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What Is a Doublespeak Essay?

A ̶0;doublespeak essay̶1; is a group of paragraphs with a distortion of several words, often created to reduce the shock of an event or amplify the role of something normal or minute. It can also mean a discourse on doublespeak itself, like the several essays written by William Lutz, a faculty at Rutgers University, which extensively deal with the subject.

Etymology
- Doublespeak is compounded from ̶0;newspeak̶1; and ̶0;doublethink,̶1; both from George Orwell̵7;s 1984. According to Orwell, newspeak is a language that promotes only the ideas that conform to Ingsoc (English Socialism), which can be translated into a governing and authoritative body. At the same time, it suppresses those that go against Ingsoc. Doublethink refers to one̵7;s acceptance of two opposing ideas.
Forms
- Doublespeak comes in four forms: euphemism, jargon, gobbledygook and inflated language. Euphemisms like ̶0;laid off,̶1; to mean one was removed from work, softens a harsh reality. Jargon refers to technical vocabulary which differs depending on the kind of profession applicable. Examples of which are prevalent on the internet, like ̶0;URL̶1; (Uniform Resource Locator) which is the address on one̵7;s browser that begins with ̶0;http://.̶1; Gobbledygook is over-wordiness which fails to explain the point directly and confuses one who reads it. Lastly, inflated language is a set of words used to magnify the smallness of something, as if it was regal and important. An example is ̶0;sanitary engineering̶1; for garbage collection.
Practical Applications
- On a daily basis, you are bombarded with doublespeak from all sides. Doublespeak and doublespeak essays are in massive use, from television, radio and print media. Often these are used to advertise products, or to create positive images of a personality. Sometimes, it̵7;s used to ̶0;sugarcoat̶1; a sensitive subject.
Implications
- Doublespeak affects people two-ways: either individually or as a part of a community. On a personal level, an example would be the death of a loved one. One does not say that someone ̶0;died.̶1; Instead, they often say ̶0;passed away,̶1; which shows one̵7;s sensitivity towards the other̵7;s situation. On one other hand, doublespeak can affect one̵7;s perspective towards his surroundings. The best example of which is ̶0;embedded journalism̶1; during the post-9/11 days. Embedded journalism refers to the military being in control of what a journalist sees and publishes in exchange for the journalist̵7;s access to a war zone.

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