I got 99 Problems but Winston Ain’t One
The world of today is an astounding place. Human beings have conquered the entirety of the Earth; built amazing things and mapped the farthest reaches of the galaxy. These astonishing feats aside, however, it is impractical to try and deny that while the human race does indeed accomplish great things, they also commit terrible crimes. Hundreds, thousands, millions of grave injustices take place every day, even in what is considered by most to be a relatively ideal society. How, then, might one endure the injustices taking place around him in a society in which these very injustices are the foundation on which said society is built? This is the very situation George Orwell hoped to better understand when …show more content…
While this task is far from insurmountable in today’s world, in the world of 1984, it would be a great deal more difficult. In Oceania, things that are pleasurable are forbidden and are considered dangerous. Winston is luck y enough to stumble upon a glass paperweight in a small shop in the prole district. The paperweight is something that Winston finds extremely beautiful, but doesn’t serve an essential purpose. It’s beauty and uselessness comfort Winston. His indulgence in the object brings forth not only feelings of joy but also memories of the past, memories of a time before Big Brother, memories protected within his mind, as the coral within the paperweight is shielded by the thick glass, from the prying eyes of the Thought Police. Through the glass, the coral within the paperweight is magnified, symbolic of Winston’s belief that he was larger and more capable than he actually was. When the Thought Police eventually found and arrested Winston, the paperweight shattered and the coral that was once inside appeared very small, representing just how insignificant Winston really was in the grand scheme of
The world of today is an astounding place. Human beings have conquered the entirety of the Earth; built amazing things and mapped the farthest reaches of the galaxy. These astonishing feats aside, however, it is impractical to try and deny that while the human race does indeed accomplish great things, they also commit terrible crimes. Hundreds, thousands, millions of grave injustices take place every day, even in what is considered by most to be a relatively ideal society. How, then, might one endure the injustices taking place around him in a society in which these very injustices are the foundation on which said society is built? This is the very situation George Orwell hoped to better understand when …show more content…
While this task is far from insurmountable in today’s world, in the world of 1984, it would be a great deal more difficult. In Oceania, things that are pleasurable are forbidden and are considered dangerous. Winston is luck y enough to stumble upon a glass paperweight in a small shop in the prole district. The paperweight is something that Winston finds extremely beautiful, but doesn’t serve an essential purpose. It’s beauty and uselessness comfort Winston. His indulgence in the object brings forth not only feelings of joy but also memories of the past, memories of a time before Big Brother, memories protected within his mind, as the coral within the paperweight is shielded by the thick glass, from the prying eyes of the Thought Police. Through the glass, the coral within the paperweight is magnified, symbolic of Winston’s belief that he was larger and more capable than he actually was. When the Thought Police eventually found and arrested Winston, the paperweight shattered and the coral that was once inside appeared very small, representing just how insignificant Winston really was in the grand scheme of