What is said 1. The English language is going downhill fast. As our civilization goes downhill,so does our language. He’s not saying that this change in language is him being an old fogey and longing for the past, but he’s saying that our language changes with our society and our societal purposes have changed.
2. Our language is getting bad because of politics and economics, not bad
writers. In fact, language is getting even worse the worse our politics/economy gets. People today are lazy and stupid. Maybe you’ll understand this after reading my essay.
3. 5 “below average” passages from modern literature of the day. They are all verbose and hard to understand.
4. Dying Metaphors – these are phrases that don’t make sense anymore or are old and boring. People are too lazy to come up with new metaphors
5. Operators or Verbal False Limbs – people passive voice which sucks and extra, unnecessary words to try and sound smart. Gerunds are nouns that end in “ing” like “examining”
6. Pretentious Diction – people use all sorts of fancy words to sound smart. They also use fancy words to make things like war seem good like “banner, realm, throne”
7. Meaningless Words – he hates it when people describe art having “living quality” or particular deadness” – what does that really mean? Also…words have been so overused that they don’t really mean what they used to anymore. Example: democracy.
8. (Swindles and perversions) Orwell translates a passage from the Bible to “modern English” The translation is more vague, despite the increase in syllables and fancy words.
9. (As I have tried to show…) People suck at writing – and it’s easier just to continue to suck rather than to work at it and get better.
10. Political writing is the worst writing of all. It’s completely mechanical, like a robot is up there talking.
11. Political speech manipulates language to make killing people sound better…like “eliminating undesirable elements”
12. (The inflated style…) Euphemisms (she’s not fat, she’s big boned) are used in political language basically to LIE to the people about what is really going on.
13. This bad language use can make our thinking less clear. Look! I commit the same errors that I am arguing against in this essay!
14. (I said earlier…) There is a cure! Actually thinking!!!
15. (To begin…) we need to let meaning choose the word…not the other way around. If you’re trying to describe something – use a unique image or metaphor…don’t just re-use an old stupid one. He gives a list of rules here to follow:
16. Language can conceal and prevent thought. It can make lies seem truthful… etc. You can take my advice or frickin throw it in the trashcan!
How it is said
1. Ok, this is definitely more difficult to read than the first two.After reading this once already,I can tell that Orwell does not follow his own advice. He uses pretentious diction: “sentimental archaism” and gets to his point in a roundabout way.He addresses people who “botherwith the matter” – so writing is the matter,so he is addressing an educated crowd. Good thing.
2. He’s way confusing here….buthe does give us an analogy:a man who drinks a lot keepsdrinking b/c he drinks a lot.Because we’re stupid, we write stupidly, and be cause we write stupidly, it makes us even morestupid! I get it! I agree, Orwell.
The last line of this paragraph is sarcasm…he’s like “you’ll get what I mean in this essay…if you’re smart.”
3. The excerpts are boring. I think he means this to be so. I totally skimmed over them, I admit. They are dry…as dry as the beginning of this essay! I think there is a lot of situational irony going on right now. Come on Orwell, spice it up for me, baby!
4. Dying Metaphors – he has a long list of dumb metaphors. Is this hyperbole? His point is that people don’t think before they write a phrase. I see this often with phrases like “nowadays” and “all in all” DUMB! Say something unique, people!
5. Operators/False Limbs – More long lists of examples – this is ironic because he’s talking about padding sentences…paragraphs! Is he doing this to be funny/sarcastic? Does he realize he’s doing it? I hope so. I think so. Because, why else would he put that little jab up in paragraph 2?
6. Pretentious Diction – more and more lists…hyperbole. He’s showing off all the big words he knows here. Hmm. I do have to agree though, sometimes people are fooled by big words. He goes into the diff btwn Latin/Greek/Saxon words…basically saying how it’s easier to just add a prefix/suffix to Latin words…lazy.
7. Meaningless words – more and more examples! Hyperbole. Also, irony. I like his examples of Facism and Democracy – very interesting. This part reminds me of the whole Bill Clinton scandal when he was like “I did not have sexual relations with that woman!” Everyone could have their own definition of “sexual relations” Good call, Orwell.
8. Now, if you look carefully at this section, you’ll notice that his modern translation does actually reflect the bible verse…only more vague! We’ll talk about this in class! (“success or failure in competitive activities” = winning or losing a race/battle…) HA!
9. I like how he mentions the rhythm of good writing. He calls it “euphonious” which is a great (pretentious) word, but that’s one of the things I love about good writing too; it sounds good.
10. Love this paragraph. He’s very blunt here. “political writing is bad writing” His diction dehumanizes the politician – “tired, hack, mechanically, bestial, dummy…” The blank discs metaphor is like the first figurative language besides diction that Orwell has used in this whole essay! Finally! The church part here is funny – he relates saying the prayers in church (how monotone we sometimes say them…and without really thinking) to political speeches…same tone/thinking. HA!
11. Another bold paragraph. Euphemisms are just polite ways of lying basically. He uses hyperbole and very precise diction to convey this. “killing off your opponents” – is one example.
12. “Mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred, schizophrenia”! Wow, Orwell, tell us how you really feel! Hyperbole? Hmmm. Bad situations = bad language – he does use “bad” (not bad…but you know) diction – like I afore mentioned.
13. This paragraph reminds me of 1984. He calls himself out in this one too – IRONY. I’m getting tired of logging…
14. Sarcasm here…”probably curable.” More examples…is he repeating himself?
15. Here he is very specific…he gives us a list of rules. I like them. Especially the last one! Irony…b/c he’s just broken all of them in this essay at least once! But at the same time, he hasn’t broken them…and he’s pointed out other’s flaws. How does he do that?!
16. This is another great paragraph. He’s really dissing politics/war: “make lies sound truthful, murder respectable…” Love the ending too with all the blatant verbal irony – writing the exact opposite of what he has been preaching! Using stupid dead metaphors and basically saying that you can either take or leave this essay – and you’ll probably ignore it anyway because we’re all lazy!
