Correct option is B
Explanation:
In his essay Politics and the English Language (1946), George Orwell critiques the misuse of language in modern writing and identifies several common "bad habits" that contribute to unclear, imprecise writing. Among them:
Pretentious Diction: The use of unnecessarily complex or foreign-sounding words to appear more sophisticated or authoritative.
Dying Metaphors: Overused, stale metaphors that have lost their vividness and meaning.
Information Booster:
Orwell claimed that political language "is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind." This was the main topic of the article.
Orwell thought that because the language was meant to conceal rather than to reveal the truth, it was inherently ambiguous or useless. A writer's thoughts were hidden from both himself and others by this ambiguous prose, which was a "contagion" that had spread to individuals who did not intend to conceal the truth.Orwell promotes individualism over political uniformity and concreteness and clarity over vagueness.
Orwell emphasizes clarity, simplicity, and precision in language to prevent manipulation in politics and communication.
Other Bad Habits Orwell Identifies:
- Operators or Verbal False Limbs: Overreliance on passive voice and extra words to obscure meaning.
- Meaningless Words: Using vague, imprecise terms that add little value to the content.
- Orwell provides six rules for clear writing, such as avoiding clichés and cutting unnecessary words.
- Orwell connects the degradation of language to political manipulation, arguing that unclear language enables propaganda and the distortion of truth.
- The essay has had a lasting impact on both political discourse and writing pedagogy, influencing generations of writers to prioritize clarity and integrity in their work.
- Orwell's focus on language and power complements his political critique in works like 1984 and Animal Farm.
English
10 Questions
20 Marks
12 Mins
