Winston comes across his glass paperweight in an antique store he visits whilst looking for knowledge among the proles. According to the store’s owner the object is at least a hundred years old, which gives Winston a sense of connection to the past. For Winston, the paperweight is symbolic of the history he is deprived of, and he buys it in an attempt to discover said history. Winston is also convinced to buy the paperweight due to “its apparent uselessness” (99). An item bought purely out of desire is an act of rebellion against the Party, as with the Party everything has a use and a place. The paperweight can also be seen as symbolic of Julia and Winston’s relationship. It consists of two corals, surrounded by protective glass representative
