Exploring Orwell’s 1984: The Power Behind Manufactured Truth

Following Donald Trump’s election as President of the United States, George Orwell’s classic novel Nineteen Eighty-Four soared to bestseller status once again. It quickly surpassed contemporary works by Danielle Steel, Rupi Kaur’s poetry, the eleventh installment of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and the memoir by J.D. Vance. This resurgence begs the question: Is the novel’s renewed popularity due to its uncanny resonance with modern America, or is it simply unrivaled in its portrayal of political dystopia?

Despite the criticisms of Trump’s administration, it bears less resemblance to the oppressive regime of Orwell’s Airstrip One. However, the era did bring the term “post-truth” into the mainstream.

Orwell’s dystopia in Nineteen Eighty-Four is unappealing for many reasons: rampant bureaucracy, joyless existence, and constant surveillance and propaganda. The most disturbing aspect is the tyrannical control over truth itself, a manipulation not limited to despotic regimes.

In his insightful video on Nineteen Eighty-Four, James Payne explores Orwell’s own experiences working at the BBC during the war, shaping his depiction of the Ministry of Truth, where protagonist Winston Smith rewrites history. While Orwell might have overestimated the top-down alteration of language with Newspeak, Payne points out that today’s political discourse often employs skewed and emotionally charged narratives.

Related Content:

• Understanding “Newspeak”: The Official Language of Orwell’s Dystopia in 1984
• Why Orwell Wrote 1984: Insights from a 1944 Letter
• Orwell’s Race Against Time to Complete 1984
• Orwell’s Final Warning: Avoiding a Dystopian Future
• Demystifying “Orwellian”: A Lesson on Its Use & Misuse
• The Huxley-Orwell Debate: Whose Vision of the Future Prevails?

Colin Marshall, based in Seoul, writes on urban culture and language. Discover his work through the Books on Cities newsletter and his book The Stateless City. Connect with him on X (formerly Twitter): @colinmarshall.