"1984" in 2026: America at 250
The novel 1984 seems particularly relevant as America turns 250. Published in 1949, George Orwell's work was prescient. Along with Anthony Burgess's later novel A Clockwork Orange , 1984 became a classic of dystopian fiction, exploring themes of totalitarianism, paranoia, and the loss of freedom of expression. It also helped coin the term "Orwellian," which describes situations in which Big Brother, the government's overseers, are watching. I read the novel in high school and found it dull. The concepts of loss of freedom and mind control felt distant, vague, and irrelevant. I got more enjoyment out of “1984,” a fast-paced song thematically inspired by Orwell's novel, from David Bowie’s 1974 album Diamond Dogs : Someday they won't let you, now you must agree The times they are a-telling, and the changing isn't free You've read it in the tea leaves, and the tracks are on TV Beware the savage jaw Of 1984 Today, under our flag-hugging, orange lead...
