Homespun cloth (symbol)
Orwell refers to Gandhi's clothing, a sheet of homespun cloth. This minimalist attire reflects the asceticism that was so central to Gandhi's practice. While Orwell finds it personally distasteful, he also recognizes how the gesture of simplicity is central to Gandhi's politics.
Vegetarianism (symbol)
Alongside homespun cloth, Orwell refers to Gandhi's vegetarianism as a symbol of Gandhi's politicized asceticism. Vegetarianism was an aspect of Gandhi's practice of self-sacrifice; and it was a means of devaluing the importance of his own existence in relation to animals. By practicing vegetarianism, Gandhi was doing more than merely committing to non-violence: he was demoting his own appetite for animal flesh. This devaluation of his own desires and appetites was central to his political method and to the practice of Satyagraha.
Fasting (symbol)
Fasting is yet another symbol of Gandhi's asceticism referenced in the essay. Like the other symbols, it is about more than Gandhi's power of his own body, or self-control. Gandhi's practice of fasting was a part of his political action. By not being ruled by his appetites, Gandhi attempted to downplay the importance of his existence in relation to other humans and other lifeforms. This self-sacrifice was central to his political action.
The button (symbol)
Near the end of the essay Orwell mentions "the button" in reference to the threat of nuclear war. The button represents the trigger that he says could potentially set off nuclear holocaust at a given moment. The symbol is a powerful one insofar as it implies that a global catastrophe could be instigated by a single finger. In other words, the fate of the world may rely on the will of an individual. This sense of precariousness is the reason for Orwell's belief in the importance of a discussion of non-violence and an examination, at least, of Gandhi's methods. Orwell feels that the need for such discourse is urgent. As he says, he doesn't think the world can survive another world war.
Non-violence (motif)
This motif is central to the essay and central to Gandhi's life, thought and politics. Orwell focuses on the question of non-violence and how or whether it could be transferred beyond a situation of national self-rule, as in the case of Indian independence.
