symbolism in 1984

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Symbolism in 1984 In George Orwell’s book 1984 symbolism plays a big role, and makes it a more interesting book to read. Without these symbols throughout the book, it would be a much drier and less stimulating read. That may be why the book is still very popular today, even though it is fairly old. There are many symbolized objects or places in the book, but some are much more prominent than others. The paperweight with a piece of coral inside is one. Another is the Golden Country that Winston dreams of, and the place where there is no darkness. Inside Mr. Charrington’s antique shop, a small magnificent paperweight catches Winston’s eye. It is a clear chunk of glass with a piece of coral suspended inside. “It was a heavy lump of glass, curved on one side, flat on the other, making almost a hemisphere. There was a peculiar softness, as of rainwater, in both the color and the texture of the glass. At the heart of it, magnified by the curved surface, there was a strange, pink, convoluted object that recalled a rose or a sea anemone.”(Pg 95). The relationship of Winston and Julia is represented in that paperweight, and in the end, when the coral is destroyed and shattered into pieced, Winston gives up hope and the relationship between Julia and Winston, like the paperweight, is also devastated by the power of the Inner Party and Big Brother. The Golden Country in the novel is an extremely important place for both Winston and Julia. This is the place where they both meet for the very first time in order to make love to each other and also, by doing this, rebel against Big Brother and the Inner Party by ignoring their anti-sex laws. This place is also very much like the Golden Country in Winston’s dreams. It represents a place where Winston can never be hurt and is free from the eyes of Big Brother. It is his place, along with Julia’s, where he is truly a free
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