In 1984, the theme of language is used to enhance our understanding of the world of Oceania by showing us the extent of the Party's desire for total control. We see clearly, for example, that language is one of the ways that the Party keeps the people in its tight grip. By enforcing the use of Newspeak, the Party eliminates freedom and expression of individual thought. Syme explains this to Winston in part one, chapter five:
It's a beautiful thing, the Destruction of words. Of course the great wastage is in the verbs and adjectives, but there are hundreds of nouns that can be got rid of as well.
In other words, by removing so many words from the language, the Party makes it increasingly difficult for people to actually experience those feelings, thereby eradicating “Thoughtcrime.”
Similarly, language is used to show the reader how the Party controls the past and the future. To see this in action, just think about Winston’s job. He spends all day rewriting reports that show the Party in an unfavorable light. (There is a great example of this in part one, chapter two when Winston rewrites the story about the chocolate ration.) Language, therefore, is a tool in helping the Party to create its own version of reality. By changing the words, the Party changes popular perceptions and understandings of the past. If people believe that the Party has only ever done good things for the people, then they are far more likely to stay loyal to it.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
In 1984, how is the theme of language used to enhance readers's understanding of the world. Please include a quote from the beginning, middle, and end of the text as well as analysis.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
What is the theme of the chapter Lead?
Primo Levi's complex probing of the Holocaust, including his survival of Auschwitz and pre- and post-war life, is organized around indiv...
-
The statement "Development policy needs to be about poor people, not just poor countries," carries a lot of baggage. Let's dis...
-
"Mistaken Identity" is an amusing anecdote recounted by the famous author Mark Twain about an experience he once had while traveli...
-
Primo Levi's complex probing of the Holocaust, including his survival of Auschwitz and pre- and post-war life, is organized around indiv...
-
De Gouges's Declaration of the Rights of Woman was enormously influential. We can see its influences on early English feminist Mary Woll...
-
As if Hamlet were not obsessed enough with death, his uncovering of the skull of Yorick, the court jester from his youth, really sets him of...
-
In both "Volar" and "A Wall of Fire Rising," the characters are impacted by their environments, and this is indeed refle...
No comments:
Post a Comment