Use of Language in George Orwell's 1984
Use of Language in George Orwell's 1984
Unlike the assumption, George Orwell’s 1984 was written in 1948. This was right after World War II, and around the time of the Great Depression. Orwell intended 1984 to be a warning against totalitarian tendencies. Around the time he wrote the novel, humanity as a whole was disintegrating. Drunks and low class people ran society. Orwell was showing people what society would soon come to if they continued their behavior. He showed the ignorance of people at the time, and preached the horrid outcome that could result if people did not change their ways. Orwell is giving a slight extreme but is showing how the government has the capability to deceive people and suppress them if necessary. Orwell showed how freedom can be taken away in an instant, and how the government controls people to a degree, and can definitely increase their control and power. George Orwell shows how the world can even be as corrupt as to have people’s children turn them into the government. He is trying to scare the people, and to warn them to change their ways, and fix their lifestyle.
Language is a means of expression. It allows people to communicate with one another, and to freely share their thoughts. Freedom is being independent. It allows one to do as they please. People use language as a means to express themselves. They speak, write, and even discuss their ideas to eventually culminate their thoughts and reach a certain epiphany that will hopefully enhance their life. To be able to express themselves, people must communicate. They must be able to say what they feel, and preach what they think. Without language people’s thoughts are not only suppressed, but people themselves are suppressed. They are not allowed to fully express themselves, which is the essence of freedom. In 1984, George Orwell presents the government as language oppressors. The government tries to rid the language of words such as “freedom”, and “independence”. By eliminating the words from the vocabulary, the government eliminates the thoughts. By eliminating people’s thoughts, the government eliminates freedom. The goal of the government is to limit the vocabulary of the people. Vocabulary allows people to create ideas. A larger vocabulary even helps people elaborate on their ideas. A simplistic vocabulary leads to a simplistic mind. If people’s vocabulary is the same, their thoughts will be similar since they...