What do rats symbolize in the book 1984?

In
, the rats represent 's deepest fears because he is more afraid of them than of
anything else. On a deeper level, however, the rats also symbolize the extent of
the Party's control over the people of Oceania. In Part Three, Chapter Five, for
example,describes the rats as being "intelligent" and deliberately preying on the
"sick and dying." Just like the rats, the Party also uses its intelligence to prey on
and manipulate Party members. The Thought Police, the telescreens, and Room 101 are the
instruments of violence and terror (much like the rats' claws and teeth). The rats are a
particularly appropriate symbol of the Party's power because they illustrate how the Party has
been able to dig deep into Winston's most private thoughts and fears to find the thing that will
terrorize him most.

The rats, too, are single-minded in their pursuit of
prey. O'Brien, for example, tells Winston that a baby cannot be left alone in the poor quarter,
even for five minutes, because the rats are certain to attack it. This is symbolic of the
Party's relentless pursuit of power: the Party will never let go of power and control, just as
the rats will never relinquish an opportunity to feed or attack.