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George Orwell 1984 Symbolism Analysis

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Camille Brule Mrs. Schroder English IV Honors 26th April, 2018 Smashing Symbols Symbols are utilized by authors to convey meaning and hidden themes to readers as a way to get a point across without being overt. Symbols in literature don’t have to be physical objects, they can be names, people, events, or ideas. George Orwell consistently utilizes symbols throughout 1984 as a way to add another layer of depth to the book. The books overall feeling is dark and secretive, by adding symbols Orwell challenges the reader to read between the lines to fully appreciate the message behind 1984. The symbols in said novel represent a range of things, from dreams of the future, to betrayal and the power of big brother, Orwell uses the same technique to …show more content…

When Winston first sees the image of St. Clements church he is washed over with a feeling of familiarity, “Winston gazed at it [the image of St. Clements Church] for some moments. It seemed vaguely familiar, though he did not remember the statue,” (Orwell, 98). The prickling of a memory upon seeing the image is symbolic, again, of how any connection to the past is erased by the Party. It is also an intriguing picture for Winston because the Party has abolished all religion so seeing a church is more rare than it is for us. When Winston finds out that there was a telescreen hidden behind the picture of St. Clements, he is shocked and doesn’t know what is going on. The fact that there was a piece of tech owned by Big Brother to spy on Winston hidden behind a religious picture is similar to the symbolism of the paperweight being smashed. The Party has eyes everywhere and the picture that intrigued Winston so much, eventually betrays him by being the hiding place of the telescreen. The Party is also literally ‘the eyes of God’ while spying on Winston through the telescreen, ironic since they abolished …show more content…

Emmanuel Goldstein is the enemy of the Party in 1984. It is no coincidence that Orwell used an obviously jewish name. 1984 was written in 1944, meaning Orwell was extremely familiar with the holocaust going on at the time. Orwell fought against tyranny before he wrote 1984 and by using a Jewish person as a scapegoat in 1984 he was alluding to the idea that the Party was similar to the Nazi’s. The fact that the Party is persecuting and blaming a Jewish people for everything wrong in the world is similar to how the Germans were operating in the

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