Comment on the Use of Fear as a Means of Controlling the Population in 1984. How Does Big Brother Use Fear to Control the Masses? Essay Example

Introduction

The novel 1984 was written more than 70 years ago by George Orwell. Since production, it has had significance in the contemporary world, especially in political prediction and prophecy. Montesquieu, the French scholar, and philosopher, once said: “In a free society it is not always important that individuals reason well, it is sufficient that they reason; from their thought, freedom is born.” George Orwell echoed this reality after two centuries in the novel 1984. The author delves into exemplification and provides a picture of the situation in the world where there is no freedom to contemplate or even think. The author provided a tragic illustration that is also a tribute to the inherent essential qualities that create a distinguished man. In this aspect, to be worthy in life is through embracing oneself and the ability to clearly and freely think about oneself. The novel is a warning to the world on the dangers of embracing totalitarianism. In this chilling dystopia, George Orwell creates a more profound impression through mainstreaming his cultural ideas. It is easier for a reader to understand the various concepts outlined in the book. Poignantly, there is an everyday use of fear as a method of population control.

 ‘I’ve got a wife and three children. The biggest of them isn’t six years old. You can take the whole lot of them and cut their throats in front of my eyes, and I’ll stand by and watch it. But not Room 101!‘ “The phrase is an indication of fear/ Winston, who is the main character of the novel, is afraid of execution due to his crime thoughts. The story portrays Winston as the everyman character that is easy to identify in the book is the protagonist. Physiologically, Winton had already made an internalization of the surveillance of the party operations (Orwell). He used the opportunity also to detail his actions as well as thoughts and compared to the possible outcome if someone could read his thought. Just the thoughts of being executed, Winton relented even the thought of ideas that could be contextualized as being subversive. Fear of his life is issued through a government control mechanism that suppressed his happiness as well as thinking freedom through fear and manipulation.

Moreover, the government mercenaries represented by police were ever available to watch those who were thinking of resenting the directives of the government. The police were contextualized to have the ability to bypass through the human mind, and so they could see whatever body was thinking. Additionally, the installation of microphones and cameras in every part means that the police recognized every move a citizen made. The children were also encouraged to continually report parents’ crimes to the relevant authorities. Winston stated that the only way that one could keep to be human was by permitting the government to occupy their thoughts. Winton knew that if he was caught with subversive ideas, he would be executed, and this affected him greatly. The aspect of fear is a mind killer, even in the contemporary world. It is through fear that people are made to oblige to directives sometimes without questioning. Thoughts of execution denied every individual right and freedom to think and express their ideas is curtailed.

“More commonly, people who had incurred the displeasure of the Party simply disappeared and were never heard of again.” The quote exemplifies the impact of revolting the Party and the Big Brother “It was almost normal for people over thirty to be frightened of their own children.” The phrase indicates the doctrines of the Party to instill fear and manipulation are the basis in which people are forced to accept even what is wrong due to reprimands and punitive measures. The aspect of telescreens that are terrifying to the protagonist contains a notion that he is influenced to follow and adheres to save his life. Winston is made to believe that war is an aspect of peace. However, in the real sense, war can never be an aspect of peace but is instead an art of bloodshed and loss of lives. In war, people are maimed, and life is lost. In the art war, hatred and self-centeredness thrive against the very aspect of humanity. George also explains that in Winston’s society, people were made to believe that freedom in life is mere slavery, and people can find strength in ignorance. Out of fear, people take these notions as true as a control technique in which every facet of citizen’s life is checked.

As a result, people are made to take anything the government gives since they fear the repercussion. The citizens, such as Winston, are afraid to revolt against the government due to the preying eyes. The Party used telescreen to instill fear and manipulate the citizens of Oceania. The magnitude of fear is further demonstrated when Julia says that even if the Party would say that 2+2=5, she would still accept. The denial of the basis youth is extremely elevated as people are forced to accept to be controlled by the bureaucracy and the Big Brother. People feared the consequences of rebelling against avoiding trauma and pain. The people incline to the slavery state as they continue to adhere to perpetuations of the system. In any happening, the people are not supposed to question or even make contradicting statements. The telescreen, such as war, is a form of peace among others that are used to induce fear to Oceania’s populace to control them.

“No emotion was pure because everything was mixed up with fear and hatred. Their embrace had been a battle, the climax a victory. It was a blow struck against the Party. It was a political act.” The Big Brotherhood and the tyrannical government instill fear of bonding between the citizens. The government was against people who have sexual relationships unless they are married. This was the method to contain the spread of rebellious acts that would go against the regime. Moreover, suppression of sexual interaction and permitting it to only married couples was an approach to curtail the populace from creating bonds that are not in line with the sanctioned relationships instead of by the Party. Another method of controlling the people was the outlawing region. This was because the doctrines of religion represent a higher commitment to supreme authority than the tyrannical government. This was manifested as a negative aspect that would stir revolt among the citizens. Another aspect is the disruption of cohesion in the family. This means that the government has spies everywhere, including in the family, since children were supposed to report their parents.

Conclusion

Therefore exploring this text, a reader can understand the concept of fear that is the dominant theme in this book. Fear is used in every aspect by the Party and Big Brother to control the people living in Oceania. The government used concerns to ensure that the people adhered to the directives through the disruption of their individual life and loyalties only to follow the government. As a result, what was naturally good and correct was seen as a threat to the government system that was outlawed. Some of the things that were prohibited are such as sex if one is not married, forming religions, questioning the happening, and family union. As a result, people were living like robots controlled by the same point of view. The Big Brother and the Party exploited the collective and personal fears to sustain the loyalty to the government and to suppress any form of revolt.