Tasis 1

Jules Riv B. Tasis

Mrs. Carroll, Mr. Crain-Davis, Mr. Barnett, Ms. Kim
English IV
10 December 2017

Politically Correct Language: Is It In Favor of George Orwell?

One might say that such book shouldn’t justify on what a person really thinks and feels about a
certain topic. In this case, ​1984​ creates a very distinct setting and ambience leaving the readers wondering
and baffled. Quite frankly, I believe that George Orwell is a conservative who is against politically correct
language and like most of us, against dehumanization. However, in today’s society, being politically
correct is the right way to take action as it portrays respect and diligence. I see to it that if George Orwell
were to live in the current situation of our world today, he would be left in dismay as this is what he
envisioned. Gordon Beadle, the author of ​George Orwell and the American Conservatives​, ​it states on
page 6 that, “...another attraction that Orwell presents to American conservatives is his cranky attitude to
social deviants.” Nowadays, being socially deviant is accepted and utterly normal.

Along with many conservatives, they would truly deny and refuse this idea of being different in
the society. More importantly, George Orwell may compare being politically correct to the language of
Oceania, Newspeak. He even stated that, “political language can be designed to make lies truthful and
murder respectable”, on an article from ​The Guardian​. This is what he envisioned being politically correct
is and how it seems to be a threat to our society. Like Oceania, Newspeak is one of the many things that
gives a negative impression to its readers as it limits the knowledge and expansion of vocabulary. He
believes that such words, if replaced or substituted, is a cause of dehumanization and a branch of
politically correctness. However, by being politically correct, you use words in order to dismiss any
negative connotation which is much more different than changing words and phrases to limit the person’s
mind. Comparing this to Pieter Vree’s, ​Control The Language, Control the Masses​, they both have the
same mindset on what society should be like. Vree believes that social deviants are mere threats to the
world and that language should not be dealt with as it might trigger an impending doom of the people in
this society.

1984​ still remains as an existing physical characteristic of George Orwell and you could clearly
see how his thoughts and envisionments resonate throughout the book. On the last page of the book, Erich
Fromm, a German social psychologist, discusses what George Orwell really warns us, the people of this
generation, about. “The hope can be realized only by recognizing, so ​1984​ teaches us, the danger with
which all men are confronted today, the danger of a society of automatons who will have lost every trace
of individuality, of love, of critical thought, and yet who will not be aware of it because of “doublethink.”
[326, 1984].