I'M READING BIG BROTHER

Politics and the English Language By George Orwell

·         Our civilization is decadent and our language

·         any struggle against the abuse of language is a sentimental archaism

-archaism-a thing that is very old or old-fashioned

·         decline of a language must ultimately have political and economic causes

·         slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts

·         Modern English, especially written English, is full of bad habits

·         vagueness and sheer incompetence is the most marked characteristic of modern English prose

·         work of prose-construction

·         DYING METAPHORS

- assists thought by evoking a visual image

- metaphor which is technically ‘dead’

·         OPERATORS OR VERBAL FALSE LIMBS

-save the trouble of picking out appropriate verbs and nouns

- keynote is the elimination of simple verbs

-range of verbs is further cut down by means of the -ize and de- formations

·         PRETENTIOUS DICTION

- phenomenon, element, individual (as noun), objective, categorical, effective, virtual, basic, primary, promote, constitute, exhibit, exploit, utilize, eliminate, liquidate, are used to dress up a simple statement

-dignify the sordid process of international politics