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It's known in 1984 that Room 101 contains your worst fears; it's the ultimate torture/emotional breakdown technique. However, assuming each prisoner has a different fear, Room 101 would have to continuously be modified specifically for each new prisoner.

How does the Party get around this?

In the novel it seems that a few people each day are sent to Room 101 (that could be a false recollection, though). I doubt the room could be redone that quickly.

Are there several Room 101s?

Is there a whole group of people working on remodeling the room for each new prisoner?

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  • "a few people each day are sent to room 101" - do you have canon backup for this? That's not how I remember/imagine it.
    – Rand al'Thor
    Jan 19, 2017 at 17:40
  • @Randal'Thor I don't have the book on hand, so I'll update with evidence when I get home in about two hours.
    – fi12
    Jan 19, 2017 at 18:20

1 Answer 1

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Seems it was indeed a false recollection, my mistake.

The cold-faced young officer stepped into the cell. With a brief movement of the hand he indicated Ampleforth. "Room 101," he said...What seemed like a long time passed.

Two pages later,

Parsons used the lavatory, loudly and abundantly. It then turned out that the plug was defective, and the cell stank abominably for hours afterwards. Parsons was removed. More prisoners came and went mysteriously. One, a woman, was consigned "Room 101," and, Winston noticed, seemed to shrivel and turn a different color when she heard the words.

And finally, two pages after that,

With a small gesture the officer indicated the skull-faced man. "Room 101," he said.

This all seems to imply that at the very least a 5-6 hours, which I'd assume is enough to reset and remodel the room, passed between each of these prisoners being sent to Room 101.

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  • 3
    Most of the fears wouldn't even require a remodel; it doesn't take much time to fashion a box with a hole in it -- just time to starve the rats. Add to this that the Party is apparently omniscient... they probably plan in advance. Jan 19, 2017 at 23:14
  • This is the answer I would have given, if I'd had the book to hand earlier :-)
    – Rand al'Thor
    Jan 19, 2017 at 23:22
  • @Randal'Thor it's thanks to you that even I checked myself in the novel, or else I would've gone on with my false memory :)
    – fi12
    Jan 19, 2017 at 23:26

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