POLITICS AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Politics and English Language



Politics and English Language

Introduction

George Orwell is a master in understanding how the corruption of language leads to the corruption of thought. “Politics and English Language” is one the most popular works of Orwell that seeks to highlight the misuse of the English language in literary words and other writings. Orwell recognizes that there are many possible political manipulations in language use, where it is understood that neither thought is primary (Taylor, 2003, 115). From his concerns over totalitarian regimes and their society, Orwell draws conclusions about the role of power and authority in communities and the role of language as the creator of social worlds.

This paper is aimed at discussing the various aspects of the language exploitations as highlighted by Orwell.

Discussion

In "Literature and Totalitarianism", Orwell notes that medium is "essentially an individual thing”. The sincerity of the writer is fundamental. The first thing that one asks of a writer is that he shall not tell lies, that he shall say what he really thinks, what he really feels. Moreover, Orwell expects that this freedom of expression will exist. While Orwell recognizes that it is an illusion to believe that the individual can be autonomous (Shelden, 1991, 393). He notes that this is the "age of the totalitarian state which threatens individual freedom totally.

Not only must individuals have the freedom to speak his or her thoughts, but the whole community must share this freedom. The stimulation of the mind by one's peers encourages the creativity of thought because the varying experiences of others provide a frame of reference for the writer. Without this, personal expression is meaningless. The understanding that words are not their referents and that communication can never afford a direct transfer of thought stems from Orwell's concerns for communication and individual expression (Kress and Hodge, 1979, 84). As we have seen. be knows that this makes official manipulation of language for political purpose not only possible, but often difficult to detect, Furthermore, Orwell is aware that language contributes to the construction of a particular perspective that is consistent with the dominant ideology. In this context, Newspeak is not merely a "bogey" to show what could happen under a totalitarian regime where power is in the hands of a few. Instead, Newspeak can be considered an ingenious device to show how language creates perspectivism in contemporary society.

Orwell identifies similar techniques in modem language use and notes that they are chosen deliberately, to serve the same lulling function. He notes that the expression of any "party line" seems to necessitate the use of a particular jargon or phraseology so familiar that it evokes no real response in either the speaker or listener (Zehr, 1982, 17). This is conducive to political conformity, thus achieving the same effect as euphony. Mid-twentieth century examples of telescoped words and phrases identified by Orwell include Gestapo, from Geheime Staatspolizie or secret state police and Communist International (Orwell, 1984, ...