1) The device Orwell uses to introduce his thesis are chiasmi. The first chiasmus is “A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks” and the second chiasmus is “It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts.” Both sentences are examples of chiasmus since they reverse key terms in their clauses, the key terms being “drinking” and “failure” in the first, and the state of the language and “foolish thoughts” in the second sentence. 2) Orwell uses the argumentative method of development. This is apparent when the first sentence of the essay introduces his point of …show more content…
In life, when a close friend adopts a quirk in their speech, such as saying “like” a lot, sometimes people can catch themselves accidentally saying “like” more than before. This change in speech makes what the person is saying seem like certain due to “like” traditionally be used to approximate. Over time, this has the potential to make the speaker thoughts to become less confident. Orwell is explaining that this is what is happening with bad habits in the English language on a much grander scale. 11) The main idea of paragraph 13 is that Orwell clears up many misconceptions that people might have about his essay and reinstates that he believes that quality over quantity is something that the English language needs to work towards and that archaic rules can be broken in order to achieve this. 12) The first ironic rule is to, “Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.” This rule is to make sure that people are creative in their writing and add a bit of spark to the writing. Another reason the rule is stated since hackneyed phrases often get muddled with other ones, which results in a muddled
“People who had incurred the displeasure of the party simply disappeared and were never heard of again.
In the beginning, Orwell accepts with his opposing side, with “this is unquestionably true;” however, then, talks about his counterexample, about Gandhi, and rebutts the original claim. Lastly, he ends the passage with his opinionated, supported statements (a transformation of the original claim). This structure shows the reader two things, that the author took the time to consider the opposing side’s views and that the author put deep thought into how he was going t validate his claim. This structure strengthens his argument, by debunking any possible arguments against his, and by allowing him to form some supporting evidence. In addition, by using the “-- I think--” after his example of Gandhi, he is transitioning to his opinionated thoughts. This smooth transition allows the reader to hear the author’s perspective (voice) clearly, to analyze both sides (views) presented, and to follow the author’s thought process
Many people can relate to receiving an essay paper back in which they believe that the grading is unfair. Grammatical errors, style, and subject are areas that receive the most attention. However, it may not be the writers’ work that is ineffective, maybe it 's the English language itself that is lacking in quality. Similarly, George Orwell in " Politics and the English Language" convinces the audience that the causes of the decline in the English language are the vagueness and meaningless of prose that is receiving impact from political jargon. Orwell effectively persuades the readers by addressing opposing views, providing examples that offer support to sub-claims, and creating reader connections while simultaneously
The point Orwell is trying to get across is that this mistreatment of the working class is not tolerable and must be disbanded (121). His solution to the problem is Socialism. He wants to show that a Socialist society can be implemented globally and benefit especially the lower classes. The problem he faces is that Socialism is quickly being phased out of the conversation and being replaced by the likes of Fascism (171). He is convinced that a Socialist movement is inevitable and a “historic necessity” (172). One problem he addresses is the correlation in the minds of the people to Socialism and Communism (175). While Communism is about control over the people, states Socialism is about justice, liberty, and receiving better wages for fewer hours while having no one bossing you around (176). Orwell even goes to the extent of saying that Fascism is a product of Communism (187). The biggest point Orwell attempts to give in my opinion is that there is no way the ideals he seeks (mentioned before as justice, liberty, etc.) cannot be achieved without a Socialist movements he calls “progress” (214). The “progress” he speaks of includes the de-centralization of power in the class system and the progression of machines and other means
This essay is distinctly about how life experiences alter the way in which your writings travel. The ups and downs of life will determine the perspective you see of your life, in turn, determining how you feel or express yourself. Orwell states, “his subject matter will be determined by the age he lives in – at least this is true in tumultuous, revolutionary ages like our own” (265). This statement proves how writing develops with age and how through different time periods, has evolved. Orwell's essay focuses on the indirect wants.
Orwell’s classic, 1984, is a haunting, disturbing novel. Everything from constant surveillance to the mutability of the past adds to the creepy world Orwell created in his classic. Orwell’s writing style is incredibly descriptive, and paints a completely convincing picture of his dystopian setting. He does not use much figurative language, but he does rely on logical fallacies accepted as fact to shock and intrigue the reader. One
The reader at this point sees more and more that the quality of life is low and almost akin to that of a prison. This strategy used by Orwell is a strong pathos argument as it plays to the emotions of the reader to cause the association of The Party and negativity in the mind of the reader. 1984: A Rhetorical analysis 2 1984: A Rhetorical analysis 5 The way that The Party, Big Brother, and many of the other foreign concepts are referred to are quite vague at first which Orwell does on purpose.
Howe, Tom. "George Orwell." British Writers Volume VII. Ed. Ian Scott-Kilvert. New York: Scribner, 1984. 273-287.
In his book, Orwell uses the theme of control of information by showing his readers Winston’s occupation and the control the Party exerts over news about the war. The theme of control of the mind is shown through the installment of a new language by the Party and the use of kids as spies. The totalitarian theme is shown through the use of the telescreens by the Thought Police. Through the use of all three themes, Orwell accomplishes his goal of warning people about the dangers and negative effects of totalitarianism. Like many people today, Orwell was very concerned about the direction the world was heading back in the 1940s, so he decided to act and alert people to what he
Orwell, George. “Politics and the English Language.” George Orwell: Critical Essays. London: Harvill Secker: 2009. 270-286. Print.
George Orwell’s essay, Politics and the English Language, first published in 1946, talks about some “bad habits”, which have driven the English language in the wrong direction, that is, away from communicating ideas. In his essay he quotes five passages, each from a different author, which embody the faults he is talking about. He lists dying metaphors, operators, pretentious diction, and meaningless words as things to look out for in your own writing and the writing of others (593-595). He talks about political uses of the English language. Our language has become ugly and the ugliness impedes upon communication. Ugly uses of language have been reinforced and passed down in the population “even among people who should and do know better,” (598). Ugly language has been gaining ground in our population by a positive feedback mechanism.
English is a language that is constantly evolving. From Shakespearian time and its use of thou to modern day where everything is “lit” it is clear there have been several major changes, but is his article “Politics and the English Language” George Orwell argues that these changes are for the worse. He reveals that the English language has fallen from where it once was. Modern English is cluttered with outdated, meaningless phrases and fail to ever be concrete or make a definite point. Orwell sees these faults and hopes to repair the failures in the system by giving his readers two sets of rules to follow, however he constantly breaks his own rules throughout his entire article. By breaking his own rules, Orwell makes clear to the reader the
Based on the two essays, George Orwell is a vivid writer who uses a unique point of view and strong themes of pride and role playing to convey his messages. His writings are easy to pick out because of the strengths of these messages. Just like politicians in government, people with power turn corrupt to stay in power and keep their reputations. Anyone who takes on power must be prepared to live with the consequences of his actions. Orwell knows this challenge well and conveys this principle in his writing. After all, his narration is based on real life experiences and not fictional fantasies.
Rather than using “Phrases tacked together like the sections of a prefabricated hen-house”(Orwell 9) the writer uses “words chosen for the sake of their meaning.”(Orwell 9) Instead of using phrases that are general purpose, one would be using words that display the exact meaning of the projected idea. This means that the author would be using words that are not overused, while still writing in common language. When this idea of “Picking out words for the sake of their meaning and inventing images in order to make the meaning clearer”(Orwell 20) becomes common practice people will not only know what you mean, but will be able to admire the mere “sound sex of it”(Fry
Just by a simple glance at George Orwell's style of writing one can grasp a lot. He first starts the essay by discussing how the narrator was poorly treated in Lower Burma when serving as a police officer. More specifically the narrator states, "I was hated by large numbers of people,", and "anti-European feeling was very bitter." From there one could interpret that although he was a British soldier with much power he was "baited whenever it seemed safe to do so." He then goes into much detail and paints scenes into the reader's mind such as how a European woman could not cross the market without having someone "spit betel juice over her dress," to create a sense of remorse for the roughly treated Europeans. Furthermore, Orwell creates detailed imagery throughout his text to show how poorly Europeans were treated in Burma. He uses connotation words in the scenes he creates to display a certain feeling. For an example, in football scene where someone trips he uses the word "hideous laughter" to display the audience's support of bad treatment to the Europeans and their cruelty. Soon after succeeding in gaining the reader's sympathy by expressing the narrator's feelings as an Anglo-Indian in Burma, Orwell shifts his focus on criticizing imperialism.