How Does Orwell Use Fear In The Giver

Everyone fears something. Our fears control our every decision, whether we know it or not. Fear is a common trait that authors use for inspiration when writing their books, and it is just one of the many good qualities that connects many dystopian novels together. Authors George Orwell and Lois Lowry took full advantage of this knowledge when writing 1984 and The Giver.By using fear to control the societies in both 1984 and The Giver, Orwell and Lowry are getting at the idea that society has to have the perfect balance of fear, otherwise society will be insensible. In 1984, Winston lives in a society where every action and thought is carefully monitored by the party, through the use of telescreens and the thought police. Everyone in 1984 lives in fear of the party because if they even have the slightest idea of revolting against the party, they will be tortured with their greatest fear; until the party reforms them back to normal thinking, but they know that later on the party will destroy them. The fear of the party is constantly pounded into …show more content…
Lowry ends the book after Jonas releases the memories to everyone. “ Behind him, across the vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he thought he heard music too, But perhaps it was only an echo” (Lowry 179). I think that what Lowry is trying to say is that once society received the memories from Jonas, it was like as a whole they were finally able to take a breath of fresh air after having been tied to an anchor in deep, brown, murky water. Even though society had no fears and was happy at the time, they knew something was missing, like they could see the tiny specks of sunlight trying desperately to reach them through the murky water. When the sunlight did finally reach them, it made society whole again. Even if those memories were not pleasant, it is what made them realize what knowledge they have been missing out