Help! I have NO idea what to do with this essay?! URGENT?

Question

So the question was from Orwell's essay "Politics and the English Language" and was "Orwell wrote this essay in 1946. Choose at least two examples of political discourse from current media and discuss, in an essay, whether Orwell's analysis of the language of politics is still valid. If it is, which features that he singles out for criticism appear most frequently in your examples?"

But I looked up almost every Mc Cain and Obama speech I could find on the internet and NONE of them used any of the phrases Orwell points out in his essay. And now I'm about ready to RIP MY HAIR OUT x_x (it's almost 1:30 am, I still have a bunch of work to finish after this, and now I'm stuck on this).

I don't think that I'm right. I doubt the teacher would have added the "if it is, which features..." part if the answer was "no". But I went through EVERY speech I could find and literally NONE of the phrases that Orwell speaks of appear in them.

What do I do? I'm freaking out here, I need help. x-o;

Answer 1

I'm not familiar with the essay you mention, but I'll give this a go:

If you can't find any examples in current politics, then explain the differences between Orwell's views on politics and current politics.

Also, McCain and Obama aren't the only two politicians.  Try searching for congressional discourse (especially considering that all US representative seats are up for re-election this November).

Good Luck (and may I suggest that next time you should ask for help before it becomes an urgent matter?)

Answer 2

You're right, your teacher probably did expect you to find examples.

However, when you're writing this kind of paper, the main thing is to state your case and back it up with solid arguments. So you can say that Orwell is outdated and give examples where other kinds of language are now used.

But are you so sure? The exact wording of the phrases may be different, but the gist of them may still be there.

One last idea is to look beyond Obama and McCain's speeches. Lots of other people made political speeches on their behalf, and those speeches count, too. So check out Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Mitt Romney and various others who've spoken this year.

LOL, and don't forget Bush! Not all political speeches are campaign speeches. You may find some of Orwell's language in Bush's speeches on foreign policy, etc.

Oh - just saw the bit about congressional discourse. If that's what you need, then Obama & McCain are not it at all. Look up the speeches made in Congress this year.

Answer 3

Don't look for the exact phrases Orwell uses in his essay.  Look for phrases that illustrate the same principles.

I am quite confident you can find examples of abstract, vague, and insincere phrasing in current political discourse.  Politicians are quite fond of pretentious diction and dying metaphors -- two things Orwell mentioned.  Also, don't limit yourself to just Obama and McCain (although you can certain find examples in their speeches, interviews, and etc.).  Try President Bush, President Ahmadinejad, and Prime Minister Putin, for examples.  (I am not equating the three.  I am just saying you should be able to find many useful examples in their speeches.)

Good luck.