The word ‘Penis’ as it will be argued here, has been assigned three key emasculating qualities: physicality (presence), strength (power), and personhood (identity). Yet after a careful analysis of this vast array of etymologically associated language, however, it appears that ‘penis’ (in language as well as in presence) signifies not only masculinity but male humanity; the ‘penis’ is not so much a culture symbol, but instead has replaced, as a culturally iconic synecdoche, the ‘man’ in a socio-cultural context.
Category Archives: Linguistics
Language as an Instrument of Totalitarianism
Both Orwell’s novel and essay carry a grave warning about the political powers of language. He uses his media to demonstrate not only how language can cloak truth, but also how language can be used as an ultimate tool for maintenance of totalitarian regimes. While language is usually thought to extend cultural considerations and improve one’s understanding of the world, Orwell’s works illustrate how it can, when used in a vicious political way, become an instrument against human consciousness.