Newspeak and the Dismantling of Language

"‘Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it. Every concept that can ever be needed, will be expressed by exactly one word, with its meaning rigidly defined and all its subsidiary meanings rubbed out and forgotten. Already, in the Eleventh Edition, we’re not far from that point. But the process will still be continuing long after you and I are dead. Every year fewer and fewer words, and the range of consciousness always a little smaller. Even now, of course, there’s no reason or excuse for committing thoughtcrime. It’s merely a question of self-discipline, reality-control. But in the end there won’t be any need even for that. The Revolution will be complete when the language is perfect. Newspeak is Ingsoc and Ingsoc is Newspeak,’" (Chapter 5, 46).

I found this concept that Syme brings forward particularly interesting. Syme is deeply aware of the goal of the Party and fundamentally supports its. Not only is the shrinking of the English language fun for him in a linguistic sense, but in a societal sense of limiting the possibility of thought. Syme in this respect is an interesting character as he is intelligent enough to understand that the Party is lying to him, with shifting numbers, facts, and alliances. Winston has a detailed grasp of the gymnastics done to lie to the public and while doesn't have the same close view of that goal of the Party, he understands what some goals are. This begs the question as to why Syme supports the Party when he has to flip everything around in his mind to draw closer to what the Party wants him to think? To that, I think that unlike Winston who has a will to stop what the Party's actions or at least defy them within his own mind, Syme is allowed to do the things he wants to the Party. The Party has given him power over other people by giving him the power of language. With the power that he wants Syme has no reason to defy the Party.

The control of language by the Party in order to limit free thought is quite elaborate. It brings me back to the pre-reading statements we went over and how without the words to express something whether or not it exists. By limiting the vocabulary of the public though I think in a sense thoughtcrime would be impossible as no one would quite have the words to express it, there is also a going to end up being some unconscious thought that instead of proper articulation in speak would have trouble finding proper articulation within our own heads. No one could truly defy the ideals of the Party, because they would lack the words to make a stand. I don't think that limits the possibility of defiance, because actions could be in the place in words. All a person needs to think is 'The Party is Ungood' and realize from there that there is some wrongness in the whole situation. Without any concept of freedom, this idea may be difficult to reach, but I'm building on the wavering thought that someone somewhere would want more out of life than what they had been restricted to.