Hero or villain?

Heroism

Practising what he preached, he took a bullet for his beliefs and directed consistent ire against both his opponents and his own shortcomings.

Villainy

Flawed by prejudice, as well as self-contradiction on important subjects, critics past and present have had plentiful ammunition to fire at his divisive stances.

legacy

‘Big Brother’, ‘Room 101’, ‘Thought Police’, ‘Orwellian’ – few writers have achieved such a lasting impression on literature, language and culture.