Thought Control and Language: Newspeak in George Orwell’s 1984 and the Possibility of Resistance

Abstract

This study explores the principles of Newspeak, its effectiveness as a thought control tool, and the prospects of resistance towards this project. To achieve this, the research adopts a qualitative analytical approach, examining Orwell’s depiction of Newspeak through the character Syme and the appendix of 1984, evaluating the alignment between the theoretical framework linking cognition to language to Newspeak itself, and assessing the possible avenues of resistance towards the project of Newspeak. The study validates the claim that Newspeak is an effective oppressive tool to reshape reality once it consolidates its status as the common tongue in Oceania. However, Newspeak is vulnerable to failure due to human incompetence within the party members appointed to administer the project itself, or through successful resistance embodied in overcoming the repressive and manipulative measures imposed by Ingsoc which aims to protect the realization of Newspeak.