| From his examination of how language may be used to perpetuate the status quo and achieve the goals of the powerful, George Orwell recognizes the necessity of understanding the nature of language for interpreting political events. While traditional interpretations of his work assert that he believes that either language or thought is primary, this thesis will show that Orwell recognizes that a connection exists between the two, and further, that language is a creator of social worlds.;Chapter Two examines language's role in interpreting and expressing individual experience to show that Orwell recognizes that individuals are not autonomous and that our perceptions of reality are shaped, in part, by our language experience. Chapter Three explores the expressive and communicative functions of language which conflict in social interaction by discussing the conflicts among aesthetic, historical and political purposes in writing. It is clear that Orwell recognizes that language must be allowed to fulfil all of these functions and that denying this allows for political manipulation. Chapter Four examines both the conscious efforts by the powerful to use language to maintain in society, and also how language reflects the dominant culture, thereby creating a particular world-view for its users. |
