Quote by George Orwell

He examined the chess problem and set out the pieces. It was a tricky ending, involving a couple of knights.'White to play and mate in two moves.'Winston looked up at the portrait of Big Brother. White always mates, he thought with a sort of cloudy mysticism. Always, without exception, it is so arranged. In no chess problem since the beginning of the world has black ever won. Did it not symbolize the eternal, unvarying triumph of Good over Evil? The huge face gazed back at him, full of calm power. White always mates.

He examined the chess problem and set out the pieces. It was

Summary

In this quote from George Orwell's novel "1984," the protagonist Winston is analyzing a chess problem that presents white with the task of checkmating in two moves. As he studies the puzzle, Winston's thoughts turn to the symbolic nature of white always winning in chess problems. According to him, this unchanging outcome represents the triumph of good (represented by white) over evil (represented by black) in a constant, unwavering manner. Winston finds solace in this belief, drawing comparison to the omnipresent image of Big Brother, a symbol of authority and power in his dystopian society.

Topics

Philosophy Big Brother Orwell Chess

By George Orwell

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