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English Professor
An American economist and socialist whom Orwell mentions in his discussion of “abstract language” near the end of the essay. Throughout “Politics and the English Language,” Orwell opposes the use of abstract language. For instance, Orwell claims that “abstract” language distorts the truth within one’s mind, “blurring or even changing your meaning.” He also claims that abstract language makes it difficult for “people to think.” But Orwell stops short of advocating against all abstract language, and he specifically objects to Chase’s claim that “all abstract words are meaningless” (Orwell’s words—not Chase’s). Orwell claims that Chase’s attempt to wholeheartedly eliminate abstract language is a means of silencing dissent or a “pretext for advocating a kind of political quietism.” Orwell provides no other background information about Chase, but Orwell’s readers likely recognized the name: Chase was an American Communist whose book, The Tyranny of Words, indeed argues that abstract language is meaningless language.
Stuart Chase Quotes in Politics and the English Language
The Politics and the English Language quotes below are all either spoken by Stuart Chase or refer to Stuart Chase. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Politics and the English Language Quotes
I have not here been considering the literary use of language, but merely language as an instrument for expressing and not for concealing or preventing thought.
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In the conclusion, Orwell makes a caveat regarding the limits of his argument. Precisely, he notes a specific limit on the genres to which his argument should apply. In doing so, Orwell provides a rebuttal or response to an anticipated counterargument or objection from the audience. A rebuttal recognizes limitations or situations in which an argument would not hold. In this passage, Orwell acknowledges the limits of his argument regarding fiction writing. As he describes it, his argument only applies to that writing which attempts to represent the truth. Presumably, because fiction is inherently not a reflection of reality—by definition Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati.
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Stuart Chase Character Timeline in Politics and the English Language
The timeline below shows where the character Stuart Chase appears in Politics and the English Language. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Politics and the English Language
...that his advice does not apply to literary prose. Also, he specifically notes that, unlike Stuart Chase , whom Orwell claims comes “near” banning abstract language as means to eliminate political dissent,...
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