George Orwell Politics And The English Language Analysis

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A Reason for Bad Language is Education? In George Orwell’s essay, “Politics and the English Language,” the reason for the decline of the English Language is explored, which is the result of the influence of political customs on the weakening of the English language. Orwell’s main point in the essay is that language is in decline of politics, which is the policy or influence on a certain system, a natural growth, and that politics cannot stay out of the English Language (Orwell 156). From Orwell’s claim, a question is posed about factors that influence the decline of the English language: If politics is an influence on a certain system, can there be other factors that drive the decline of the language, specifically the educationally system? Orwell states several examples of how politics advances the decline of the English Language, but he misses a vital point that has negative effects on the English Language: the educational system which in time, encourages people to conceal the truth about certain topics, be more vague in what they are really trying to say, and to conform to “social norms,” specifically to what people want to hear. In Orwell’s essay political language is writing and language that has “an increase in slovenliness and vagueness” (Orwell 161). Political language is intended to hide the truth instead of revealing it. Orwell states that, “Political language has to consist largely of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness” (Orwell 166). Political language is therefore the reason why the English is in decline and why Orwell argues this, but Orwell is missing an argument that could be a major concern for the debasement of the English language, the educational

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