An Important Theme in Examination Day

An important theme in ‘Examination Day’ by Henry Sleaser is fear. The author uses fear to show how being petrified helps the government to control its citizens.  Fear is the underlining emotion dictating the character’s behaviour, how they act towards others, but also it showed the parent’s blind obedience. ‘Examination Day is a short story set in a dystopian future where the government controls everyone, including how intelligent they can be.

Fear is a significant theme in ‘Examination Day’ is because it changes the character’s behaviours. Dickie starts out the story as a “youngster with flat blond hair and a quick, nervous manner” who is very curious “what makes the grass green?” “But why?” “What stuff to drink?” but as the story progresses and as Dickie learns more about the exam he becomes less inquisitive.  This is interesting as it shows how when placed into an apprehensive situation one becomes more subdued and easier to control. Therefore, fear is a significant theme.

Secondly, the main idea of fear is important because it controls how the characters act toward each other. Fear of her child being executed drove Dickie’s mother to show up into the kitchen with “moist eyes” and an “anxious manner”. Dickie’s father’s fear caused him to “snap” at Dickie but “immediately regretted his abruptness.” The behaviours of Dickie’s parents had not made sense in the context of Dickie’s birthday. The connotations of regret and abruptness creates a sense of tension waiting to snap whilst the “moist eyes” and “anxious manner” conveys foreshadowing of something foreboding. The fear shown is noteworthy as it is how they government keeps the citizens in a veil of ignorance.

Lastly, fear is a central theme because it shows the parent’s blind obedience. Sleaser uses the parent’s blind obiedience and ignorance to show how not doing anything can be the most drastic option to take. The parents are shown not telling Dickie much about the exam “it’s just a sort of Government Intelligence test.[…] it’s nothing [..] Something like that.” Because o their want to ignore the test and pretend it does not exists they push Dickie into the test not knowing what he was doing. The easy dismissal of the test “it’s nothing” “something like that” implicates there is more to the test than what the parents are telling. This creates a sense of fear of the unknown and the fear of what is to happen. This blind obedience helps the government to mind wash the citizens into believing that Dickie’s unethical death is alright.