Use Of Language In 1984

Submitted By fusuy922
Words: 801
Pages: 4

In-Class Personal Essay: 1984
Yusuf Mansour
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Mrs. Mattka
ENG 2D1E

Our words and language need to be exercised and moderated regularly rather than being destroyed. While too many words can cause us to lose our sense of humanity; too few words results to less expression, which inevitably causes all sorts of problems. After Winston Smith in the novel 1984, thinks of rebelling against the Party and joining a terrorist gang, his thoughts become words of determination. Eventually he acts upon his words and meets O' Brien whom he thought could potentially help him. When Newspeak is introduced in the novel, its purpose is to deconstruct words in the English language and limit similar words to contain the same stem. Generally, I believe that words are the pathway from thoughts to actions: when there are fewer words, there are less means of thoughts and expression. I discovered that my use of words affects my behavior and consequently the widespread actions of the distant future. In my day-to-day life, language and words have the power to produce, convince, encourage, discourage and make one knowledgeable; therefore I believe that everyone's use of words and language today must continue to develop and be regulated so that all can benefit.

I used to wonder why toddlers, before that learn the name of their favorite things, would point and cry and say 'gibberish' to the thing that they wanted to have. I realized that they likely don't know what to say. Another time, I was confused with my brother when he became frustrated that I didn't understand him. Agreeably as he got older, he found it easier to communicate and I found it easier to understand him. I can totally relate to him when I write my papers for school. I, too, become agitated when trying to find the right word to suit the idea I'm trying to get across. Relentlessly, whenever this happens, I simply turn to my dictionary. These instances brought me to wonder what life would've been like if there was no dictionary. If our language was so barren and no one could express himself or herself, how would one deal with confusion and frustration with themselves and others?

Many are times when I get dressed for a special event and I ask those at home, "Do I look good in this?" or "What do you think of this outfit?" Even though I might have known I looked good, I just wanted to hear it from another person's perspective. Words do let people connect to one another. It's amazing how successful they can be to "lighten someone up" and maybe that's why saying, "good morning" every morning has become an evident part of our culture. Moreover, because words direct thoughts: as I step out of my front door, that simple compliment would have put me in a cheerful mood and eventually I transfer that cheerful mood to the people I come across during the day. And so I say this method of spreading positivity