The Therapy Zone

A Matter Of persuasion

       How easily the citizens are persuaded by the words of No.6 as he delivers his speech from the balcony of the Gloriette towards the end of ‘A Change of Mind.’

    "Fellow citizens, you are cheering me. You are cheering me. That is a mistake.... it is No.2 you should applaud. Until he brought about my Social Conversion, and believe me it was him, and not your committee, until then, I was a rebel. An Unmutual senselessly resisting this our fine community."

Bringing about a cheer from the crowd.

    "To borrow one of No.2's sayings... the butcher with the sharpest knife has the warmest heart."

   This saying brings about risen murmurs from members in the crowd.

    "Some of you have resisted in the past, have withheld knowledge that is important to No.2. Now, thanks to Social Conversion I want to tel you all something. And I trust that my example will inspire you to tell, to tell....."

   The village clock strikes four and with it the denouncement of No.2, by No.86, as being disharmonious and an Unmutual.

   No.6 uses No.86's denouncement of No.2 to help press home his advantage, telling the citizens that they still have a choice. "You can still salvage your rights as individuals. Your rights to truth and free thought. reject this false world of No.2. Reject it now...."

   And of course No.6 was successful in persuading the good people of the village. In turning them on No.2, who then gave chase all the way back to the relative safety of his is sanctum  of the Green Dome No.2 who might not have faced Instant Social Conversion, but his failure was assured, his fate sealed by the persuasiveness of No.6 words and the action of the people.

BCNU