Newspeak

[student.]

In the novel 1984 Oceania has its own official language called newspeak. I was wondering what the purpose of newspeak is. Does it help keep the rate of thoughtcrime down because if they don't know the words then they can't be in their thoughts?

[Kewosoda]

The basic reason for newspeak is to remove all emotion from the language itself and to dumb language down to remove conflicting ideas. Big Brother enforces newspeak because it reduces the amount of descriptive words in the language. The language promotes a narrowing of thought and awareness. If a person doesn't think, then a person doesn't act simple as that.

[The Atheist]

In the novel 1984 Oceania has its own official language called newspeak. I was wondering what the purpose of newspeak is. Does it help keep the rate of thoughtcrime down because if they don't know the words then they can't be in their thoughts?

Bingo!

That and to make speech undesirable. It is designed to reduce communication.