Our language has been influential in many ways throughout history. It’s caused and resolved conflicts that impacted humanity greatly by changing the perspective of those who suffer. It evokes human emotion and invites us to cry, laugh, sympathize and helps us to understand one another as human beings. I’ve personally found this a lot through the books that I have read over the past year. Especially in 1984 by George Orwell, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur.
By reading these books, I could understand the deeper meaning behind the words and felt the same experiences the author had written. These books had pain hidden behind the words and I felt that pain in a way nothing else could express. Through this, we share experiences that help us find common ground. When we do truly understand everyone else for who they really are, we unite to fight for what we want. People have always looked for freedom but have never really found it. It’s caused wars and many unspeakable deaths, but since it’s so worth it, people have strived to achieve it for the better of the world. Great examples of this search for freedom have been shown throughout history, where the influence of language has had the power to instigate the will of fighting for ‘ultimate freedom’ in times of suffering.
But the first step towards this ‘ultimate freedom’, is to understand another person’s suffering. You can never truly know who somebody is, until you understand their pain. To understand this, we look at the past. After all, “who controls the past, controls the future”. Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 explicitly explores the idea of freedom and suffering passed on through language. The dystopian novel relates to the past in such a way as if it was almost a recount. Many events that took place in Fahrenheit 451, took place in the real world. The effects of these certain events in human history have shaped people and nations all together. Everyone remembers the point in history where “war (was) peace”. World War two was one of the most devastating war on earth with millions of casualties. People lucky enough to be born after the war and its aftermath, may still feel the effects of the war through language. Shared experiences through language helps them to change their perspective on history. Allowing people to see what happened first-hand.
Though we may not see it, millions are still swayed in their day-to-day life due this occurrence. The protagonist in Fahrenheit 451 is one that these million can relate to. Guy Montag, the protagonist, holds this feeling of rebellion towards the government that fights against freedom. These millions are like Guy Montag, seeking only freedom and an end to their suffering. I, like many, can relate to these feelings. The want for freedom and an eternal end to internal conflict and suffering is something I’ve strived to for a long time. Once we do understand each other’s suffering, we can empathize with each other. Humanity wouldn’t have come this far without understanding each other. This helps us build connections and grow trust which would only lead to better relationships for the future and for humanity itself.
But language can also reveal the dark side of suffering, through which people may be manipulated. The suffering of holding emotions such as hate and revenge which is what one the world’s biggest dictators, Adolf Hitler did. By doing this, he caused a war and killed millions of innocent people. “Hunting and finding and killing” was routine in that war. Though there is no reason to feel empathy for Hitler, it’s important to understand why he did it in the first place. He shared his suffering through language, and by sharing speeches to everyone, he let them know how he felt and, in a way, manipulate them. He was a very patriotic person and used the hate of fallen Germany in order to fuel this war.
The language and the story of the war explains to us that he wasn’t a psychotic murder with no reason, but a psychotic murderer with an invalid reason.
Big Brother, from George Orwell’s 1984, acts in a similar way, and through deceptive language, changes people’s opinion. This clearly shows how language can be very deceptive and cruel, but also a beautiful way of sharing emotions and passing on the will of humanity. The want for freedom in this world where suffering is common.
Though language shares human emotion such as combined suffering, the fight for ‘ultimate freedom’ can also pass on different perspectives which causes people to take sides and cause conflict when people’s suffering is misused. During World War two, the Nazi regime burned books that opposed the ideas of Nazism, and therefore proves that such books did exist. The same was done by the British, to burn books that were written by German people and about Germany. This suggests that the language in the books was influential and manipulative and forced the nation it was in to burn it so that their people wouldn’t be influenced by such language. “The idea that we (were) so capable of love but still (chose) to be toxic” teaches us the circumstances people were in at the time. If we looked at it from the perspective that everyone could live in harmony, the wars that killed and changed millions would only exist in books.
But this sort of language didn’t occur back then or wasn’t accepted and so led us to a history altering massacre. But now we realize, by reading about a war that was born out of a misunderstanding, that a simple change in perspective could’ve ended that war. So now, we can learn from our mistakes and learn to observe things through different perspectives. But even now, in this world, people’s opinions clash. Difference in opinion led to events such as wars in Syria or protests in Hong Kong. Looking at the issue in different perspectives helps us to resolve such problems. The best way to do so is through language. Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur circles around suffering and healing in a world full of pain. Many women around the world can relate to the overall idea of this book as it gives hope through the way it’s written. Rupi Kaur, who has gone through immense suffering, shares her experiences in hope that other women can relate and find comfort in her words by changing their perspective.
Though I can’t relate to this type of suffering, I can understand the emotions behind her words. In order to comfort those going through the same thing she went through, she poured out her emotions at the time of her suffering. This really touched me and helped me to sympathize with her. Therefore, by helping each other understand our view and other views, it can be the salvation humanity has been seeking since the beginning.
But if we do speak out and try and convince others through language, there will always be a group of people who oppose the idea. Some countries in this world still have totalitarian governments. Though the entire nation might want to be a country dependent on utilitarianism, governments restrict that. Limited freedom only gives people the will to fight back for their freedom.
“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressors; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”- Martin Luther King.
This is true for millions of people as in some countries, “political and intellectual freedom don’t even exist as concepts”. Some people suffer under these shackles created by the government of their nation. People in Sudan are victims of this, and recent events have shown just how horrible people in power can be. It’s not only that freedom of speech isn’t active anymore, but the fact that a few non-violent pro democratic protests lead in massacre. People expressed their concerns through their voice, their language, but instead, weren’t heard by the government. Those who are lucky enough to have freedom of speech, protest in order to gain more freedom. A few nations also have books that speak of freedom, and therefore are given hope for the future that one day, they would be free. Governments who ban these books are blinded with fear and can’t see the wonderful things that can be passed on through language. The way humans communicate can share so much with just a few words. Unfortunately, language has been misused in favor of the opposers of freedom.
War propaganda may have been the most influential language used in history. Hitler had very influential war propaganda; not because the message of the propaganda was right, but because he was giving people false hope. During the time Hitler rose, the effects of World War One were immense, and the 23-year gap between the two wars were devastating for Germans. The country plummeted in every way and poverty levels rose. So, when a violent dictator comes along, and demands that the people get rights and Germany be released from its shackles, people were immediately interested. Following Hitler meant an end to their suffering, and so began World War Two. The use of propaganda is also big in George Orwell’s 1984, where the totalitarian government is centered around a person called “Big Brother”. Using slogans such as “Big Brother is watching you”, it instills fear into people and forces them to side with the government. Though this was completely wrong, it shows us how we can misuse such a beautiful thing. Our world isn’t yet perfect, and we have a long way to go. But to take another step on this path of true freedom, we use language, to pass on this “will of humanity” to the future.
Language does a lot in this world. It’s caused and resolved wars, changed perspectives, built relationships, brought people together, changed our entire history and world. It brought the experiences of people from thousands of years ago, into the books we immerse ourselves in. It allows us to go back in time and experience everything first-hand. Though sometimes language brings chaos, it’s still an amazing way to share emotions. Our World wouldn’t have become what it is now without the use of language and it’s influence.
“Words are a pretext. It is the inner bond that draws one person to another, not words.”- Rumi.
