1984

Big Brother’s image watches over everything, but he never makes an appearance, and his existence is ambiguous. He is depicted as “about forty-five, with a heavy black moustache and ruggedly handsome features” (3). This description could be interpreted as Big Brother resembling Joseph Stalin. His symbolic presence contributes to the theme of constant surveillance. He exists at the apex of the Party’s structure, is credited for every success and achievement of society, and it’s generally assumed that he will never die (262), elevating him to a status above mortal Party members. In a society constantly and intentionally stirred by hatred, Big Brother is a contrasting focal point for love, an emotion that’s easier to feel towards an individual rather than an organization (262). O’Brien insists that Big Brother does exist when he tells Winston, “Of course he exists. The Party exists. Big Brother is the embodiment of the Party” (327). If Winston believes that Big Brother exists, then in his mind Big Brother does exist, and that belief is enough to perpetuate Big Brother’s power.

Winston purchases the paperweight from Charrington’s prole shop and cherishes it as an unchanged connection to the past. The paperweight is essentially a pointless object in Winston’s world, something Winston is drawn to for no practical reason, and he loves it all the more for this.