Newspeak
As we end 1984, we come across a unique section at the conclusion of the book talking about the vocabulary of the society in 1984: Newspeak. This language is very interesting, being split into different categories for vocabulary pertaining to certain subjects. We have vocabulary A for basic words and sayings, vocabulary B for words pertaining to politics or the Party, and vocabulary C for science and technology (but there aren't any specific words for this section, just broad and general terms). Newspeak is also limited compared to the current English language, leaving no room for interpretation, misunderstanding, and so on. Newspeak is also quite unique and differs greatly from "old" English, which is quite genius from the perspective of a controlling society. With all these new words which are fewer in quantity, it is considerably harder for older documents to be interpreted into Newspeak. This can easily allow for the Party to manipulate whatever texts they please when they "translate" into Newspeak.
What do you all think of Newspeak? Is it a smart move to create a new language? What could be possible weaknesses of doing so?
Comments
Post a Comment