glass paperweight

[angel_eyez20081]

okay. so when winston goes into the guys house that has no telescreen, he sees a paperweight, and decides he likes it, so he buys it. Can anyone tell me, why he liked the paperweight, and why he bought it?

If you can help me, please do so.
Thank You.

[lil_angel]

I think that one of the reasons that Winston buy the paperweight is because it is a symbol of the past, before the Revolution. The paperweight is an example of what life was like before the revolution, before Big Brother. The antique store's owner, Charrington, says that the paperweight was made 100 years or more ago, which was before the Revolution and Winston is always looking for evidence of what life was like. I hope that helps!

[Jolly McJollyso]

I think that one of the reasons that Winston buy the paperweight is because it is a symbol of the past, before the Revolution. The paperweight is an example of what life was like before the revolution, before Big Brother. The antique store's owner, Charrington, says that the paperweight was made 100 years or more ago, which was before the Revolution and Winston is always looking for evidence of what life was like. I hope that helps!

Thinking functionally, though, wouldn't such a paperweight be a symbol of forced order brought on by an unwanted authority?

I agree with you, though. I think the fact that it's glass, however, is more help than that it's a relic of the past. While the weight reminds him of what life was like before Big Brother, it symbolically represents are transparent authority that, if need be, can be shattered and replaced.

[hb.hldm.18]

I think that Wiston bought the paperweight because it was from the past and it could not have possibly been changed. It was also something that he could easily put in his pocket and take home without being caught by the Thought Police. Since Mr. Charington is a prole, Winston knows that he is less fortunate than himself and his four dollars will help him out tremendously.

[angel_eyez20081]

thanks for all of your help everyone.

[nikkie87]

This symbol of the glass paperweight is crucial to Winston's development as a character. The paperweight symbolizes the past in which he seeks without any regard to the consequences in the world. Winston has a tough time recovering from his real memories due to how the Party destroys photographs and documents. So when Winston decides to go buy a paperweight from the antique store in the prole district bought from old propieter, this shows his effort to reconnect to his past. Due to the fact that the paperweight symbolizes his fate when the paperweight falls to the ground this foreshadows the breakage to his spirit, conquers his mind, and destroys humanity

[maleypjm]

To me the paperweight that Winston buys in the old junk shop has always represented the fragile little world that Winston and Julia have created in becoming involved with each other. They are the coral inside it. Orwell states "The coral was Julia's life and his own, fixed in a sort of eternity in the heart of the crystal". It seemed that above all else Julia was someone whom Winston could share his private emotions with. When they were together it created a small world of feeling for themselves, hence the surrounding glass, for a short period of time before they are betrayed. Orwell also says "It is a little chunk of history that they have forgotten to alter". To me this line expresses that their love can never be altered no matter how much they are forced to try and change it because in their minds it will always exist.