Orville’s answer to “What was the deal with the rat? Did George explain it? I think it is very childlike to be afraid o…” > Likes and Comments

I must say, I'd imagine being in the situation that Winston was in, all rationality goes out the window. Bare in mind that it is specifically the mind O' Brien and Ingsoc are trying to break and claim. True that genital mutilation would be high up on the list of things that I would consider to be a bit unpleasant (to say the least) we need to remember that just before being "arrested" Winston and Julia appeared to be the happiest they had even been, even so far as almost calling the apartment above the antiques "a home". Seeing the rat inside their "almost home" was a massive intrusion upon his his happiness with his new found love because of his crippling fear.

O' Brien and Ingscoc had no desire to inflict physical pain on Winston in Room 101. He was already a mere shadow of his former self. Emaciated, broken- O' Brien had even taken a tooth out of his head. While it's true seeing his mother and sister being raped/tortured would have been horrific, Winston seems very far removed from them both throughout the book. Also, they are most likely vaporised so this was most likely not possible. However, I don't think it was much so the physical pain that Winston would go through while the rats gnawed through his face, but the sheer and absolute terror of the rats approaching your face and knowing full well what was going to happen.

I liked the idea of the rats because it linked those two parts quite well for me and really symbolised Ingsoc/Big Brother.

I'm not going to lie I though the cage was going to be attached to his testicles at first. Would have been much more intense.

Well. not psychologically. Winston having the rats gnaw at his face would probably be worse for him. No way to avoid seeing them.

They chose a paralysing, primal phobia that was unique to him; it shows that they were watching him and knew his worst fears and darkest thoughts. Anyone can be scared of mutilation or people they care about being hurt, but they chose a deeply personal fear.

Oh come on, after what looks like months of torture they put you on a chair and torture someone else instead of you? yes, please... I imagine he would have no compassion left at this point.... they've done everything they could to his rational mind and the only thing left to break him was to go to the reptile brain and scare the sh*t out of that, too... and many people have irrational fears that are impossible to control in any way or to reason with... for some it's rats... i'd say for many, actually! those things are ferocious and known to attack humans... and having something you're terrified of on a deeper level than your mind can process gnawing at you while getting away is impossible is quite a powerful shock...
raping his mother and sister, really... he was willing to let them starve as a child to avoid feeling hungry himself... julia, maybe, but it's clear that at this point he no longer cared for her either...