Language: A Political Instrument Language is the inevitable medium that people use as a means of communication. However, how an individual uses language varies from person to person. Some view language as a persuasive political instrument and others view it as a means of expression and empowerment. In the essay “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” by James Baldwin, the author was able to illustrate the history of the discrimination of language and how black English is not accepted as its own language. Baldwin, also, shows that due to the lack of acknowledgement of black English, it lacks the power it needs to empower the people who speak it. In George Orwell’s essay “Politics and the English Language”, the author was …show more content…
Just because two people speak the same language does not mean they would be able to understand one another. For example, French has many different dialects, including Creole. A person from France cannot always understand what a person from Haiti, who speaks Creole, is trying to say. A person is able to express his or her self through their language and by expressing themselves, they are able to show their true identity. He also states that people develop their own language because language is something that cannot be taken away from a person. Since the language is their own, a person is able to feel a sense of empowerment. This was more apparent in early America when slaves were brought to America, so the slaves were able to have a means of communication through language giving them a sense of power. With the development of their own language, African Americans were able to express themselves and their identity. Baldwin shows that language is a means of communication, empowerment, and synonymous with one’s identity. Baldwin …show more content…
Mainly in political writing and speech, Orwell believes that politicians are able to defend their actions only by arbitrary arguments. The examples he provides include the British rule in India, the Russian purges and deportations, and the dropping of the atomic bombs of Japan. Through these examples, it is shown that the use of language was used to persuade the nation to carry out the decisions. A person had to be able to present this idea to the public, but presented it in a way that would persuade the people into taking his or her side on the aforementioned decisions. Orwell states, “The inflated style is itself a kind of euphemism. A mass of Latin words falls upon the facts like soft snow, blurring the outlines and covering up all the details. The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one's real and one's declared aims, one turns as it were instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish spurting out ink” (320). Orwell shows that the use of language should be direct and to the point, however, most people use sophisticated words to hide the meaning of what they are trying to say. He believes that language is only as powerful as the person is, original. The more original the language is, the more likely the audience is willing to listen. Orwell also believes that
In the essay if Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What is? by James Baldwin and Mother Tongue by Amy Tan both shows idea of uses of slang and language in different context. In the essay if Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What is? Baldwin states that how language has changed and evolved overtime, Baldwin describes how black English were used as white English, in civil rights movement where blacks were treated as slaves and the used slang language to communicate so that the whites won’t understand. This slang was taken from black language and now everyone uses to make the communication short. In the essay Mother Tongue Tan explains that how language could affect people from different culture. Tan states that how Asian students in America struggle in English. Tan also states that her mother is smart but she couldn’t communicate in English. Tan thinks that’s a big disadvantage for her mother and people coming from different countries cannot show their talent because of their weakness in communication.
Orwell, George. “Politics and the English Language.” George Orwell: Critical Essays. London: Harvill Secker: 2009. 270-286. Print.
Howe, Tom. "George Orwell." British Writers Volume VII. Ed. Ian Scott-Kilvert. New York: Scribner, 1984. 273-287.
Before he talked about African-American culture he first talked about French speaking people. Saying, “A Frenchman living in Paris speaks a subtly and crucially different language from that of the man living in Marseilles; neither sounds very much like a man living in Quebec; and they would all have great difficulty in apprehending what the man from Guadeloupe, or Martinique, is saying, to say nothing of the man from Senegal--although the"common" language of all these areas is French.”(Baldwin, paragraph 2). Explaining to readers that even though those people in each place speak French they are separated by their dialect. Making the point that speaking a certain dialect of a language ties you with that culture. Pointing the reader to accept or listen to African American expression of English. By giving this example about dialect, Baldwin wants to express that dialect is a way to separate cultures among people. He then talks about the African American “slang” and how it ties to the
James Baldwin was born in Harlem in a time where his African American decent was enough to put more challenges in front of him than the average (white) American boy faced. His father was a part of the first generation of free black men. He was a bitter, overbearing, paranoid preacher who refused change and hated the white man. Despite of his father, his color, and his lack of education, James Baldwin grew up to be a respected author of essays, plays, and novels. While claiming that he was one of the best writers of the era could be argued either way, it is hard to argue the fact that he was indeed one of the most well-known authors of the time. One of his intriguing skills as a writer is his ability to intertwine narration and analysis in his essays. James Baldwin mixes narration and analysis in his essays so well that coherence is never broken, and the subconscious is so tempted to agree with and relate to what he says, that if you don’t pay close attention, one will find himself agreeing with Baldwin, when he wasn’t even aware Baldwin was making a point. Physical placement of analytical arguments and analytical transitions, frequency and size of analytical arguments, and the language used within the analytical arguments are the keys to Baldwin’s graceful persuasion. Throughout this essay, I will be using Baldwin’s “Notes of a Native Son” for examples. “Notes of a Native Son” is an essay that Baldwin wrote which focuses primarily on his life around the time his father died, which also happens to be the same time his youngest brother was born.
Aldous Huxley once wrote, “Thanks to words, we have been able to rise above the brutes; and thanks to words, we have often sunk to the level of the demons” (299). The latter seems to be the situation in which we find ourselves today—with language being manipulated in the realms of media and politics, to the ultimate advantage of those doing the manipulating. In 1984, Orwell warns his readers of this very problem using his concepts of Newspeak and doublethink. In Winston’s world, Newspeak is the language that is used in Oceania, and is the only language in the world that is shrinking. By getting
Language always conveys a message. Language can convey a message that is full of manipulation. In Robin Lakoff’s essay, “Everybody’s a Politician”, she discusses how manipulation is used in day to day conversations, even if one is not intentionally trying to manipulate. Language can be used to dominate others. In the essay, “the Language of Oppression” by Haig A. Bosmajian, he explains the power of using names to define others. Language can change the way a person thinks. In the same essay, “the Language of Oppression” by Haig A. Bosmajian, he also discusses the way someone thinks can be changed by language. Lastly, language has the power to degrade an individual. In another essay, by Robin Lakoff, “You Are What You Say”, she explains how
Orwell presents the view that ‘language is of central importance to human thought because it structures and limits the ideas that individuals are capable of formulating and expressing.’1 In his novel1984 he maintains a keen focus on language and how it is restricted and manipulated by the regime in order to achieve complete control over the thought of the Party. This inspired Atwood - who considered Orwell a ‘direct model’2 - to similarly explore language as more than just a literary form, but a mutable tool used
Stories have existed since the beginning of mankind. Going back as far as ancient Greece in history, or even further back, one can examine the many different types of stories that have been passed down. The Ancient Greeks wrote about gods and developed drama; the Romans passed down biographies of Caesars containing their life achievements as well as their failures; numerous stories questioning the institution of slavery were produced here in American. Usually by reading the work of an author one is able to find a message or a moral hidden beneath the storyline. In most cases, authors dictate their writings in their culture’s dialect for many different reasons, many reasons of which that would not conclude them as being racist for using it.
The African influence of American English can be found as far back as the Seventeenth century. Although its influence may have began that far back, the influence of African American slang has arguably reached its peak (so far) in the last half on the 20th century. Evidence of this can be seen in magazines, music, television, and films. Perhaps more importantly, evidence can be seen in the way that people of ethnic groups, other than African American, have changed their speech due to this influence. The Equal Rights Movement lead to a paradigm shift in African American linguistic consciousness due to Black intellectuals, scholars, activists, artists, and writers deliberately engaging in a search for a way to express Black identity and the particular circumstances of African American life. Although there had been strides in Black pride in the past, this was the first one to call for linguistic Black p...
George Orwell’s essay, Politics and the English Language, first published in 1946, talks about some “bad habits”, which have driven the English language in the wrong direction, that is, away from communicating ideas. In his essay he quotes five passages, each from a different author, which embody the faults he is talking about. He lists dying metaphors, operators, pretentious diction, and meaningless words as things to look out for in your own writing and the writing of others (593-595). He talks about political uses of the English language. Our language has become ugly and the ugliness impedes upon communication. Ugly uses of language have been reinforced and passed down in the population “even among people who should and do know better,” (598). Ugly language has been gaining ground in our population by a positive feedback mechanism.
Language is a very powerful tool. It is a means of basic communication, and has been around for centuries. Just like any other tool, language can be powerful in a positive or negative way, and can either work to one's advantage or can result in negative effects. Certain words can touch a certain chord inside someone, so they can be easily influenced by the language. A good example of this is George Orwell's Animal Farm, a fable in which a multitude of gullible animals are exploited by a group of power mongering pigs. Words can appeal to a persons basic needs and desires and conjure up hope or even fear in his or her mind. These emotions can be manipulated by others to their own advantage, and clever use of language can be used to cheat, deceive, spread rumors. In Animal Farm, Orwell shows how the pig's use of influential language manipulates and enslaves the animals.
One of George Orwell’s most significant goals as a writer was to receive recognition for his works. Orwell achieved his aim by projecting his political perspectives into fictional works such as 1984 and Animal Farm. His position against totalitarianism is strongly evident throughout his novels and even today Orwell’s works still seem relevant because of the fear of totalitarian governments perpetuated by the media and the recent democratic uprisings in the Middle East against dictatorial regimes. In this essay, I argue that Orwell’s reasons for writing, as he outlines them in his essay “Why I Write,” is to seek literary fame and he found that through incorporating political commentary into his writing; in doing so, Orwell successfully turns his political thoughts into a form of art. Using 1984 and D. J. Taylor’s article “Left, Right, Left, Right,” I will also discuss briefly how Orwell’s novels can apply to contemporary political situations.
Language is best defined by as a way of communication among individuals. In order to properly converse with others, a common language must be shared amongst them. But, it is not as easy as it may sound. Having one specific language used universally is not possible. It is not possible because each culture has their own unique background. Our ancestors spent decades upon decades perfecting a language to be used within their communities. Each language, whether it be standard American English or African American vernacular English, was made specifically for that community.
Language has provided many people with opportunities within society. In Eudora Welty’s “Listening”, the main character became a writer because she fell in love with the aspects of language. She fell in love with how the letters made a specific sound and how a person reads in a specific voice when reading a passage. Her love for language influenced her decision in becoming a writer, even if she was not the best at writing throughout her childhood. In Sherman Alexie’s “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me”, he refused to be the dumb Indian that society wanted him to be. Sherman Alexie even says,” We were Indian children who were expected to be stupid” (Alexie, 13). He continued to read everything within sight. Since he read so much,