Politics and the English Language

Orwell himself uses similes and metaphors. Locate five of them, and explain their relationship to the author’s analysis.

  Orwell uses is when he is talking about overused metaphors and says, "there is a huge dump of worn-out metaphors." This shows to illustrate how useless the overused metaphors are and how many there are. Another metaphor he uses is "Now that I have made this catalogue of swindles and perversions." This shows that there are many ways that English has been changed and he is listing them. Another metaphor he uses is "when the light catches the speaker's spectacles and turns them into blank discs which seem to have no eyes behind them" This shows that when people use English without thinking it makes them inhuman. Another metaphor he uses is saying "the great enemy of clear language is insincerity" This shows how it is a legitimate problem to try and talk clearly without caring about the topic. Finally, a metaphor he uses is when he is talking about go- to phrases in English that eliminate originality saying, "continuous temptation, a packet of aspirins always at one's elbow." This shows that people rely too heavily on pre-made phrases in English.

One of the most crucial rhetorical strategies is defintion. What important concepts does Orwell define? What methods of definition does he tend to use?

The important concepts that Orwell defines are "dying metaphors", "operators", "pretentious diction", and "meaningless words" The methods he tends to use to describe these are with examples. He gives examples of other people's writing that displays these traits and outlines them to show what he is talking about.

Identify an example of hypothetical reasoning in the essay. How does it contribute to the thesis of the essay?

An example of hypothetical reasoning in the essay is when Orwell writes, "One could keep all of them and still write bad English, but one could not write the kind of stuff that I quoted in those five specimens at the beginning of this article." This shows that even though he is outline the major and most popular misuses of the English language, it is still easy to misuse it even if you follow what he says.

Inferno Canto V

Why does Dante the pilgrim feel such sympathy for Francesca and Paolo?

Dante feels such sympathy for Francesca and Paolo because they were sent to suffer because of their fleshly passions and conceptions.


How does the punishment fit the crime, or better, how is the sin embodied in the punishment of the lustful?

The punishment fits the crime because Francesca and Paolo are destined to re-live their affair- which shows that the sin is embodied in the punishment of the lustful because they are given over eternally to their lustful desires as punishment, which is what they wanted in their life.

Why is lust regarded as the least serious sin in hell?

Lust is regarded as the least serious sin in hell because it isnt as much corruption of reason as it is corruption of the body. The other circles are worse because to Dante the poet human intellect is regarded highly, so when that becomes corrupted it is more serious but since this is just corruption of the body, it is not as serious

Inferno

In Canto III, Dante finds himself in the vestibule of hell. Who does he meet here? What is their activity in hell? Is this our first example of Contrapasso?

When Dante finds himself in the vestibule of hell in Canto III he meets the souls who did not choose good or evil. Virgil says, "This is the sorrowful state of souls unsure, whose lives earned neither honor nor bad fame. " They are the people that are forgotten and have neither life nor death.

Who does Dante meet in Canto IV? What kind of a place does this seem to be? (Give examples from the text to support your claim). How do you think the poet Dante understands the role of the “virtuous pagans” in the grand scheme of Medieval theology?

In Canto IV, Dante meets the souls that did not have the unrepentant sin but were not baptised so they were stuck in Limbo. Virgil describes it saying, "they did not sin; if they have merit, it can't suffice without Baptism, portal to the faith you maintain." This seems to be a place of great pain because Virgil goes pale, which Dante mistakes for fear, but he just has so much pity for those trapped in here (like himself). There were many well known figures stuck in Limbo as well, such as Moses, Abraham, Homer, etc. I think that Dante sees the role of "virtuous pagans" in the grand scheme of Medieval theology as people to look up to for their great works and virtue but the were not saved because they were not baptised

Secondary Source Consider Question

The Revolutions of 1848

Consider: According to Weiss, the social and economic causes of the revolutions; how Weiss supports his conclusion that it is misleading to label these revolutions liberal.

       Weiss shows in this document that the social and economic causes of the revolutions were that the artisans and peasants wanted to keep the old traditions. They were also feeling violated because in many cases their status had changed by liberal capitalism. Weiss supports his conclusion that it is misleading to label these revolutions liberal by saying that the liberals that eventually came to power didn't want revolution they wanted reform. Also, the liberals didn't represent all of the middle class, and there was no mass following for liberals in Europe