George Orwell’s “Politics…”
• 1. Look at paragraph 2: “Modern
English…concern of professional
writers.” Two sentences, but since
he goes to such detail in the second
proposing ways to solve the
problem, it seems that it is just as
important as the first part of the
“thesis statement.”
George Orwell’s “Politics…”
• 2. Analogy between alcoholism
and demise of language: helps
reader understand idea that one
causes the other, which then
turns around and becomes a
cause.
• Effectiveness of analogy?
George Orwell’s “Politics…”
• 3.
• Para. 4: “[P]rose consists less and
less of words chosen for the sake
of their meaning, and more and
more of phrases tacked together
like the sections of a
prefabricated henhouse.”
George Orwell’s “Politics…”
• 3.
• Para. 5: “But in between these
two classes there is a huge dump
of worn-out metaphors which
have lost all evocative power.”
George Orwell’s “Politics…”
• 3.
• Para. 12: “[T]he writer knows
more or less what he wants to
say, but an accumulation of stale
phrases chokes him like tea leaves
blocking a sink.”
George Orwell’s “Politics…”
• 3.
• Para. 15: “A mass of Latin words
falls upon the facts like soft snow,
blurring outlines and covering up
all the details.”
George Orwell’s “Politics…”
• 3.
• Para. 16: “[H]e…feels,
presumably, that he has
something new to say—and yet
his words, like cavalry horses
answering the bugle, group
themselves automatically into the
familiar dreary pattern.”
George Orwell’s “Politics…”
• 4.
• You did this question for
homework – let’s discuss the
results.
• Consider Orwell’s audience, and
what he believes is necessary to
persuade them.
George Orwell’s “Politics…”
• 5. Footnote in para. 7 gives historical
info about word derivation and Orwell’s
comment about why the “change of
fashion” occurred. Takes the paragraph
in another direction than the one that
Orwell had been developing.
• Footnote in para. 8 gives an example of
Orwell’s point from opening sentence.
Too long to be in para. – would have
distracted from the other examples.
George Orwell’s “Politics…”
• 6. He’s well-informed.
• Uses many examples to show that he
is thoroughly prepared to write this
essay
• Can tell he reads widely and deeply –
proves himself a serious thinker
• Backs up all assertions with evidence
George Orwell’s “Politics…”
• 7.
• Linear organization – cause and
effect. Defines a problem, poses a
solution as part of his argument.
Explicit thesis, provides examples,
and then analyzes/criticizes them
before moving on to proposing his
“cure” and how to implement it.
George Orwell’s “Politics…”
• 8.
• England during WWII: lived through
the bombings, rations, fear of
occupation. Witnessed dropping of
first atomic bomb. Passionate about
more honest and open language to
prevent similar types of actions from
occurring again. Hopes having to own
up to these actions will deter them.
George Orwell’s “Politics…”
• 9.
• Informative
• Objective
• Pedantic (dull, old-fashioned, too
plain to be interesting)
• Insistent
• Passionate
George Orwell’s “Politics…”
• 10. NOT MANY!
• Dying metaphors: “tied down to” and
“on guard against them” …not too
bad (paras. 8 & 16).
George Orwell’s “Politics…”
• 10. …
• First, let’s discuss what passive voice is:
• In a sentence using passive voice, the
subject is acted upon; he or she receives
the action expressed by the verb. The
agent performing the action may appear
in a "by the..." phrase or may be omitted.
• “The boy was bitten by the dog”
instead of “The dog bit the boy.”
George Orwell’s “Politics…”
• 10. …
• Reasons to Generally Avoid Passive Voice
• Sometimes the use of passive voice can create
awkward sentence. Also, overuse of passive
voice throughout an essay can cause your
prose to seem flat and uninteresting.
• In scientific writing, however, passive voice is
more readily accepted since using it allows one
to write without using personal pronouns or
the names of particular researchers as the
subjects of sentences.
• Adapted from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/539/03/
George Orwell’s “Politics…”
• 10. …
• Passive voice CAN be effective…
• when it is more important to draw
our attention to the person or thing
acted upon: The unidentified victim
was apparently struck during the
early morning hours.
• when the actor in the situation is not
important: The aurora borealis can be
observed in the early morning hours.
George Orwell’s “Politics…”
• 10.
Operators or verbal false limbs:
• “In, addition, passive voices is
wherever possible used in preference
to the active…” – this is in passive
voice!
• “Is cut,” “are replaced,” and “are
saved,” “are used,” “are given” (para.
6). Several in para. 8 as well!
George Orwell’s “Politics…”
• 10.
Pretentious diction:
• “euphonious” (para. 12),
“phraseology” (para. 13)
Meaningless words: …not really any at
all!
• Why might he break his own rules?