My initial reaction to “Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell was a self-reflection of the way I tend to right when given an essay assignment. Orwell mentions that people are writing what I would call “filler.” I’m looking to fill that minimum requirement to complete the assignment, so I choose to say very little with a large amount of word. Words, techniques, and literary devices such as metaphors are being misused, and just take up space or confuse according to Orwell.
My process is similar to the political and economic connection that Orwell makes with the English language. Political figures are using words to hide and change the public perception of things such as an air strike. There is point to get across, but the main purpose of the languages used is to hide the true facts of the events. Instead of being clear, and concise with the intent of sending a message or idea, writing English is manipulated into confusion.
Orwell gives some possible remedies to these issues. He lists 6 rules and I think for my personally, enforcing number 2: never use a long word where a short one will do, and number 3: if it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out, would help my writing most. It changes my mind set writing to fill the most space on the paper, and more for being clear and to the point.
