When we view the current world, people are not being condemned by posting naked selfies, but it gets most attention. This is quite a controversy in Julia's case. Torture can be terrifying, and an individual in pain will do anything to end it (Finigan 442).
The Role of Violence and Control in Modern Governments
Most of the administrations and government picture is clearly portrayed in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. Most of the countries are seen to be involved with violence within to create fear in the people and silence the opposition. Not much can be done since the authority has power in their hands, which they use to control the citizens.
Works Cited
Finigan, Theo. "“Into the Memory Hole”: Totalitarianism and Mal d’Archive in Nineteen Eighty-Four and The Handmaid’s Tale." Science Fiction Studies 38.3 (2011): 435-459.
Gleason, Abbott, Jack Goldsmith, and Martha C. Nussbaum, eds. On" Nineteen Eighty-Four": Orwell and Our Future. Princeton University Press, 2010.
