“Is a PLONGEUR'S work really necessary to civilization? We have a feeling that it must be 'honest' work, because it is hard and disagreeable, and we have made a sort of fetish of manual work. We see a man cutting down a tree, and we make sure that he is filling a social need, just because he uses his muscles; it does not occur to us that he may only be cutting down a beautiful tree to make room for a hideous statue. I believe it is the same with a PLONGEUR. He earns his bread in the sweat of his brow, but it does not follow that he is doing anything useful; he may be only supplying a luxury which, very often, is no luxury at all.”

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Originally said in English.

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About George Orwell

English writer and journalist of the 20th century, Orwell is best known for his dystopian novels *Nineteen Eighty-Four* and *Animal Farm*, which critique totalitarianism and power. His essays on politics, language, and society remain influential for their clarity and moral urgency.

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"Is a PLONGEUR'S work really necessary to civilization? We have a feel…" — George Orwell | Daily Quotes