Orwell's Argument

Orwell’s central argument is that “ modern English, especially written English, is full of bad habits” and these bad habits “can be avoided if one is willing to take the necessary trouble” (Orwell 2). Orwell argues that“the decline of a language must ultimately have political and economic causes” but, “the process is reversible” (2). He also states that “language is a natural growth and not an instrument which we shape for our own purposes” (1). Language is constantly changing as political times change and as the language develops.. By getting rid of these bad habits, people will be able to think more clearly, which in turn can influence political regeneration.
Orwell successfully develops his argument in this essay. The essay is written in
He argues the overuse of euphemisms in the language transforms it into a tool of manipulation at the government’s disposal. Political language is an invasive language that is used to deceive the public. Orwell references many of the uses of this type of language to political points of views during World War II. Words and phrases such as “pacification” and the “elimination of unreliable elements” are used to name acts such as bombings and murder without invoking a mental image. He claims that “political speech and writing are largely the defense to the indefensible” (3). Then, in paragraph five, he explains how “language can also corrupt thought” (5). Next, the essay transitions from informing the reader of the problems in modern English to how this process can be reversed. As he says earlier in the essay, “the fight against bad English is not frivolous and is not the exclusive concern of professional writers” (1). He argues that the revival of the English language implies more than to just “make pretentiousness unfashionable” (6). In addition to this, Orwell lists six simple rules to change the current attitude in writing and reverse the declining of the