When Winston purchases the glass paperweight, it seems as though he is simply buying a trinket from an antique store, however it appears as though the paperweight might have a double meaning. If we look closer, the paperweight could be a metaphor for Winston himself; trapped inside a pristine bubble, only the bubble itself is harder to break than one might think. The fact that Winston is purchasing the paperweight from an antique store could possibly be a nod to Winston's job, where he erases pieces of the past. It seems a little ironic that he spends each day destroying history, but is choosing to preserve a relic.