Melissa Archibald answers “Why didn't they kill Smith? I was waiting...”

Adam asked this question about 1984:

Why didn't they kill Smith? I was waiting through the whole part when he was in the Ministry of Love that they would kill him like they did with others through the time. I thought that they killed the people that the Thought Police caught: they confessed and they killed them. So when he was released I was really surprised. Can someone explain me it?

Melissa Archibald Because he broke down and fell in line. If the gov't killed everyone who committed thoughtcrime or moved against the Party, it would create too big of…moreBecause he broke down and fell in line. If the gov't killed everyone who committed thoughtcrime or moved against the Party, it would create too big of a spectacle. From my perspective, the most powerful tools of the Party are fear and isolation. Making an example out of a FEW rebels proves that there are consequences for challenging Big Brother. But as long as those numbers appear small, then the public never feels like they are connected to a larger movement in opposition to the Party.(less)

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