the novel 1984 is set in a totalitarian society where whatever the government says goes without question. The Party is able to distort and rewrite the past, including the memories of the people, but a small glass paperweight from before the rule of the Party remains. The glass paperweight defines Winston Smith's undivided fate throughout the novel. Winston buys the paperweight to reconnect with his past, the paperweight has no value except for its beauty. The beauty of the paperweight symbolizes Winston’s connection to the past and the room above Mr. Charrington's shop.
Winston has a tough time recovering his real memories due to how the Party destroys photographs and memories, so when Winston decides to buy the beautiful paperweight from the antique shop in the prole district he tries to reconnect with his past, a time where the Party wasn’t all that powerful. When Winston remarked “If There was Hope, it must Lie in the Proles”(Orwell, 89) he believes that the proles are the least ones corrupted by Big Brother and they have the power to overthrow the Party. He has hope in the proles to change society and bring the past back to when they were not overruled by the Party. The coral paperweight symbolizes a beautiful, safe and secure environment. Winston craves for a safe haven to live in, similar to the glass dome in which the piece of coral is encased. A place where he can be free to love Julia. This is why he chooses the room above the shop. It symbolizes the safe haven of a glass dome paperweight where he can care for and protect Julia and they can be free. Mr. Charrington gladly allows Winston to use the room, his philosophy being that “Privacy, he said, was a very valuable thing. Everyone wanted a place where they could be alone occasionally” (Orwell, 144). When Winston and Julia are in the room they are free of their oppressive society allowing them to have joy in their lives. This gives Winston hope that his life is worth living when he is loving Julia. Winston realizes that loving Julia is risky but he is willing to take the risk because he has hope that one day the Party will be overruled and he will be free to love Julia.
The paperweight had started out as a simple object that held no value outside of its own beauty, but throughout the novel it begins to hold more meaning to Winston. It first helps Winston dredge up memories so long forgotten and reconnect with his past. It then also represents the room above Mr. Charrington's shop where he is free to love Julia.