The use of memory in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four is an important factor throughout the novel. The government of Oceania alters the memory of the citizen's to take charge and change the perception of reality. Big Brother holds the ability to take away the individuality from the people of Oceania to protect the government and to prevent rebellion. Throughout the novel Orwell uses symbols to relate the past. In Nineteen Eighty-Four Orwell focuses on memory and the excessive force Big Brother uses to try to take away anything remembered from the past.
             Memory is presented in different throughout the novel but symbols are used frequently. A significant symbol used is Winston's diary. Winston possesses a secret diary that he writes about the past. Winston has a cubby in his room were the telescreen cannot see him. If caught Winston would have consequences to face with the thought police. Big Brother does not want any one to have any recollection of the past. An example of Winston's writings in his diary is one about a girl he met. " It was three years ago. It was a dark evening in a narrow side street near one of the big railway stations"(55). The previous quote is an example shows how the past is related and how secure Winston is not to be caught with his diary in his journey to rebel against Oceania.
             Another symbol used in the novel used to symbolize memory is the rats. Early in the story when Winston and Julia were in the secret room upstairs of Charrington's shop a rat crawls out of a hole. Winston and Julia were scared and disgusted when they seen the rat. Towards the end of the novel after Winston was imprisoned O'brien decided to torture Winston with rats. O'brien observed Winston and Julia from the hidden telescreen. The significant part about this example is how the rats were related to the past. O'brien admits to controlling the past. "In memor...