In the novel"1984," George
Orwell provides clues to an inarticulate future. In the book's totalitarian society (1) language is narrowed by outlawing
certain words, (2) diversity in language and opinion is curtailed, (3) critical analysis of anything is decried, and (4) determining
truth through mental investigation and conversation is forbidden.
Orwell's prophetic novel was published in 1949.
He created a new vocabulary about totalitarian
control with words such as "newspeak", "doublethink," and "thoughtcrime."
His warnings were powerful in his portrayal
of a chillingly credible 'negative utopia,' with 'big brother' always on the watch, and a deeply
anxious populace falling into an unthinking conformity. Sound familiar?
