An additional step toward the very thought control that Orwell’s classic “1984” warns against has been taken with the release of a trigger warning in its 75th anniversary edition. The book is criticized for its “problematic” characters and lack of diversity by the professor from American University who wrote the introduction. The left’s ongoing appropriation of literature to promote woke ideology is revealed by this liberal reworking of a conservative classic.
Orwell’s Classic Under Woke Attack
The official 75th anniversary edition of George Orwell’s 1984 now includes a trigger warning written by American University professor Dolen Perkins-Valdez. This edition, approved by the Orwell estate, features an introduction in which Perkins-Valdez criticizes the novel for its lack of Black characters and its “problematic” protagonist, Winston Smith.
The 75th anniversary of Orwell’s 1984 was published with an Orwellian trigger warning. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/yE3vnQVQa5
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 3, 2025
Perkins-Valdez claims the absence of Black characters gives her “pause” as a contemporary reader. She admits finding it difficult to establish a “sliver of connection” with a book that “does not speak much to race and ethnicity” – an astounding criticism of a novel focused on totalitarianism rather than racial dynamics.
The Disturbing Irony
The professor’s criticism extends to protagonist Winston Smith’s views toward women, which she labels “despicable” by modern standards. Her commentary fails to distinguish between depicting a character with flaws in a dystopian society and endorsing those views, a basic literary understanding that appears lost in her ideological critique.
YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS UP. In Germany, a new edition of Orwell’s 1984 is being released with a "trigger warning".
The warning criticizes the book for misogyny, the absence of Black characters, and a lack of focus on race and ethnicity.
There’s no real free speech in Germany. pic.twitter.com/Z6Ua932Zg9
— Humble Flow (@HumbleFlow) June 4, 2025
Commentators Walter Kirn and Matt Taibbi discussed this paradox on “America This Week, Live,” highlighting the situation’s absurdity. Kirn pointedly observed, “We’re getting someone to convict George Orwell of thoughtcrime in the book he wrote about thoughtcrime,” capturing the disturbing irony of applying modern leftist ideology to a book warning about ideological control.
Censorship Disguised as Sensitivity
The professor’s trigger warning represents the exact kind of language manipulation and thought control Orwell warned against in his novel. This edition apologizes for its existence, with Perkins-Valdez writing, “I’m enjoying the novel on its terms, not as a classic but as a good story. That is, until Winston reveals himself to be a problematic character.”
“One question about ‘1984’ and the present is, if the present is so much like ‘1984’, then why do they let ‘1984’ still exist?” – Walter Kirn.
The answer seems clear – by attaching ideological warnings and critiques to classic literature, progressives can neutralize powerful messages while claiming to support free expression. Conservative readers and educators should be alarmed at this blatant attempt to undermine one of literature’s most important warnings about government overreach and thought control.
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To which novelist and critic Walter Kirn says: 'We’re getting someone to convict George Orwell of thoughtcrime in the book he wrote about thoughtcrime.'
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— The College Fix (@CollegeFix) June 3, 2025