Reviews on my English speech?
If you find anything contradictory or overall grammatically incorrect, please do tell me. Also, if you do so, please cite where and offer corrections.
Keep in mind that I’m only a freshman in high school, and it’s nearly 5 AM where I live. ;p
Fellow citizens of the United States, no, partners in resistance, we’re gathered here today to address a topic that I have been urged to discuss, the problem whose basis lies in the American government. All of you gathered here today have vouched for enlightenment of the current governmental situation, and, as spokesperson for the resistance, I will not fail to convey just how corrupt our government is. In doing so, I am going to refer to a novel by George Orwell, 1984.
Thomas Shadwell’s quote, “Words may be false and full of art,” exemplifies the manipulative status the government has obtained in Orwell’s novel. In 1984, history is superintended by a department known as the Ministry of Truth. In essence, the title of this department is a misnomer–the actual workings in this ministry are contradictory in that the truth is falsified and displayed to the public as a means of absolute control. The “Big Brother” of this novel is a name used to refer to the dictator of Oceania, the setting of the novel. Big Brother is always watching its citizens through telescreens implanted in their very homes. The message this sends to our society is a direct invasion of privacy, but, in this novel, Big Brother is thought to watch over and protect its citizens similar to someone’s big brother who would only wish his younger siblings well. In actuality, this big brother is a stringent one who seeks control and superiority over his younger siblings through complete and utter manipulation in all aspects of his siblings’ life.
The official language of 1984 is Newspeak–a language in which the government seeks to terminate even the possibility of rebellious thought. This is accomplished through the elimination of words that can be articulated to circulate rebellious thought. For example, instead of simply stating that something is good, the word ungood must be used as a substitution. Positive words assume their negative counterpart in order to make the word “good” a dominant portion of the language. This language butchers its English equivalent to the point where the average citizen is forced to converse brusquely, and, as an adverse effect, rendered incapable of communicating mutinous thought. Historic text cannot be deciphered by the citizens and so they have nothing to compare their lives to. The history they are exposed to suggests that life has always been the way it is.
Ultimately, control over history wielded by government allocates a false sense of security and sereneness induced by the false impression that the government wishes its citizens well. In our society today, in our republic, we minimally deserve a leader who is concerned for the population, one that will surely bring beneficial change to the country. Instead, our republic is corrupt and cares only for money. If the government was concerned with the nation’s health and overall problems, fast food restaurants would contain healthy foods, tobacco, alcohol, and all detrimental drugs would be outlawed while we would be aware of the whole truth such as where our meat (for those who aren’t vegetarians) comes from and what means are met to obtain this meat.
Alas, I conclude this speech with stating that our government as we know it does not, in any shape, way, or form aside from its image in correlation to other nations and other superficial reasons thereof, seek to please its citizens. The government constantly varnishes the truth to maintain order. The parallel to 1984 applies here; the way we’re currently headed will lead us to ruin, shambles of a once thriving union. Sooner or later, the government will be totalitarian while, at the same time, believed to support freedom and underhandedly retaining control and eliminating potential threats to this system, which is extensively practiced in 1984 where rebels are murdered without a second thought. Members of the resistance, it is our duty to uphold the heart of the nation and prepare to build a tangibly perfect union. You have been enlightened.
Great suggestion. Thanks a bunch.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:14 am
you should end with this quote:
“When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.” – - – Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States.