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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.