Bigs 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.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: 1984 by George Orwell, 1949
The passage uses a chess metaphor to illustrate the belief that good (white) inevitably defeats evil (black) in a deterministic universe.
In simple terms: Good always wins over evil.
Key Takeaway
Recognize patterns of inevitability.
Themes
determinism
good vs evil
metaphor
literary analysis
Mood
thoughtful
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- reading literature
- teaching moral philosophy
- writing essays
- discussing ethics
Key Concepts
symbolism
philosophical reflection
Questions to Reflect On
- Does inevitability limit moral responsibility?
- How does symbolism shape our view of conflict?
A Different Perspective
It overlooks randomness and human agency in complex conflicts.
![“In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible... Thus, political language has to consist largely of euphemism, question-begging, and sheer cloudy vagueness... Political language [is] designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable.” quote by George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/837/george-orwell-57_begging_in-our-time-political-speech-and-writing_1334346.jpg)
![“I've always identified [myself] with the warrior and good over evil, and you don't negotiate for good over evil, if you want peace and love, kill people that deny you that.” quote by Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1e6/ted-nugent-1735_and-love_i-ve-always-identified-myself-with-the-w_2074363.jpg)
![“The world of [comic book] collecting is not a pretty place. For a bunch of guys who like good-over-evil stories, you sure meet a lot of morally bankrupt assholes.” quote by Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0f5/seth-1954_book_the-world-of-comic-book-collecting-is-no_1888868.jpg)
![“The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before going in with [Larry] Holmes. That would have made all the difference.” quote by Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d63/gerry-cooney-20863_bigs_the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-m_1534.jpg)
