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Dominique Cain

Carter

English 2

December 2012

Fall 2012 Midterm Essay

Communication is a natural process for humans, in which we communicate messages through

verbal and non-verbal action. Without communication, our lives would be very different because

communication is vital to a developing society, as well as maintaining everything around us.

Communication, directly and indirectly, plays an important role in the society of today, 1984, Julius

Caesar, and the times of slavery by how the limitation, and or encouragement of it could shape a society

forever.

Freedom is slavery (Orwell pg.4) the party constantly engraves these words onto every statue,

prompt and screen throughout Airstrip Onejamming the verses into their citizens minds; in which they

treat them like sheep and manipulate them to do what they want. Orwells point pertains to the old Soviet

concepts that when state abuses the power of communication by controlling your decisions or deciding

them for you, you are free to enjoy the benefits of not having to choose. The state tells you when to wake

up, when to go to sleep, where to work and for how long, what to eat, and son on people like sheep, can

therefore thrive and retain their minds for really tough decisions in life, like what team will win the

super bowl, and if they should wash their hands or brush their teeth first. In 1984, the thought of real

communication is thrown out the window by the suggestion that if you let big brother and the party

control your free will, you gain the freedom of not having to worry about anything. Communication is

completely forgotten because you dont have to tell or let anyone know anythingand when you are free

to do what people do best, which is eat, breathe, work, and sleep, whats the need for communication?

All this, however was too late. The first step had been taken. Mistress, in teaching me the

alphabet, had given the inch, and no precaution could prevent me from taking the ell. (Fredrick Douglass

pg. 101). In Douglasss essay he portrays that communication can hold truth and that understanding

writing shows someones identity, and how the way they communicate could hint to their character. For

example, when Douglasss mistress teaches him the alphabet, it revels to him and the reader that she

somewhat cares, not about him, but the fact that he understands. Writing holds truth by how nothing can

touch it. Real truth and writing cant be degraded by bias, false beliefs, or wishful thinking, power

struggles, and lies. The way we communicate always shows who we truly are inside. Douglass constantly

tries to find freedom through learning how to read and write, and wanting to express some form of

communication, while the people of the 1984 society willingly accept that its going away. The form of

wanting to take communication away was what the partybig brotherand slave owners had in

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common; they both knew the power of communication and how symbolic language is. Both the party and

the slave owners also knew that the citizens or slaves could use verbal and nonverbal expressions to make

sense of their surroundings and even start a revolt or over throw the government.

Constantly in 1984 the party tried to dress up the truth, but after every subjective layer imposed

on it had been removed the truth still remained. Those who saw the real truth, Winster and Julia, knew the

real power of language. Much like the party, Brutus in Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, tried to dress up the

truth in his speech at Caesars funeral. Brutus tried to hid his wrong doing of killing Caesar by calling

Caesar ambitious. Throughout his speak, Brutus tries to hide the truth from the citizens and tries to

make it seen as if he loved Rome more, when really he was looking out for the good of himself and the

conspirators.