ABSTRACT This paper aims to shed a new light on the Capitol riots of January 6, 2021 through the lens of Orwell's 1984. I argue that Orwell's 1984 is a fictional narrative that prompted real‐life actions. First, I examine the human need for collective narratives to make sense of the world. Then, I analyze three images taken on January 6, 2021 and draw comparison between these real‐life visuals and important themes ubiquitous to Orwell's fictional novel. Finally, I demonstrate how the narratives that led to the attack on the Capitol were inspired from George Orwell's famous dystopian novel.
Julie Grandjean (2026) studied this question.