Literary+Elements

=Literary Elements in 1984=

====**__Setting:__** The novel takes place in the totalitarian dictatorship of Oceania. The main character, Winston Smith, lives in London in what used to be called England. It has been renamed Airstrip One. He believes that the year is 1984, though it is hard to tell because of the governments reluctance to disclose such information. Oceania is in a perpetual state of war with two other countries called Eastasia and Eurasia. Because of this, bombings have become a ubiquitous occurrence. Because of the extremely high rate of poverty, the landscape of the city appears old and dilapidated.====

====**__Point of View:__** We see everything in the novel through Winston Smith's point of view. I think that this is especially effective because it allows the reader to share in the experiences that the main character is having. We are able to witness events unfold while still being confused by the situation. An example of this would be the contents of Room 101. Both the reader and Winston develop an intense fear of the room purely based on the way that people react to its name.====

====**__Metaphor:__** A good example of a metaphor used in //1984// can be found on page 229. I believe that the coral inside the glass paperweight is an allegory for Winston and Julia's hideout. The way that the glass magnifies the coral to make it appear larger represents their false hope that they could keep evading capture. The breaking of the glass to reveal the true size of the coral represents the realization that their sanctuary was merely temporary, and they were just prolonging the inevitable. The paperweight can also symbolize Winston's attempt to reconnect with the past, and its shattering can symbolize his loss of the ability to do so.====

====__**Tone:**__ The tone of the novel is very dismal and pessimistic. Everything is portrayed in a straight forward, matter-of-fact kind of way. There is little humor or color to the book. Every event plays out in a depressingly realistic manner.====