Politics And The English Language
“Politics and the English language”
George Orwell
General questions
1. This piece is written basically just to criticize bad writing and also to criticize the downgrade of the English language. In the essay Orwell argues that “our language is probably curable”. The main point is just to show examples of how the language has deteriorated and also to give some pointers on how it can be fixed.
2. Throughout the essay the author’s tone is that of aggravation because the entire piece is basically a scolding speech to the way we use our language to express our feelings and meanings behind what we say. In the piece, the author uses a lot of Parenthesis just to add small thoughts or opinions into a particular sentence. A few examples …show more content…
The language used to write this essay, in my opinion, is very descriptive and vivid. Some examples of the descriptive language used are personification, some puns and many similes. An example of a pun in this piece I also used and called a chiasmus, “a man may take a drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks”. Orwell says, “It is same thing that is happening to the English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish”. Orwell compares the struggle against the abuse of language to that of, “like preferring candles to electric light”. Many similes are used in the piece just to show particular points and comparisons that Orwell wants to make the reader understand. Another trope that is used many times throughout is the personification an example within the piece is, “dying metaphors”. Words don’t literally die but by saying “dying”, Orwell better gets across the point that the metaphors he discussed are more and more disappearing from everyday use. Not dying, just not, being as frequently used. All of these examples are just a few of several used simply to reinforce the point of the essay.
4. Since the essay was written in London, in 1946 I believe that the audience for this piece was intended to be the English speaking general public. I believe that what Orwell is trying to convey to the public (in his eyes) is a sort of wake up call to the problem of the downgrade of their own language that is happening before there very eyes each and
George Orwell
General questions
1. This piece is written basically just to criticize bad writing and also to criticize the downgrade of the English language. In the essay Orwell argues that “our language is probably curable”. The main point is just to show examples of how the language has deteriorated and also to give some pointers on how it can be fixed.
2. Throughout the essay the author’s tone is that of aggravation because the entire piece is basically a scolding speech to the way we use our language to express our feelings and meanings behind what we say. In the piece, the author uses a lot of Parenthesis just to add small thoughts or opinions into a particular sentence. A few examples …show more content…
The language used to write this essay, in my opinion, is very descriptive and vivid. Some examples of the descriptive language used are personification, some puns and many similes. An example of a pun in this piece I also used and called a chiasmus, “a man may take a drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks”. Orwell says, “It is same thing that is happening to the English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish”. Orwell compares the struggle against the abuse of language to that of, “like preferring candles to electric light”. Many similes are used in the piece just to show particular points and comparisons that Orwell wants to make the reader understand. Another trope that is used many times throughout is the personification an example within the piece is, “dying metaphors”. Words don’t literally die but by saying “dying”, Orwell better gets across the point that the metaphors he discussed are more and more disappearing from everyday use. Not dying, just not, being as frequently used. All of these examples are just a few of several used simply to reinforce the point of the essay.
4. Since the essay was written in London, in 1946 I believe that the audience for this piece was intended to be the English speaking general public. I believe that what Orwell is trying to convey to the public (in his eyes) is a sort of wake up call to the problem of the downgrade of their own language that is happening before there very eyes each and