During the class activity we analyzed several old pieces of writing according to the rules that Orwell presents in Politics and the English Language. Upon observation, it seems as though many errors that Orwell talks about are present in many of these writings, showing just how political the English language is. The most prevalent errors were the use of common metaphors, and the use of words that humans don’t necessarily know the meaning of. These two errors seem to be used especially when wanting to sound more formal and profound. The use of common metaphors, normally talking about life, death, and the meaning of mankind, are normally used for motivational speakers. Many motivational speeches, for example a speech made by a president to his country, use many clichés to get their point across. Even though these clichés are easily detectable, they still seem to move the audience to a certain extent. Perhaps it is the presentation and not the actual language that makes a speaker who they are. The use of words that humans don’t necessarily know the meaning of, such as liberty, democracy, and such others are used for a completely political purpose. Humans don’t really know the meaning of freedom, or liberty, perhaps because we have never truly experienced it. We have been taught that ideals of freedom are good, and it is what we should want, therefore it is used a lot in language to convey a positive message. Words are thrown around a lot, without considering the actual meaning. When a president promises freedom for all, what exactly does that entail? The problem is that society does not know, and therefore are swayed by mere language and presentation. Is it possible that some of history’s most powerful speakers, such as Martin Luther King Junior, are just following the stereotype of ‘good writing’ in order to make an impression?
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