APOLARITY

I really enjoy George Orwell. I have read 1984 and am just starting Animal Farm. Here is a link to a political essay he wrote about the English language in 1946. He was definately a clear thinker, a free thinker when it comes to politics. In a way it is scary to read his work, because he foresaw where the world was headed. The essay I have linked to is about writing. Every writer should read it, because he points out how confusing and unintentionally deceptive people can make the English language. All we have to do is succomb to writing like someone else, to using a tired cliche or overused metaphor and we think we have somehow “beefed up” our writing. Orwell especially decries political writing, because its euphemism and unclarity makes for a use of the language that is meaningless. Politicians devise ways of saying things that can be interpreted any number of ways, with the result being that the masses are pleased, yet in fact they believe nothing. The propaganda and slogans fills their minds to the point that they think they are educated, yet have not thought. Thinking – actually considering what something means, pondering before regurgitating – it is a lost art.
Politics and the English Language

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 14th, 2001 at 10:28 pm and is filed under books, personal, science. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.