1984 Symbolism Essay

In his dystopian novel, 1984, George Orwell makes use of various symbols and motifs to further reinforce the core themes. Although these symbols vary, most of them are directly tied to the protagonist Winston Smith and more importantly, to his emotions, feelings, and needs. Furthermore, the main symbols used to portray these elements are the rats, the coral paperweight, the songs, and the “discolored patch over Smith’s ankle.”

As the plot unravels, rats are used to evoke notions of fear and punishment. With that, it is understood that rats are Winston’s worst fear, which holds significant symbolical importance. When in the rented room above Mr. Charrington’s junk shop, Winston screamed at the sight of a rat from the hole, marking his growing fear of rats. It reminded him of a recurring nightmare he experienced from time to time throughout his life. In his dream, Winston stood in front of a wall of darkness and on the other side, something too frightening lay that he could not confront as he constantly woke up before he could do so. In addition, rats were used in Room 101 as the primary form of punishment against Winston by O’Brean in order to betray his love for Julia and ultimately, completely succumb to him and Big Brother. By doing so, they forced him to forget all of what he strongly believes in,
and to fully abide by Big Brother in all aspects of his life.

As opposed to the highly controlling and restrictive world created by Big Brother, the coral paperweight represents the past in an unconstrained and positive manner. To Winston, it symbolizes positivity, freedom, and fantasies; which are all aspects stripped from his current world and life. After buying this item from the junk shop, he always admired its simplistic form, and connected it to his desire to return to the past, before history was changed, minds were brainwashed, and life was dictated. During a conversation with Julia, he describes the meaning of the coral paperweight as, “a little chunk of history that they’ve forgotten to alter. It’s a message from a hundred years ago, if one knew how to read it.” (192) This shows Winston’s deep attachment to the past and his need to reconnect with it. The coral paperweight also signifies Winston’s desire to protect Julia, and the love they share. He views the glass exterior as a protective layer from outside powers, which can be likened to the rented room, as they spend most of their time in there. In contrast to outside the room where life is back to ‘normal’ and they are not allowed to interact freely whatsoever. Eventually, after Winston’s arrest by the Thought Police, the paperweight shatters indicating his hopes for a safer, happier and better life are no longer a possibility.

With regards to the prole woman singing, it is symbolic of the hope of perhaps overthrowing the party and destroying their regime.
Even though the lyrics of the songs were of Party members songs, Winston deeply enjoyed the tone of her voice and found it very natural and pleasant. The simplicity and unusualness of the situation filled him with content and aspiration. In fact, Winston notes that if there is a hope for a revolution, “it lies with the proles.” (99) At different instances, Winston even notes and admires their strong physical build that allows them to reproduce frequently, and to perhaps raise a future generation of rebels willing to overthrow the
Party

The “discolored patch over Smith’s ankle” signifies the extent of power and control the Party and Big Brother have over their people. The discolored patch causes a block of blood flow through Winston’s body, which can be interpreted as unnatural. Accordingly, this unnatural flow represents the domination of Big Brother and the injustices caused by them. Whenever he tries to scratch his ankle it causes him pain and discomfort, but at the same time his varicose ulcer fuels his desire to rebel against the Party especially in terms of his thoughts and sexual desires, both banned by the authority. Basically, the varicose ulcer stresses Winston’s desire to achieve his forbidden needs. For example, during a sitting in which he was unable to vent his feelings through writing, his varicose ulcer itched and he scratched it, and almost instantly, he commits a rebellious act and writes in his diary.

In conclusion, the main symbols of the rats, the coral paperweight, the songs, and the “discolored patch over Smith’s ankle” have contributed significantly to the development and understanding of the plot. The rats were Winston’s biggest fear and Big Brother used it against him as a form of punishment. The coral paperweight and the songs represented hope and happiness. The coral paperweight was a nostalgic item, which reminded Winston of his forgotten and free past. The “discolored patch over Smith’s ankle” represented Winston’s physical pain, that nonetheless fueled him with a strong sense of desire to fulfill his forbidden needs.