June 10th 2024.
It was a bit ironic, really. As I was engrossed in my re-reading of George Orwell's iconic novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, something interesting happened. I stumbled upon an article about Richard Dreyfuss, the well-known actor, on the Metro website. Apparently, he had made some controversial comments about LGBTQ+ rights and the MeToo movement at a screening of Jaws in Massachusetts. His son, Ben, had come to his defense, acknowledging that his father was not perfect but still standing by him. It was a prime example of the thoughtcrime concept presented in Orwell's book - the idea that even our thoughts can be considered a threat to those in power and result in dire consequences.
Orwell didn't set out to predict the future when he wrote Nineteen Eighty-Four at his remote farmhouse on the Scottish island of Jura. Rather, he wanted to caution readers about the dangers of radical revolution in a world where technology could manipulate the past and monitor every individual's intentions. Whether or not we have reached this level of control is a topic of debate. However, it's hard to deny the impact the novel has had on our language and perception of the world.
The telescreens, for instance, are reminiscent of modern-day devices like Alexa or Google Nest, always listening and recording our every move. And the speakwrite, a tool for speech-to-text transcription, is not too far off from the one described in the book. But perhaps the most significant influence of Nineteen Eighty-Four lies in its manipulation of language. The concept of "newspeak", the deliberate corruption of language to limit free thought, is a chilling one. In the appendix of the book, Orwell delves into the principles of newspeak, adding a haunting layer to the devastating ending.
Although we are not heading towards a newspeak-dominated society, some of Orwell's terms have found their way into our vocabulary. The word "doublethink", meaning the ability to hold contradictory thoughts, has been a useful concept for some in the current political climate. And then there's the idea of thoughtcrime, which has been gaining popularity in recent years. However, its meaning seems to have shifted from the book's original concept. Now, it's often used to describe someone expressing views that go against societal norms, making them a target for those in power or those without it.
But let's not forget the terror of the world depicted in Nineteen Eighty-Four. It's a reminder that we should be cautious about the direction our society is heading in and the consequences of blindly following those in power. Orwell's masterpiece continues to hold influence even after 75 years, and it's a testament to his foresight and skill as a writer.
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