Lesson We Never Learn from George Orwell
George Orwell (1903–1950) is best known for his dystopian masterpiece 1984 and allegorical novella Animal Farm, but his entire body of work—from essays like “Politics and the English Language” to memoirs such as The Road to Wigan Pier—reveals a writer deeply concerned with truth, freedom, and the human condition.
When he wrote, Orwell was reacting to rising totalitarian regimes, social inequality, and the manipulation of language for political ends. Fast forward to 2025, and we still find his messages relevant—if not chillingly prophetic. In a world grappling with digital surveillance, misinformation, extremist politics, and corporate monopolies, Orwell’s cautionary tales speak directly to our times.
This article explores why George Orwell was right—drawing connections across his entire body of work and tying them to contemporary issues. Whether the topic is mass surveillance, manipulative language, economic oppression, or the cyclical nature of power, Orwell’s insights remain a crucial compass for understanding today’s challenges.
2. 1984 and the Age of Surveillance
No discussion of Orwell is complete without referencing 1984, his seminal novel depicting a regime that wields complete power over citizens through omnipresent surveillance and language distortion. In the world of Big Brother, cameras watch every move, and “thoughtcrime” is punishable by reeducation and torture.
Modern Parallels (2025)
- Digital Surveillance: While we may not have “telescreens” in every home, the rise of smart devices, facial recognition, and AI-driven data mining can feel uncannily Orwellian. Governments and corporations collect vast amounts of personal data, sometimes under the guise of security or targeted advertising.
- Self-Censorship: Social media algorithms can inadvertently shape what people say or don’t say online. Users face social and economic consequences for unpopular opinions—creating the modern version of “thoughtcrime.”
In 1984, Orwell warned of state control achieved through fear and constant monitoring. In 2025, we see the potential for corporate-state partnerships that yield similar results: the constant threat that our every click, conversation, or location check-in might be logged and judged.
3. Animal Farm and the Cycle of Power
Animal Farm, Orwell’s allegorical novella, uses farmyard animals to depict the Russian Revolution and the subsequent betrayal of socialist ideals. The pigs overthrow human masters only to mirror their oppressors’ behavior, culminating in the chilling line, “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig…but already it was impossible to say which was which.”
Modern Parallels (2025)
- Revolutionary Movements Turning Sour: Around the world, we’ve witnessed new governments—once formed on promises of reform and liberation—turn oppressive. Orwell’s animals are a stark reminder that absolute power can corrupt absolutely, regardless of the original ideology.
- Oligarchy and Crony Capitalism: Even in supposedly free-market societies, wealth and political power often end up concentrated in a select few, eerily echoing the pig leadership’s monopoly on resources.
Orwell cautions us that revolutions can fail if structures of accountability and equality aren’t maintained. In 2025, vigilance is key: each new promise of political rebirth must be scrutinized to ensure real, lasting change, lest we find ourselves in another version of Animal Farm.
4. Language as a Tool of Control
Orwell’s essay, “Politics and the English Language,” argues that language corruption leads to corrupted thought. By using euphemisms and political jargon, leaders obscure the truth and manipulate public opinion. This theme also appears in 1984 through the invention of Newspeak—a pared-down language designed to limit independent thought.
Modern Parallels (2025)
- Spin and PR Language: Politicians and marketers increasingly lean on sanitized, vague phrases—“collateral damage,” “alternative facts,” or “innovative solutions”—to obscure ugly realities or oversell weak policies.
- AI-Generated Content: With AI writing tools becoming prevalent, carefully crafted “talking points” can saturate media faster than ever. While these tools can streamline communication, they can also magnify propaganda if used unethically.
Orwell’s focus on language resonates powerfully in 2025, where digital echo chambers, AI-crafted discourse, and an ever-accelerating news cycle can blur the line between truth and spin.
5. Colonialism, Class Struggle, and Burmese Days
Orwell’s novel Burmese Days reflects his personal experiences as a police officer in colonial Burma, exposing the racial and socioeconomic hierarchies underpinning imperial rule. He critiques the arrogance of empire, the hypocrisy of colonizers, and the dehumanization of local populations.
Modern Parallels (2025)
- Neocolonialism and Global Inequality: While classic colonial empires have dissolved, critics argue that multinational corporations and global financial institutions perpetuate new forms of economic domination.
- Systemic Inequality: Class, race, and nationality still shape one’s life opportunities. Burmese Days underscores the deep injustice in hierarchical structures—something that resonates with the ongoing push for social and economic justice worldwide.
Orwell’s personal reckoning with colonialism reminds us in 2025 that exploitation often evolves instead of simply disappearing. Whether in resource extraction or labor practices, the old patterns can reemerge under new guises.
6. Homage to Catalonia and the Propaganda Machine
In Homage to Catalonia, Orwell recounts his experiences fighting in the Spanish Civil War. He witnessed firsthand the propaganda and political betrayals that marred the antifascist cause. This memoir highlights how media narratives can twist reality, demonizing allies or glorifying tyrants depending on immediate political ends.
Modern Parallels (2025)
- Biased Reporting & Citizen Journalism: We see hyper-partisan media outlets that demonize the other side, regardless of facts. Citizen journalism offers alternative perspectives but can also spawn misinformation when fact-checking is absent.
- Deepfake Technology: Videos can now be manipulated with frightening accuracy, enabling the creation of entirely fabricated realities. This is the digital-age iteration of Orwell’s observation that truth can be shaped by those controlling the narrative.
“Homage to Catalonia” underscores how easily truth becomes a casualty in political conflict. In 2025, Orwell’s plea for firsthand evidence and intellectual honesty resonates more than ever.
7. Poverty, Alienation, and The Road to Wigan Pier
In The Road to Wigan Pier, Orwell documents the severe living conditions of working-class communities in northern England during the 1930s. He uses personal observation and statistical research to expose poverty, unemployment, and the hidden struggles of everyday life.
Modern Parallels (2025)
- Wealth Gaps and Global Crises: Economic disparities remain stark. Even as technology drives innovation, income inequality and housing crises persist in many developed countries.
- Gig Economy Exploitation: Precarious labor, zero-hour contracts, and limited social safety nets can echo the conditions Orwell describes—especially where workers have few protections.
Orwell’s compassion for the working class and his critique of systemic inequality have clear parallels with contemporary debates about a living wage, universal basic income, and the future of work in an automated age.
8. The Personal is Political: Keep the Aspidistra Flying, Coming Up for Air
Two of Orwell’s lesser-discussed novels—Keep the Aspidistra Flying and Coming Up for Air—deal with ordinary individuals grappling with economic pressures, societal expectations, and the creeping sense that something is fundamentally wrong with the world.
Modern Parallels (2025)
- Materialism and Anxiety: In Keep the Aspidistra Flying, protagonist Gordon Comstock fights against the worship of money, feeling stifled by economic constraints and commercial culture. In 2025, consumerism remains pervasive, and the psychological toll of endless striving for wealth and status is well-documented.
- Nostalgia vs. Modernity: Coming Up for Air explores a middle-aged man’s yearning for the idyllic past as war looms. In today’s volatile climate—shaped by political instability, ecological crises, and rapid technological change—similar waves of nostalgia and anxiety abound, prompting us to question whether the “good old days” were ever truly good.
Through these characters’ personal struggles, Orwell reveals how political and social systems weigh on individuals, shaping their freedoms, relationships, and sense of self.
9. Orwell’s Relevance in 2025
Why was George Orwell right? Because he recognized human vulnerabilities—to propaganda, to power lust, to complacency—and warned that systemic corruption would exploit these weaknesses. His works are neither purely dystopian cautionary tales nor mere historical documents: they are timeless analyses of how societies can lose their grip on truth, fairness, and freedom.
- Techno-Authoritarianism vs. Democracy
- Orwell predicted a future where technology could be weaponized to monitor and manipulate. In 2025, robust legal frameworks and civic engagement are crucial to prevent the exploitation of personal data for totalitarian aims.
- Language as the Battlefield
- From “fake news” to deepfakes, Orwell’s insight that language shapes reality remains pivotal. Political actors, corporations, and even AI can use words (or manipulated images) to sway public opinion, subvert accountability, and alter the historical record.
- The Struggle for Empathy and Justice
- Orwell’s portrayals of class struggle, poverty, and colonial oppression speak to the moral imperative: we must address structural inequalities before they corrode the social fabric.
- The Importance of Individual Agency
- Orwell’s protagonists—whether Winston Smith in 1984 or Gordon Comstock in Keep the Aspidistra Flying—illustrate that resistance starts with individual conscience. It can be as personal as refusing to lie or as grand as joining a political cause.
10. Conclusion
George Orwell was right, not because he possessed a crystal ball, but because he understood timeless truths about human nature, political systems, and the power of language. Through 1984, Animal Farm, and his broader body of work—Burmese Days, Homage to Catalonia, The Road to Wigan Pier, Keep the Aspidistra Flying, Coming Up for Air, and countless essays—he mapped out the forces that can corrupt societies from within.
In 2025, the lines between physical reality and digital realms blur further. Data capitalism, misinformation campaigns, and ubiquitous surveillance can give new shape to Orwell’s totalitarian nightmares. Simultaneously, global movements for justice, transparency, and individual rights show that people are still willing to fight for a fairer world, echoing Orwell’s conviction that ordinary individuals can—and must—speak out against oppression.
Ultimately, Orwell’s work endures because it challenges each of us to stay awake: to question official narratives, to treasure free expression, and to protect the dignity of all human beings. His writings remain not a prophecy set in stone but a warning—and a call to action—for every generation, ours very much included.
Further Reading
- Orwell’s Works and Analysis:
- “1984” – The definitive dystopian novel by Orwell.
- “Animal Farm” – An allegory for the Russian Revolution and subsequent corruption of power.
- “George Orwell: A Life in Letters” – Provides insight into Orwell’s thoughts and personal life through his correspondence.
- Surveillance and Privacy:
- “The Age of Surveillance Capitalism” by Shoshana Zuboff – Explores how surveillance has become a business model in the digital age.
- “Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World” by Bruce Schneier – Discusses the impact of surveillance on privacy and democracy.
- Language and Propaganda:
- “On Bullshit” by Harry G. Frankfurt – An essay on the degradation of truth through language manipulation.
- “Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media” by Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman – Examines how media can shape public opinion.
- Class, Colonialism, and Inequality:
- “The Wretched of the Earth” by Frantz Fanon – Discusses the psychology of colonialism and the struggle for national culture.
- “Capital in the Twenty-First Century” by Thomas Piketty – Analyzes economic inequality and its historical patterns.
- Politics and Social Justice:
- “Why Orwell Matters” by Christopher Hitchens – A defense of Orwell’s legacy and its ongoing relevance.
- “The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism” by Naomi Klein – Looks at how crises are used to push through economic policies that benefit the elite.
- Technology and Society:
- “The Fourth Industrial Revolution” by Klaus Schwab – Discusses the impact of technology on society, echoing some of Orwell’s concerns about control.
- “The People vs. Tech: How the Internet Is Killing Democracy (And How We Can Save It)” by Jamie Bartlett – Examines the relationship between technology, democracy, and individual freedoms.
