Nineteen Eighty FourNineteen Eighty Four

LanguageLanguage

‘‘Good prose should be like Good prose should be like a windowpane’a windowpane’

A03A03

Show detailed understanding of the ways Show detailed understanding of the ways in which writers' choices of form, structure in which writers' choices of form, structure and and languagelanguage shape meanings shape meanings

A GRADEA GRADE exploration and analysis of key exploration and analysis of key aspects of form, structure and aspects of form, structure and language with perceptive evaluation of language with perceptive evaluation of how they shape meaningshow they shape meanings

Three areas to focus on when Three areas to focus on when considering language and Nineteen considering language and Nineteen

Eighty FourEighty Four

1. Orwell’s opinion of language1. Orwell’s opinion of language

2. Language of the book itself (how 2. Language of the book itself (how Orwell writes)Orwell writes)

3. Language as a theme in itself3. Language as a theme in itself

TaskTask

Connecting ideas, quotes, context, perceptions, interpretations Connecting ideas, quotes, context, perceptions, interpretations etcetc

You will be given four A4 cards containing points about the You will be given four A4 cards containing points about the novel and languagenovel and language

You must create a mind map using these, quotes from the book You must create a mind map using these, quotes from the book and your own interpretations/explanationsand your own interpretations/explanations

You will need to begin by cutting up the quotes and grouping You will need to begin by cutting up the quotes and grouping them according to the headings (evident in bold)them according to the headings (evident in bold)

Discuss and work as a groupDiscuss and work as a group

Be prepared to present your workBe prepared to present your work

Orwell’s thoughts on LanguageOrwell’s thoughts on Language

The writer should be clear about what The writer should be clear about what he thinks and the language he uses to he thinks and the language he uses to

express himself should be simple, express himself should be simple, direct and plaindirect and plain

Clear connection between language Clear connection between language and politics.and politics.

Politics and LanguagePolitics and Language

Totalitariansim as the great political threatTotalitariansim as the great political threat

Thrives on blurring of judgement and vagueness Thrives on blurring of judgement and vagueness of thought, feeling and languageof thought, feeling and language

Totalitariansim can only work if people are Totalitariansim can only work if people are changing their minds at willchanging their minds at will

Totalitariansim is easier if language (and Totalitariansim is easier if language (and thought) is vague and indistinctthought) is vague and indistinct

Language of the Novel-1Language of the Novel-1

Simple, direct concreteSimple, direct concrete

Life is described exactness- attention to Life is described exactness- attention to telling detailtelling detail

Imaginative qualityImaginative quality

Life in a tolaitarian stateLife in a tolaitarian state

Different styles of language in the Different styles of language in the novel -2novel -2

Meetings between Julia and WinstonMeetings between Julia and Winston

Luxury of more poetic styleLuxury of more poetic style

Paperweight and prolesPaperweight and proles

What questions arise?What questions arise?

The Theory and Practice of The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism’ by Oligarchical Collectivism’ by

Emmanuel GoldsteinEmmanuel Goldstein Dry language of political theoryDry language of political theory

Abstract scientific analysisAbstract scientific analysis

Clear but lacking concretenessClear but lacking concreteness

Prole LanguageProle Language

Attempts to create the impression of the Attempts to create the impression of the speech of the prolesspeech of the proles

Failure?Failure?

A05A05

Evaluate the significance of cultural, Evaluate the significance of cultural, historical and other contextual historical and other contextual

influences upon literary texts and studyinfluences upon literary texts and study

Language- the themeLanguage- the themeSociety of newspeak- language of IngsocSociety of newspeak- language of Ingsoc

‘‘The revolution will be complete when the language is perfect. Newspeak is Ingsoc and The revolution will be complete when the language is perfect. Newspeak is Ingsoc and Ingsoc is Newspeak’Ingsoc is Newspeak’

Syme the philologistSyme the philologist

Destruction of words- freedom, democracy, love,honour, justic, humanity, religion’Destruction of words- freedom, democracy, love,honour, justic, humanity, religion’

No words = no ideas/concepts= thoughtcrime disappearsNo words = no ideas/concepts= thoughtcrime disappears

No grey areas/distinctionsNo grey areas/distinctions

‘‘The whole notion of goodness and badness will be covered by only six words- in reality, The whole notion of goodness and badness will be covered by only six words- in reality, only one word ‘ungood’ = bad, ‘plusgood’= very good, ‘ only one word ‘ungood’ = bad, ‘plusgood’= very good, ‘

‘‘the beauty of the destruction of words’the beauty of the destruction of words’

Language- the themeLanguage- the theme

To be human is to discriminate and judge, judgement involves the To be human is to discriminate and judge, judgement involves the exact use of language so that the mind knows where it stands.exact use of language so that the mind knows where it stands.

Orwell-language and morality are closely related.Orwell-language and morality are closely related.

Not to use language clearly involves a descent into a kind of sub-Not to use language clearly involves a descent into a kind of sub-human state, whose speech is ‘uttered in unconsciousness’, human state, whose speech is ‘uttered in unconsciousness’, duckspeakduckspeak

‘‘his head was thrown back a little, and because of the angle at his head was thrown back a little, and because of the angle at which he was sitting, his spectatcles cuaght the light and presented which he was sitting, his spectatcles cuaght the light and presented to Winston two blank discs instead of eyes. What was slightly to Winston two blank discs instead of eyes. What was slightly horrible, was that from the stream od sound that poured out of his horrible, was that from the stream od sound that poured out of his mouth, it was almost impossible to distinguish a single word’mouth, it was almost impossible to distinguish a single word’

‘‘Politics and the English Language’Politics and the English Language’

Used this image of the two blank discs for eyes, Used this image of the two blank discs for eyes, in a description of a tired political hack, mouthing in a description of a tired political hack, mouthing strings of phrases which have nothing to do with strings of phrases which have nothing to do with thought or with the process of human life:thought or with the process of human life:

‘‘One often has the curious feeling that one is not One often has the curious feeling that one is not watching a live human being but some kind of watching a live human being but some kind of dummy: a feeling which suddenly becomes dummy: a feeling which suddenly becomes stronger at moments when the light catches the stronger at moments when the light catches the speaker’s spectacles nd turns them into blank speaker’s spectacles nd turns them into blank discs which seem to have no eyes behind them’discs which seem to have no eyes behind them’

AppendixAppendix

Written in past tense which may or may Written in past tense which may or may not indicate that the party was overthrown not indicate that the party was overthrown at some stageat some stage