George Orwell, whose poignant, and hauntingly accurate novel, "1984", is as relevent in '84 as it is in 2008, depicted a bleak glimpse into the future of our dystopian world. Considering that the novel was published in 1949, it translates to how in tune Orwell was with recognizing the ever so overreaching and intruding arm of the government and the proliferation of disregard for our civil liberties. George Orwell (which is the pseudonym of Eric Arthur Blair) wasn't born in America, but many of the issues he delves into are universal, which transcend borders, race, and nationality.
Orwell has had quite an influence on the English language. One phrase in particular that he coined, which will undoubtedly be familiar, is 'Big Brother.' Big Brother is a euphemism used in "1984" for what seems to be the personification of an unbending, overreaching government, and explicitly named such as a methodical ruse in an ironic attempt to guise its function as propaganda. This is where the adjective 'Orwellian' is derived. If something sounds 'Orwellian', it means the language is "[...] political[ly] manipulat[ed] [...], by obfuscation, e.g. WAR IS PEACE. Using language to obfuscate meaning or to reduce and eliminate ideas and their meanings that are deemed dangerous to its authority." (via)
(How about a modern day example of Orwellian language: Operation Iraqi Freedom, anyone? Patriot Act?)
If you're interested to read about how this man saw the world on a day-to-day basis, you can take a peek at his journal entries that are currently being transposed, real-time, 70 years later to the day -- on Wordpress. http://orwelldiaries.wordpress.com/
About the Blog:
The Orwell Prize, Britain’s pre-eminent prize for political writing, is publishing George Orwell’s diaries as a blog. From 9th August 2008, Orwell’s domestic and political diaries (from 9th August 1938 until October 1942) will be posted in real-time, exactly 70 years after the entries were written.
Too cool. I LOVE 1984 - it's both really interesting and disturbing...
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