Study of George Orwell\'s Politics and the English Language

¶ … Politics and the English Language" by George Orwell

George Orwell's discourse on the political and social significance of the modern English writing is the primary theme shown in his essay, "Politics and the English Language," written in 1945. In this discourse, Orwell discusses the faults of modern English language regarding the gradual spread of vagueness and "insincerity" in the meaning of prose text. Furthermore, Orwell analyzes how certain writers of the English language committed this fault, wherein the meaning the writers tries to elucidate is lost behind the numerous phrases that are vague in meaning and inappropriately chosen with relation to the thought that they want to express. A commitment of this fault creates an ineffective form of writing in prose form, lacking clarity and conciseness.

To solve these problems of vagueness and insincerity, Orwell proposes explanations wherein he relates the improper use of the modern English language in the political and social realm of American society. For Orwell, thought must definitely determine language, and not the other way around. This means that there must first be clarity and sincerity of thought before effective writing will take place. This way, problems of vagueness will be avoided, an element of writing that results to insincerity. This means that the use of elaborate explanations to express a feeling or thought is an ineffective way of explaining and describing these thought, and Orwell suggests that long and elaborate sentences must be replaced with short, concise ones, where meaning will become clearer to the audience. While avoiding an imposition of definite rules in English writing and composition, Orwell enumerated and discussed the common mistakes and faults that prose writers commit in expressing their thoughts on important issues, especially those that are political and social in nature.

In order to comprehend Orwell's sentiments regarding modern English language and writing, a literary piece in the form of speech will be analyzed and discussed in accordance to Orwell's discourse. This speech will be Abraham Lincoln's "The Gettysburg Address," delivered in 1863 as the President's reaction to the ongoing Civil War during that period. Lincoln's historical speech is renowned for its powerful influence in the lives of Americans during that time, where civil strife and conflict continues to plague the American society.

However, despite its renown because of its historical role in American history, Lincoln's "The Gettysburg Address" is a good example of the poor English prose Orwell is talking about in his essay. Lincoln's speech, despite its emotional and dramatic character, possesses the vagueness of thought and meaning Orwell warns his audience about the use of the English language. The speech contains the faults that Orwell have identified and enumerated in his analysis of the English language, which include the use of operators or verbal false limbs, pretentious diction, and meaningless words.

The Gettysburg speech commits the error of committing the English language in the use of operators or verbal false limbs, which are utilized to provide "support" to an otherwise inexpressible thought or feeling. However, despite its functional use, operators further decrease clarity in the expression of thought because it uses phrases and numerous words in exchange for a single appropriate word that the audiences will surely understand. In the speech, Lincoln's famous lines at the start of his address contains vagueness, yet dramatic flair in expressing the historic moment taking place in American history during his term. The line, "...conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal," uses the phrase "to the proposition that" instead of replacing it with 'believe.' By using the particular phrase, Lincoln attempts to express his sincerity and commitment to America's credo of freedom and liberty, announcing this belief as a 'proposition.' Although the use of such phrase truly created a strong effect to the audiences, Lincoln's speech is vague. This may prompt other observers to note whether Lincoln's words are expressed with truth or for dramatic flair and effect only.

The next lines of the speech shifts to a more concrete and clearer explanation and description of the 'great Civil War,' as Lincoln describes the current civil strife. However, the other half of the speech's second paragraph shifts back again to vagueness as Lincoln acknowledges the bravery and patriotism of the American people who have 'sacrificed' their lives for the nation's liberty and cause. The passage, "We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this," where audiences hearing this passage may not be able to discern in concrete terms the President's meaning. The dramatic phrase, "dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place," is an indirect way of telling the people that the speaker intends to mark the battlefield as a place where people have died for the country. The use of imagery and symbolism is apparent in this passage; however, the passage lacks clarity as a result of the succeeding lines that follow after this thought has been expressed.