Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Dialect - 1984

"times 17.3.84 bb speech malreported africa rectify
times 18.12.83 forecasts 3 yp 4th quarter 83 misprints verify current issue
times 14.2.84 miniplenty malquoted chocolate rectify
times 3.12.83 reporting bb dayorder doubleplusungood refs unpersons rewrite fullwise upsub antefiling." p. 38

This is just one example of the many times that the dialect of "Newspeak" is used throughout the novel 1984. In this case, the dialect switches from what we know as modern English to that of Newspeak. The main character himself usually uses modern English with only a few impositions of Newspeak outside his work. This exemplifies his resistance to the control the government holds over their lives. Newspeak symbolizes the ultimate take over, a point at which even language will have been demolished. In this novel, dialect is important because it shows who has accepted the government and its demands into their lives to a greater or a lesser degree. This also is used to show just how great the government's/ Big Brother's power in the country has grown. If speech is being controlled, then it is assumable that there is nearly no free will if any available to the common man at this point.

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