Recently
in class, we were told to read George Orwell's "Politics and the English
Language". This essay set a couple of standards and rules to adhere to
when writing in politics- or any pieces in general. An essay I found, written
by Paul McHenry Roberts, has a similar purpose. I thought that I might be able
to compare and contrast the two pieces while also analyzing the new one I have
read. In his essay, Roberts uses humor and enumeration in order to provide his
audience with a better understanding of how to write short essays.
The text begins by giving an example of an English teacher who assigns a 500 word essay about college football to his students. Right off the bat, Roberts connected with me, as I am a student and I understand the difficulties of writing about such a broad topic in such a small amount of words. Roberts then goes on to give a sample essay written at 10 PM the night before it was due (also a relatable asset...) and explains why it was unthoughtful and worthless- deserving of a "D". Here, Roberts uses a little bit of humor when describing the common student and how they write heir essays. Keeping in mind that this essay was written in the 1950s, Roberts claims, "Saturday night you have a date, and Sunday morning you have to go to church. (You can't let English assignments interfere with your religion.) What with one thing and another, it's ten o'clock Sunday night before you get out the typewriter again. You make a pot of coffee and start to fill out your views on college football." (Roberts, 1). His relatable humor here is very effective because he is able to connect with the reader, and gives the audience something to relate to.
The essay then goes on to list some of the ways to avoid getting that "D" on the assignment. Similarly to Orwell, he tells his audience about the importance of eliminating any kind of abstraction. He writes, "Look at the work of any professional writer and notice how constantly he is moving from the generality, the abstract statement, to the concrete example, the facts and figures, the illustrations. If he is writing on juvenile delinquency, he does not just tell you that juveniles are (it seems to him) delinquent and that (in his opinion) something should be done about it." (1). Not only does Roberts refer to yet another topic that I can relate to (delinquents...not that I am one), but he is explaining to his reader that great writers use legitimate examples, instead of abstract ideas. In contrast to Orwell, Roberts also writes about "taking the less usual side" in writing. He goes on to say that he best essays go against the common public opinion. He wants his audience to get a bit risky while also being smart about it. Roberts also uses many examples to explain why the simple can be so much better than the complicated- just like Orwell. One clear similarity between the two essays was that both authors made a point to explain to the audience that before taking any advice for the essays, make sure the advice taken will help, not hurt. It is better for writing to make sense than to try and follow every rule that has been mentioned. These are suggestions, not necessarily guidelines. The listing of these strategies made the essay extremely easy to follow, while also keeping it organized.
The text begins by giving an example of an English teacher who assigns a 500 word essay about college football to his students. Right off the bat, Roberts connected with me, as I am a student and I understand the difficulties of writing about such a broad topic in such a small amount of words. Roberts then goes on to give a sample essay written at 10 PM the night before it was due (also a relatable asset...) and explains why it was unthoughtful and worthless- deserving of a "D". Here, Roberts uses a little bit of humor when describing the common student and how they write heir essays. Keeping in mind that this essay was written in the 1950s, Roberts claims, "Saturday night you have a date, and Sunday morning you have to go to church. (You can't let English assignments interfere with your religion.) What with one thing and another, it's ten o'clock Sunday night before you get out the typewriter again. You make a pot of coffee and start to fill out your views on college football." (Roberts, 1). His relatable humor here is very effective because he is able to connect with the reader, and gives the audience something to relate to.
The essay then goes on to list some of the ways to avoid getting that "D" on the assignment. Similarly to Orwell, he tells his audience about the importance of eliminating any kind of abstraction. He writes, "Look at the work of any professional writer and notice how constantly he is moving from the generality, the abstract statement, to the concrete example, the facts and figures, the illustrations. If he is writing on juvenile delinquency, he does not just tell you that juveniles are (it seems to him) delinquent and that (in his opinion) something should be done about it." (1). Not only does Roberts refer to yet another topic that I can relate to (delinquents...not that I am one), but he is explaining to his reader that great writers use legitimate examples, instead of abstract ideas. In contrast to Orwell, Roberts also writes about "taking the less usual side" in writing. He goes on to say that he best essays go against the common public opinion. He wants his audience to get a bit risky while also being smart about it. Roberts also uses many examples to explain why the simple can be so much better than the complicated- just like Orwell. One clear similarity between the two essays was that both authors made a point to explain to the audience that before taking any advice for the essays, make sure the advice taken will help, not hurt. It is better for writing to make sense than to try and follow every rule that has been mentioned. These are suggestions, not necessarily guidelines. The listing of these strategies made the essay extremely easy to follow, while also keeping it organized.
Roberts
was definitely successful in getting across his message to the reader. His
full-circle ending with the inclusion of the college football essay mentioned
in the beginning was perfect. Through a bit of humor and enumeration, Roberts
was able to suggest ideas and maybe provoke some change in the way short essays
are written. Just as Orwell wrote, clear and concise is best.
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