From 'Politics and the English Language' by George Orwell

From 'Politics and the English Language' by George Orwell

Orwell didn't have the most positive view of the future and politics.

In this extract of his essay "Politics and the English language", he examines writing in English, diagnoses its serious faults, and suggests remedies.

Orwell sees himself and society as being in historical crisis declaring that English language is in a bad way and collaborates on the degradation of his civilization because it's an instrument which people shape for their "own purposes".

These last words refer obviously to politics in fact George Orwell explored English as a political instrument, and in particular with how it was used and abused to justify acts of inhumanity.

He contends that writing is done in modern English prose through words that don't have an immediate communication and show incompetence and vagueness, revealing the author's lack of interest in what he is expressing .

Yet this political focus in no way precludes sensitivity to the aesthetic. Rather, the two go hand in hand. Language use 'becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts'. Orwell draws a connection between words and ideas: they are interdependent as thoughts don't exist without language because a person that is not allowed to express them can't build these ideas neither on his mind. He points out that insincerity corrupts clear language, arguing that this process is reversible. Orwell takes a maxim rhetorical approach as he defines principles to reshape our deteriorating language while blaming amoral political lifestyles. By reforming our bad habits, clear language will follow then we can move toward political regeneration.

To give credits to his affirmations, Orwell show us an example of this new conception of straightforward language that allows to understand the meaning better, using few concrete examples that make logical and effective his own arguments. His style is clear, with a simplicity and directness that is combined with underlying humour to create works of literary art. But, through his words, Orwell created an identity, a face to put to the writing voice - so enemy of totalitarianism and democratic. He wanted to create a new politics in writing to bring political writing up to a new level and make it art.

In writing a work of art, his first impulse is to 'expose' some lie.

He dramatically depicts what dangers can happen when history is forgotten. Only by honestly and openly considering personal we can understand the truth, minus all the lies.

He sees politics as an integral part of writing if the words are to have any life at all - for the writer or the reader. In his experience, language and writing had been perverted. Words no longer held any weight, any meaning, or direction.

In the end, some questions arise naturally Is there a final conclusion, an answer, an ultimate solution? Is language really disintegrating - falling away beneath our feet without our even realising it? Was George Orwell even more of a visionary than he ever could have realised?

I think Orwell is right saying that language and politics seem to go hand in hand, for what would one be without the other. This of course is why reformists who seek to expose corruption and preserve justice, draw a connection between the two. Many clues lie within our language revealing the real intention behind the appearance. Still with all of this considered, I find that what was true of politics then is ironically true of politics now. Some aspects of the human condition appear to be ageless.