Orwell's 1984 And Its Symbolism

Orwell successfully uses the literary device setting in the novel 1984. The different settings in the novel help to portray the main ideas of the novel. Winston’s apartment is old and rundown, this contrasts his new ideas that contrast to the party’s ideas. Mr. Charrington’s room is a place where Winston and Julia could go to pretend that they were living the life that they really wanted to. Orwell effectively conveys the imminent struggle between the physical beings of the world, and the mental ideas and concepts being explored by these characters.

At the beginning of 1984, the victory mansions are described as old and dingy. This most likely also applies to Winston’s apartment. There is not much to do inside of these flats, the only thing that we are told that Winston does in his free time is to write in his journal. The only other thing that we know of that can kill time is the telescreen.

Get quality help now

Doctor Jennifer

Verified writer

Proficient in: Free Essays

5 (893)

“ Thank you so much for accepting my assignment the night before it was due. I look forward to working with you moving forward ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

The telescreens constantly spew out propaganda filling peoples’ minds with ideas straight from Big Brother, hearing this all day encourages Winston and everyone that they belong to the party should be loyal to it. This is exactly the type of home and environment that the party wants its people to live in. This type of room causes anyone who has any negative feelings towards the party to be found out and it fully immerses its followers into worshipping Big Brother. The only escape that Winston has from the telescreen and the party is a little alcove in his home where he writes in his diary.

This is where Winston’s thoughts against the party are manifested and it represents some form of a personal rebellion to Winston. Despite this feeling of freedom, he feels he is still worried that he may be caught by the party and is paranoid of this idea. This place is a little victory for Winston as it assures him that he has not yet been brainwashed like the rest of the population and that there may be others out there like him. The setting of Winston’s room represents the constant oppression of free thought and the unmatched strength of the party.

Mr. Charrington’s apartment is similar in ideas to that of Winston’s apartment. His place is somewhere that Winston and Julia can actually practice the ideas and dreams that they had had to keep in secret in their own homes, instead of having to think of them, now they can do them. An easily detectable difference in the two rooms however is what is in them. Whereas Winston’s room is bland and dull, Mr. Charrington’s room is full of many objects that serve no purpose, they are simply there for one's enjoyment. His room is like a puzzle, Winston has to figure out what he can do in it. Unlike everywhere else Winston goes in the novel he doesn’t have a set purpose for being there. At work he is required to work, he goes to the woods with Julia so that they can be together in private, and in room 101 he is brought there so that his ideas about the party and Big Brother can be changed. In this apartment, Winston can find out what his life was actually meant for, but in safety and freedom. Spending so much time in Mr. Charrington’s apartment reassures Winston that a different kind of life is achievable and possible. When Winston first enters Mr. Charrington’s shop he feels uncomfortable as he realizes. Eventually, Winston can move this feeling that he has about someone else’s life into his own. Once he can accept this fact then Winston can fully indulge himself in his relationship with Julia. The two enjoy their life, for now, and that they have preserved the dignity of the past through the present.

Both of these settings contribute greatly to the characterization, plot, and overarching themes. These two places are very important to the story as contrasting each other makes it easy for the reader to understand the two different views in the novel "1984". That of opposing the party and Big Brother and the other of supporting him. Without the in-depth use of setting the events in a story would be lost and therefore be no framework for any other elements of a story to be entered.

Any person who read "1984" and was able to understand the key themes of Orwell's 1984 in the time period in which it was released, was clearly made aware of the extreme dangers posed by a totalitarian society. The themes of propaganda effectiveness, abolishment of individuality, and the downsides of totalitarianism were greatly exposed through Orwell’s well-developed thoughts which derived from his own personal experiences and beliefs throughout this cautionary tale.