Orwell’s Rules for Good Language Essay

Good written and verbal language is essential for effective communication. Writing in 1946, George Orwell points to several problems with the contemporary use of English. In his estimation, these problems lead to meaningless utterances that are unclear and imprecise. Orwell provides several suggestions for improving the use of English: avoid metaphors and over-used figures of speech, use short words in the place of long words, cut out unnecessary words, use the active voice, avoid the use of jargon by using words from everyday English, and break the rules if following them will create a statement lacking in sophistication. These suggestions can be used as a measuring stick to gauge different author’s use of the English language. The writings of three authors were analyzed using Orwell’s suggestions as a guideline, and it was found that Cuthbertson and Bush violate the principles of good English while Lutz actively campaigns for the use of clear, precise English. In â€Å"From the Right,† Mike Cuthbertson violates many of Orwell’s rules; and as a result, the writing lacks clarity, and the imagery is not vivid. Take for instance the following sentence: â€Å"To accomplish this, I full well knew that some concessions to my gardener wife would be necessary. † In this sentence, the author has some unnecessary words (â€Å"full well†) and uses a passive construction at the end of the sentence. This sentence could be more precise with the implementation of Orwell’s rules: â€Å"To accomplish this, I knew that I must make concessions to my gardener wife. † Another example of Cuthbertson’s use of the passive voice appears in the following sentence: â€Å"So rural was the area that I actually attended a one-room school house for grades one and two (no kindergarten, then) before a brand new amalgamated school was built in the village and all the area kids were bused to it. † Later in the passage, Cuthbertson uses a long, relatively uncommon word when a shorter, more frequently used word would convey his meaning just as well: â€Å"magnanimously proposed† could be replaced with â€Å"selflessly proposed. † Throughout the passage, Cuthbertson uses figures of speech that have been so over-used they have lost their punch: â€Å"under the watchful eye,† â€Å"to earn our keep,† â€Å"at that tender age,† â€Å"the fairer sex,† â€Å"my better half,† â€Å"to keep my ego firmly in check,† â€Å"to lose myself in a good novel,† and â€Å"been put in my place. † To be fair to Cuthbertson, it should be noted that he appears to have used this style of writing to serve a literary purpose, namely the evocation of his childhood years spent in a farming community and the lessons that continue to be felt in his married life. However, the author’s passive voice and over-used figures of speech detract from the imagery he seems to want to create in the reader’s mind. His communication would have been much more effective if he had created new ways of describing his situation. Alastair McKie’s compilation some of George W. Bush’s statements contains some glaring examples of poor English. Not only does Bush violate Orwell’s suggestions for good English, he appears to be incapable of constructing proper sentences and using words correctly. For example, Bush repeats a made-up word, â€Å"misunderestimated,† three times in one paragraph. In another paragraph, Bush remarks that â€Å"ticket counters and airplanes will fly. † Flying ticket counters would certainly be a remarkable occurrence! While the flying ticket counters remark is humorous, other of Bush’s statements are just confusing. Take for example, â€Å"We are fully committed to working with both sides to bring the level of terror down to an acceptable level for both. † If the United States and its allies are one side of the war on terror and the other side are the terrorists, is Bush saying that he is willing to work with the country of which he is president? Shouldn’t that go without saying? Bush, or at the very least his speechwriters, would have greatly benefited from reading Orwell’s essay, the following sentence in particular: â€Å"Probably it is better to put off using words as long as possible and get one’s meaning as clear as one can through pictures and sensations. † If Bush had a clear idea of what he wanted to say, maybe he would be better at saying it. Orwell has a further suggestion that could help Bush on his way to becoming a clear thinker who uses rhetoric more effectively. For Orwell, improvements in these areas will lead towards political improvements: â€Å"If one gets rid of these habits one can think more clearly, and to think clearly is a necessary first step toward political regeneration. † In contrast, George Orwell would have greatly admired William Lutz. Lutz spent sixteen years collecting examples of double-speak which he then compiled into a book. Some of these examples are euphemisms for the most horrid things: â€Å"dehired† and â€Å"non-retained† (i. e. fired) and â€Å"negative patient care outcome† (i. e. death following a medical procedure). These euphemisms are similar in function to those, mentioned by Orwell, intended to mask indescribable horrors of war or to rationalize abhorrent behavior. Others of Lutz’s examples are needlessly complicated phrasings of simple concepts: â€Å"Exit access is that part of a means of egress that leads to an entrance or an exit. † All those words simply indicate a way of accessing a door or window. Still other examples are merely funny: â€Å"occasional protein spill† (i. e. vomit) and â€Å"television with non-multicolor capability† (i. e. a black and white television). These examples are similar to those cited by Orwell when he speaks of the relationship between euphemisms and insincerity. He finds that when writers are insincere, they cloak their real feelings in lofty, verbose language. One hopes that with Lutz’s drawing attention to the sheer amount of doublespeak that exists in our world, people will become more aware of how empty it is and stop using it. In conclusion, Cuthbertson and Bush violate the principles of good English while Lutz actively campaigns for the use of clear, precise English. These three examples come from different genres: autobiography, speech, and non-fiction. As such, they provide evidence for the importance of good English as a communication tool in all areas of life. Orwell’s principles are effective guidelines to follow in any means of communication. After all, it is important to be clear, concise, and precise when communicating with others.

Proposal Arguement Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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HUM DQ 2 WK6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HUM DQ 2 WK6 - Essay Example These events led to Muslims getting education by interacting with other societies and as a result there are renowned Muslim scientists and doctors. Various Muslims have given significant share in developing major scientific plants in the United States as well as other countries around the world (Moore, 1995). Many Islamic individuals who settled in the US as civilians gained good contacts with the resident and managed to build good reputations with them, which made it easy for them to survive and flourish. Muslims have also managed to unite together religiously and politically under one banner making them very strong in the US as well as the world at large. The end of the Cold War also assisted in the development of Islam in the US as most of them moved in search for religion where they later settled in US to develop their different political ideologies and maintain their faith. Terrorism by some factions of the Muslim community has also increased development of Islam in US with various people trying to fight

Literature Review Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Literature Review - Dissertation Example The massive growth in population applies enormous strain on the local workforce and population on an island that has limited natural resources and space. As stated further, mostly Shiites in Bahrain believe that this population growth is basically to a greater extent as a result of the naturalization of Sunni outlanders, which is certainly at their cost. Since a breakdown by religious camps is unavailable officially, it is usually considered that 70% of the Bahrain’s population consists of Shiites where as the remaining Bahraini population includes Sunnis. Nevertheless, this proportionality might have changed due to the naturalization policy of the regime. Bahrain holds a relatively exceptional position among the GCC countries due to its mass Shiite population, long history of political opposition, liberal social norms and natural resources earning relatively small income. ... After the Sunnis the hawala families, who re-located themselves in Bahrain during the last century from the coast of Iran, declared themselves as of Sunni and Arab origins. The fifth and the biggest tire of the socio-political hierarchy constitutes the indigenous Shiite Arabs known as the Al-Baharina where as bottom most tier include the Persians, both Shiite and Sunni. No to mention that all the Shiites are in favor of the protesters or there is no Shiite elite. However some Shiite families such like the Al-Arrayed and Al-Jishi have turned very rich and are regarded as the allies of the ruling families. MOBILIZATION AND POLITICAL TENSIONS Contemporary education commenced quite early as per regional standards, which is inclined towards a large educated middle class and supports the first liberal organizations, trade unions as well as labor movements. This further stimulated the population during the 1950s as well as prompted a re-known uprising in 1965 against the presence of the Bri tish. As a result of this, an extremely engaged associational life was created. Perhaps Bahrain possesses the dynamic and obtrusive civil society amongst the Arab Gulf states (Fuccaro, 2009). The successors of these groups are yet in function today. Al-Kahlifa endeavored to strengthen their legitimacy, during the late 1960s and early 1970s while they were experiencing an opposition that illustrated sharp class and ideological characteristics, by asking for the development of an assembly assigned to draw up a constitution consensus at which the semi-elected national assembly possessing limited legislative powers would agree upon. In June 1973, the constitution was promulgated where as in the early

Archetypes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Archetypes - Essay Example I love how the numbers spell logic, and the fact that I could spread this passion as well as knowledge to more people. Now for this introductory part about me, I am going to attach these archetypes: People of the Prince archetype has a life of what could be full of expectations since like real princes or princesses, their kings and queens expect them to follow in their footsteps. They are surrounded by all this power so to speak, yet they are not yet mature enough to be in those kinds of position. My parents are in the medical field, that brought to them prestige and power. They are known to help save lives or make them better. I am their only son whom they have expectations to follow in their footsteps. But I am not mature enough to actually want it, or even fully capable of it yet. I have years to convince myself that that is what I want to do for the rest of my life and years of training to become fully capable of it. My passion for Math as it bred logic and patterns, yet in not so simple way, through figures and numbers, make me think I could be associated as the Philosopher. As one, I seek to pursue the meaning of life for the sake of attaining a level of reason afar from human boundary. Not that Math is beyond human boundary, but the fact that these figures and numbers can be manipulated to give one a result that is more that apt in analyzing things around him or her is quite astounding and just a bid tad miraculous. Philosophers peruse questions that have no definitive solutions and answers. After all, having the right answers are not his goal, only the fact that having these questions around you can heighten the awareness about the nature of life. Maybe this sort of clash with mathematicians, who sought logical and definitive answers, but my personality of wanting to seek out knowledge in order to be fully immersed in the nature of life is certainly a characteristic of a philosopher, althoug h I find it comfortable to use numbers as a tool. I look at myself as the Scribe as well, someone who has a reputation for accuracy and impartiality in inscribing details of a particular situation. I remember one time, I was called off to the office to explain a fight between two of my friends. My best friend hit my other friend not as close to me as him but I was still trusted to speak about the circumstances even though my best friend would be put into dire consequences. I did and caused a rift with my best friend for a while. But, in this I can say the aspect of being accurate and impartial lies within me. These two characteristics are important ones once you pursue a career in Mathematics as well. This is also the Judge in me, capable to mix compassion with wisdom. Though I could hurt my best friend, not coming out as I did would not let him see the mistake of his actions nor be a wise thing to do. After all being wise means knowing what is right from wrong. Condoning his actions would make us both criminals so to speak. It is a well-known fact that teachers impart knowledge and skills to those fortunate enough to be able to study and be under his or her influence. The Teacher does this impartially and only with the intention of adding to the progress of their hearts and minds. A true teacher though does this passionately and willingly. As I am considering myself to become a professor, this is more than a fitting description of that aspect of my personality. For now even I

Motivation in Pixar Animation Studios Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Motivation in Pixar Animation Studios - Essay Example It was to provide professional film making services majorly on animation and cartoons. This was after realizing that skills in information technology as related to animation were the major requirement. The first step was to gather resources and execute the plans. Consequently, the basic resources were in place and it was time to face the reality of it (Downs 2002). Management of the organization was a significant hitch as there was a need to hire professionals for various positions. The management team had to apply professional skills in ensuring efficient operation of the organization. As the organization grew bigger, there was a need for more staffing with the help of the HRM. This was carried out as per the needs at each point so as to balance out all activities carried out. An evaluation of the employee performance had to be done periodically so as to monitor the functionality of every position. As a result, changes on the positions and number of employees required in every duty had to take place accordingly. The HRM was charged with the responsibility of ensuring efficient staffing. Through this way, the organization has made tremendous steps towards attaining an excellent status. All these have been attributed to by the motivational factors, courtesy of the HRM and other stakeholders in influential positions within Pixar The objectives and activities of the company Pixar Pixar animation studios have an identity as an award winning animation studio embracing abilities in technical and creative productions. An assurance of these is by the creation of new features in animations in the new generation merchandise. Currently the organization has developed into a pioneer producer of technology applied in computer graphics and animations among other software developments (Wallace 2004). The studio aims at combining skills in proprietary technology with talents regarded to be of a world class in developing computer animated outputs with the support of memory. The industry made a brave turn into the film business from its initial venture and made more emphasis on the resources. Sustaining the innovation and creative behavior within the business called for brave actions to enable more output as compared to before. Proper coordination of the finances and the employees was one of the factors that led to the success of the organization. This depicts how important employee motivation is crucial to the survival of a business. Case motivation HRM practices Strategic management in the company was the yardstick to its success. This involved the use of strategic management skills applied by the management in handling all its operations. The major reason for establishing a strategic plan in management is to attain competitive advantage. These strategic management theories change from time to time regarding the customer needs. The fact that Pixar had roots from technology and art, played a role in the setting of the strategic management. Edwin Catmull to ok advantage of his passion for animation and made a team of individuals with similar interests such as George Lucas to work out on computer animations. This did not work out for them despite Luca's unwilling nature to venture in other areas other than animations as effected by computers. Steve jobs then surfaced to buy Edwin's unit before

The Red Scare of 1919 Essay Example for Free

The Red Scare of 1919 Essay The Red Scare of 1919 was the first of two major periods in American History when fear of radicalism culminated in the persecution and deportation of Americans thought to be radicals (communists, anarchists, or socialists). An unprecedented event, the Red Scare of 1919 exhibits how popular suppression and fear of radicalism can have disastrous consequences. The causes of the Red Scare are numerous and varied, however, one of the most important factors that contributed to the scare was the acts passed during World War I. During the war, social-anarchists did not support American involvement, nor did they support the subsequent draft. In response to the dissent, Congress passed the Sedition Act (actually, amended the Espionage Act). It was important in relation to the Red Scare because it allowed for censoring of radical literature as well as regulation of the mail. It was directed against subversives and, therefore, cast a very broad net. Because of the Sedition act, many individuals were arrested for distributing media that criticized the American military (Eugene Debs, head of the Socialist Party, was one of them). It was in response to this act that Justices Oliver Wendell Holmes set forth the clear and present danger doctrine and marked the beginning of modern First Amendment jurisprudence. Therefore, the Sedition Act of 1918 was important in the imposition of censorship after World War I. Reds were seen as a danger to the American system of government, economic stability, and way of life. In this sense, the war produced an era of intolerance for subversives, and it was this attitude that provided a ripe setting for the Red Scare of 1919 to take place. The Sedition Act was the legal excuse people used to regulate, censor, prosecute, and deport Americans thought to be radicals. Intolerance during the war would cause Americans to fear immigrants and radicals afterward, and it would only take a little spark to cause full blown hysteria. The Bolshevik revolution in Russia only deepened Americans fears because they felt the same thing could happen on their soil. The labor unrest following the end of World War I would prove to be instrumental in igniting the fire that was the Red Scare of 1919. The years after the war were marked by economic turmoil and labor unrest. At first, laborers expected the good working conditions, a staple of the wartime economy, to continue after the war was over. The economy was in good shape because war time contracts had cased industry to boom. Labor was supported by the government during the war in order to keep production levels high. After the war ended, however, contracts were canceled, which caused rising unemployment, and managers stopped cooperating with labor. Also, the cost of living had risen 99% by 1919 because of inflation. Without government support, labor unions began to strike in order to recapture the gains they had made during the war. One such strike took place in Seattle and involved sixty thousand workers (Painter, 346). Soon, this strike and others were labeled as a communist effort to undermine the American economy. The cycle of hysteria had begun. Labor unions were seen as Bolshevik sponsored organizations, and union members were labeled as communists. America began to become afraid because they saw there way of life slipping away. This fear would soon turn into action. The fear of radicalism stemmed, as stated earlier, from the era of intolerance during World War I. Propaganda techniques that once united the American public against Germany and hyphenated Americans during the war were easily converted into an instrument to cast a negative light on Bolsheviks. After all, America was not happy with Russia leaving the war and instituting a form of economy that was directly opposite of capitalism. Bolsheviks, therefore, were seen as a threat to democracy. Likewise, the forming of the Communist International was seen as an attempt to spread communism throughout the world. People felt insecure after the war, and this feeling was only bolstered by the idea that communists were working to overthrow the American economy and government. When a series of mail bombs were discovered, one of which exploding at Attorney General Palmers home, they were labeled as a communist effort to undermine America. The Red Scare of 1919 had begun. Labor unions were hardest hit. However, anyone seen as radical was persecuted and labeled a red. Elected officials who were members of the socialist party  were dismissed from office. In fact, the New York State Assembly dismissed five elected socialists. However, the most vivid example of the extent of the scare is illustrated by the Palmer raids, in which six thousand people were arrested and five hundred were deported. There were very few Communists in the United States in 1919, yet Palmer viewed them as a huge threat. Encouraged by Congress, Palmer began a series of showy and well publicized raids against radicals and leftists. Striking without warning and without warrants, Palmers men smashed union offices and the headquarters of Communist and Socialist organizations. They concentrated, whenever possible, on aliens rather than citizens, because aliens had fewer rights. As quickly as it had began, the Red Scare of 1919 ended. Although the hysteria had subsided, consequences still arose. The scare, as well as the raids, was seen as unproductive. Of the numerous arrests made in association with the scare, only a small percent of the suspected communists were deported. Therefore, government persecution of subversives only stopped because it was not working as well as hoped, yet the fear and hatred of radicals was still looming in the distance. It would again resurface in the 1950s during the McCarthy era when another Red Scare, more organized and brutal, would take place. America had learned how to deal with reds, and these lessons would be effectively applied in the next crusade against communism in America. Finally, a more visible and immediate consequence of the Red Scare of 1919 was the mass fear of immigration that took place afterwards. The highly visual raids by Palmer had a deep effect on Americans because the raids exposed the enemy. Restrictions and quotas were placed on immigration, especially on those people coming from Eastern Europe. Fear of communists turned into hatred of immigrants, and American citizens would have a hard time excepting new arrivals. In many cases, immigrants were automatically labeled as subversives, anarchists, and communists. The association between immigrants and social upheaval would have a negative effect on American immigrants in the years to come, a fact most vividly portrayed through the trial of Sacco and Venzetti. Also, for many years to come, unions were seen in a negative light. The association of communism with unions would continue  to be a hindrance for labor and the advancement of labor reforms.