Examples Of Newspeak In 1984

In George Orwell's novel 1984, the concept of Newspeak serves as a powerful warning against the dangers of censorship and the erosion of language, illustrating how controlling and manipulating language can ultimately strip away individual freedom and diversity of thought. Newspeak is defined in such a way as to emblazon the problematic nature of language erosion. Each new edition of vocabulary – there are eleven so far – sees a reduction of words. In a conversation with Winston, Syme – one of the engineers of Newspeak – remarks, "Newspeak is the only language in the world whose vocabulary gets smaller every year." The consequence is that, ultimately, every concept will be expressed with one word; this one word will be firm in its definition

There is a palpable sense of hyperbole expressed in the scene. To the learned reader, Syme's boisterous assertions about Newspeak's reduction of words and elimination of the beauty of language are frankly absurd. George Orwell is counting on this. He wants the reader to recognize how ludicrous the linguistic policy partaken by the party is. In identifying this, the implication towards real-world examples is there but in a weaker form. The hope is that if one finds Syme's logic obviously flawed, this can be applied to more moderate examples like the simple banning of a word. Censoring language is therefore asserted as the building block or the first step in a slippery slope towards the blight of language. Moreover, Orwell uses Winston as a vehicle to underline the importance of linguistic diversity and freedom. There is a scene in the book's first chapter where Winston muses on why he is writing the diary. After deliberation, he decides that "He was writing the diary for some time when the thought police would not exist, and the language would be different." This remark is an extension of George Orwell as a kind of fourth wall