Letter+to+Boethius,+1984

Dear Boethius,

My name is Drake. I prefer not to use last names. Anyway, I’m writing to say that you were wrong. They can control your mind. It is possible. They have succeeded in doing it. I, Drake, have learned this first hand. They have ways. I will point out the three most important to you. The thought police, that you have no privacy, and the infamous room 101. The most hated things alive.

The Thought Police are everywhere. The, ministry’s, shops, just plain everywhere. “The police patrol does not matter, only the Thought Police.”(pg. four) What their main job is to discover the “Thought Criminals”. When they do, they come, break down your door and take you away. This usually happens at night. Mine did not, however. Very rarely did the take prisoners during the day. They’re main workplace is the Ministry of Love, which I will get to later.

Privacy. None. Ever. No matter where you are, there is no privacy. Only Inner Party Members get privacy from telescreens in their places. Once, however, I found a spot. “Instead of the telescreen being placed on the end wall, like usual, where it could command the whole room, it was on the longer wall, opposite the window. To one side, of it was an alcove in which I was sitting, where I could be heard, but not seen.” (Page eight) It still, somehow, did not last very long. I was discovered. Eventually, everywhere you walk there is either telescreens or microphones. Like I said: Pircacy-0%.

Room 101 is hated by thousands, maybe even millions. But most of all, FEARED. This is where they take prisoners, torture (or cure, as they say), and get “confessions”. It is the main place where they get control over their minds. “I told you that if we met again, it would be here” Obrien had said. (I have Page 268) H e was right. He was a thought police officer. We were in room 101, found in the ministry of love. Why it’s called that, I have no clue. They take the thing you hate the most, and use it against you. That or the thing you fear the most. It’s just horri

ble.

In conclusion, I don’t know is this will make it to you. Like I said, we have no privacy. If it does, than contact me. I have more things to tell you. There is not much to argue about. It is true. They can control you, your mind, and your thoughts. Nothing in here is false. You were wrong. Controlling people’s thoughts is possible. Watch out for the thought police.

Sincerely,

Drake