Another 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’s “problematic” characters and lack of diversity are criticized by the American University professor who wrote the introduction. The left’s continued appropriation of literature to promote woke ideology is revealed by this liberal reworking of a conservative classic.
Woke Academia Rewrites Conservative Classic
The official Orwell-estate-approved 75th anniversary edition of “1984” now includes a trigger warning penned by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, a professor at American University. Her introduction criticizes the dystopian novel’s lack of Black characters and the protagonist’s supposedly misogynistic views, essentially apologizing for the book’s content to modern readers.
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 writes that a “sliver of connection” is difficult with a book that “does not speak much to race and ethnicity.” She further complains that Winston Smith, the main character fighting against totalitarian control, is “problematic” by today’s standards, seemingly missing the entire point of a novel about thought policing.
The Irony of Censoring Anti-Censorship Literature
The inclusion of a trigger warning in a novel specifically about language control and thought suppression represents a stunning level of irony lost on progressive academics. Commentators Walter Kirn and Matt Taibbi discussed this paradox on “America This Week, Live,” pointing out how the introduction essentially convicts Orwell of the very thoughtcrime he warned against.
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
Perkins-Valdez finds it necessary to criticize the book for failing to meet modern progressive standards, despite acknowledging the difference between a flawed character and a flawed story. Her critique exemplifies how leftist ideology has infiltrated education, with professors now feeling entitled to reframe classic literature through the lens of contemporary identity politics.
Orwell’s Prophecy Fulfilled by the Left
During his discussion, Walter Kirn raised a profound question: “One question about ‘1984’ and the present is, if the present is so much like ‘1984’, then why do they let ‘1984’ still exist?” The answer may lie in the left’s recontextualization strategy rather than banning literature that contradicts their worldview.
“We’re getting someone to convict George Orwell of thoughtcrime in the book he wrote about thoughtcrime.” – Walter Kirn.
The trigger warning represents a concerning trend where classic literature must now come with apologies and disclaimers to appease progressive sensibilities. Conservative readers and educators should be alarmed that even works warning about governmental overreach and thought control are being subjected to the very ideological filtering systems they cautioned against.
While Perkins-Valdez teaches creative writing at American University, her introduction demonstrates how academia has become a vehicle for imposing leftist ideology on students. Rather than encouraging critical thinking and historical context, trigger warnings serve to undermine the powerful messages of conservative literature and condition readers to view everything through a progressive lens.