George Orwell Essay
George Orwell EssayGeorge Orwell Essay
The English language, “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.” (491). This quote from “Politics and the English Language” published in 1946, expresses how the author, George Orwell, feels toward the English language. He explains how it is hard to write well if the language itself is not proficient. However, with our “fight against bad English” (491) Orwell presents us with six rules to guide us through good writing, and make it something worth reading in hope that we could somehow reverse the process of the declining of the English language.
A metaphor, a popular way to evoke a visual images; overused, worn-out, and powerless. People tend to get lazy so they use metaphors they have repeatedly seen before, rather than taking time to create new ones. Orwell explains “incompatible metaphors are frequently mixed, a sure sign that the writer is not interested in what he is saying.” (494) You’re writing is now questioned for what you have just wrote, is not truly your writing. Orwell would have commented that my writing was as a mirror image of hundreds of writings for I use metaphors frequently.
Longer is not always better, Orwell suggests “Never use a long word where a short one will do.” (504) Orwell considers large, incomprehensible words to be meaningless, and writers should not attempt to use the word to express themselves if they don’t know the real meaning or how to use the word. What is the point of using long words if you can’t get your point across to the reader because you misused the word? Although I don’t often use large words, I still try once in while, and Orwell would criticize my lack of knowledge when it came to vocabulary. “What is above all needed is to let the meaning choose the word, and not the other way about.” (503)
Babbling, Orwell says, “If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.” (504) Don’t waste your time babbling, writes something with meaning, life, and...
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