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GCSE English Literature · key term
Fear created by threats or displays of power to discourage resistance.
Used by Edexcel and OCR
Paper 1
Revise: Violence and fearThe dogs’ role recalls Stalin’s secret police, whose intimidation helped suppress opposition. By placing this moment immediately after Snowball’s expulsion, Orwell shows how removing a rival enables the destruction of collective debate. The animals have exchanged the hope of self-government for obedience to another master.
Paper 1
The use of threats or fear to make someone submit, even without physically attacking them.
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Orwell distinguishes physical violence from intimidation. The dogs can attack, but their presence and growling often achieve obedience without an attack. This matters because Napoleon does not simply defeat individual opponents: he creates a society in which animals stop expressing opposition at all.
