Symbolism
Big Brother
This is both the source of all power in the novel but also the symbol of the “benevolent dictatorship” of the party. It is a source of fear and the symbol of brotherly affection the Party holds toward the people. This is Orwell’s condemnation of central authority and the abuse they represent. Big Brother is the government, religion, and the police all in one image.
The glass paperweight
It is a symbol of a by-gone time. The craftsmanship required to make it no longer exists. It is also a fragile object that holds intense meaning for Winston. It is easily breakable and is broken just as the relationship between Winston and Julia and their individual sense of themselves. Anything fragile and unique is ultimately broken.
Victory Gin
In the end, Winston is reduced to excessively drinking Victory Gin. The victory is his freedom to drink himself to death — to anaesthetize himself in his complete defeat. Again, it is double think at work. The gin represents victory only for the Party and it is the symbol of complete and absolute defeat for the individual.
First published in 1949.
One of the classic examples of the dystopian novel, which consists of a vision of a terrifying future world of decay or erosion of humanity and human principles.
Orwell had been in Spain during the Civil War and had experienced WWII in London. He had witnessed first-hand the violence of totalitarian regimes as well as the effects of extreme government interference with the media. By setting his novel in London, he drew on the experiences and sympathies of others who had witnessed similar things.
The expression “Big Brother” is now so familiar that it stands as a metaphor for any oppressive and invasive system of government.
