Today's entry here is a sort of academic rant, if you'll all pardon my pre-caffeinated state ... I bit my tongue last night and saved it for you all here!
As many of you know, Weds is school day for me at Pitt. I am there all day ... until nearly 10 pm. My last class is, for the most part, my favorite: History of the English Language as taught by an English/Indian (as she identifies herself). It has been a fascinating and eye-opening course in many ways, and actually opened a new genre to me as "pleasure" reading that I had never particularly enjoyed previously - essays. That's the UP side ...
Our essay reading for last night, however, had me biting my tongue in class lest I make my real opinions known. The essays concerned the nature of political language, "Politics and the English Language" ( worth reading!) written by George Orwell in 1946. The point he makes is that most of us put little, if any, thought into our word choices. He says our language "becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts." He goes on to say that the common use of antiquated metaphors and "prefabricated" phrases belie our inattentiveness and, perhaps, apathy toward what we wish to say. He points to two specific characteristics of our language which form "avoidable ugliness". The first is staleness of imagery; the other is lack of precision." Orwell goes on to say that this "mixture of vagueness and sheer incompetence is the most marked characterisitic of modern English prose, and especially of any kind of political writing. As soon as certain topics are raised, the concrete melts into the abstract and no one seems to be able to think of turns of speech that are not hackneyed." OK, fine so far ... (and I happen to agree with him!)
But then the professor had to take it to Bush and the political jargon the administration uses to justify ... anything. To which I replied that though this is true, it is not a NEW thing. This is exactly what Orwell was responding to himself ... in 1946! I also reminded them that as far back as Julius Caesar, political jargon has been used to sway the masses and justify questionable activities. But, of course, everyone continued to make Bush the scapegoat for every ill under the sun, which is such an atrociously inappropriate view. This is politics. This is human nature, folks! Ugly, ain't it! Power does indeed corrupt.
OK ... that said ...I do not mind if politics are brought into the classroom, but I object to the assumption that we all, "obviously", agree because we are all relatively intelligent and informed adults. Hogwash! (now, there's a word!) We do NOT all agree ... and that is a GOOD thing!
~ B
1984
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