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How Is Language Used In 1984

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Language is a weapon more powerful than all the guns in the world. In his most famous novel, 1984, George Orwell argued that the destruction of language can be used as a tool to control and manipulate the masses. The novel is set in a dystopian Great Britain. In the novel its called Oceania, and it’s part of the supercontinent, Oceania. In this universe, a very small percentage of people, known as Big Brother, control the masses. Where they enforce harsh laws that grant the common little to no rights. People are not even allowed to think for themselves. In the novel, the people speak a language called Newspeak. Newspeak is a “dumbed-down” version of Oldspeak. The year is 1984, when protagonist Winston Smith, illegally buys a journal and commits the biggest crime of all, thinking against the party. The destruction of language can be used as tools to manipulate people. The destruction of language limits society to speak a single language, where the people speak with a limited vocabulary. This makes it easy for the government to create propaganda. …show more content…

If everybody speaks the same language, especially one that is created by the government, then the masses are more easily controlled. In book one, chapter five. Winston is conversing with his associate Syme about Newspeak. Syme tells Winston that the eleventh edition of Newspeak is what Newspeak will be like when “nobody speaks anything else” (Orwell, 65). Syme later remarks to Winston that “people like you will have to learn it all over again” (Orwell, 65). In these quotations, Syme is admitting that the eleventh edition of Newspeak will be the official language of Oceania. Syme also mentions that everybody is required to learn it and use

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