Symbolism In 1984

Joey Evans
Mr. Milroy
English 10 Honors
16 March 2023
Big Brother is Watching George Orwell’s envision of a nightmarish dystopian society portrayed in 1984 showcases many of humanity’s worst fears, including a loss of freedom and individuality. Throughout the novel, Big Brother is at the forefront of the society, painted by The Party as the heroic liberator of the people of Oceania. Whether or not Big Brother is real, nobody knows; The Party controls all knowledge and can shape reality to conform to whatever they want. All the people of Oceania know is that “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING” them and he will never take his eyes off them. Winston Smith seems to be one of the only people left that have yet to be brain-washed by The Party. He knows that

They utilize him as a figurehead of power; he is the brave and valiant leader all of Oceania needs. Throughout the first part of the novel, however, it becomes clear that The Party, and therefore Big Brother, have far different motives than those portrayed by Big Brother’s appearance. The repeated slogan, “WAR IS PEACE, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH, and FREEDOM IS SLAVERY” (4), unveils The Party’s real desire: to obtain and retain ultimate power. The Party does not care about the people; they broke Oceania and created a dystopian society in order to keep hold of power. Big Brother is the ultimate representation of their

Winston recognizes the oppressiveness of The Party. Within the first pages of the novel, Winston describes the Thought Police spying on all of the people of Oceania through telescreens: “Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it” (3). Big Brother is always watching him, among all the other people in Oceania. Big Brother is the wall in the way of Winston’s freedom. Winston later acquires a diary and knows that it is a crime punishable “by death, or at least twenty-five years in a forced-labor camp” (6). Big Brother does not solely control Winston’s actions: he is in control of Winston’s thoughts as well. Winston’s strong desire for individual identity overcomes this fear of punishment, and he embarks on a journey to become his own. Big Brother sees this as a threat, though; Winston’s constant betrayal of The Party eventually leads to his arrest. Throughout Winston’s interrogation, Winston begins to understand the principles of The Party; he knows how to doublethink, and how to defy reason so as to believe whatever Big Brother wants him to. Big Brother has finally taken near-complete control of Winston. However, Winston still hates Big Brother. He is still the enemy of everything Winston believes in: freedom, rights, logic, and individuality. Finally, after long interrogations, Winston breaks: in the last words of the novel, Winston, “loves