George Orwell, Politics and the English Language

The point that I got from this reading was keeping your paper rather simple. Don’t try to fluff it up with vague passages. The truth is that the English language allows us to write with a lot of fluff in which many writers do perhaps to fill space or even to sound more sophisticated. It was somewhat comforting to have Orwell site poor passages that as I read them had to agree myself. Some of my difficulties with reading philosophy is trying to decipher what the philosopher is trying to say. If they would just say it in laymen’s terms they might reach more of an audience. Stick to the basics as stated near the end of the essay in the rules section and based on how I write I couldn’t agree more.
After getting through most of this essay I couldn’t help but think this could be construed as an argument paper. I got the feeling that Orwell was trying to persuade me not to write in a certain way. He backed it up with examples, took his stance and cited information towards his claim and in turn also gave me some insight on writing. So there you have it, two birds with one stone. Maybe this essay could be a good example of an argument paper?
The advice given in this essay on keeping it simple, clear and concise will help prepare my thoughts on my argument paper. The point to stay clear of vague meanings is well taken. As a writer you want to write to a point and make it clear so the reader knows how to react to the writing without be confused. Don’t look for big fancy words to dramatize the significance of what’s being said. Try to stay away from the same ole cliché when writing; you never know when one of your readers may associate a totally different image of the cliché than what you are trying to get across. After all, it’s not how you impress your audience but whether or not you left them with the right impressions.