#9- 1984

"She revived, turned to have another look at Winston, and seemed immediately to take a fancy to him. She put a vast arm round his shoulder and drew him toward her, breathing beer and vomit into his face.
    'Wass your name, dearie?' she said.
    'Smith,' said Winston.
    'Smith?' said the woman. 'Thass funny. My name's Smith too. Why.' she added sentimentally, 'I might be your mother!'
    She might, thought Winston, be his mother. She was about the right age and physique, and it was probable that people changed somewhat after twenty years in a forced-labor camp" (188).


    The woman's friendliness is most likely due to her drunken state not because she is Winston's mother. Having the same last name is not a guarantee that they are related, especially since "Smith" is the most common last name in the United Kingdom. However, Orwell created this character at this time in the novel to show a change in Winston. Winston realizes there is a possibility that this is his mother yet he does not react joyously or dwell on the thought. This shows that Winston is already losing any part of him that was ever - or was becoming - human; he has lost the love he was beginning to feel toward other beings. It is also interesting to point out Orwell's choice for Winston's last name. "Smith" literally means "one who works with iron." As stated before, iron often symbolizes inflexible rule and is used to describe both the monotone voices and the boots of the Party members. Winston's last name of Smith symbolizes his connection to the Party. He is destined to become part of Ingsoc.

Work Cited:
"Smith (surname)." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 20 Aug. 2010. Wikipedia. 22 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_%28surname%29>.

Photo Credit:
Robinson, Steve. Moose Creek Forge. 2010. 26 Aug. 2010 <http://www.moosecreekforge.com/index2.html>.