The Use of Jargon in Literature
The use of language was undoubtedly meant to enhance communication between two parties in a way that could be easy to comprehend what was being said. However, over time, the rapid improvements that language undergoes results in a scenario where people get confused about the exact meaning of the words that are used. The use of language that applies to a particular profession and that others not understand has particularly been common in literature and causes a challenge when another person ties to comprehend what is being communicated. Such form of communication is what is perceived as professional jargon and is common in the communication process as people tend to prefer to include specific phrases that apply to their trade, profession or situation at hand. The use of jargon by Jayme Stayer in Whales R Us and in George Orwell’s What Orwell Didn’t Know creates a scenario where the authors confused the reader leading to misinterpretation of the text because of the author’s ignorance on the use of specific terms of literature.
The Confusion Created by Jargon
The use of jargon creates confusion in varied ways because while someone would be accustomed to the use of language in a certain way, the author could have a different meaning altogether. It is the foundation of the problem in literature because authors fail to differentiate between the common language pieces and what is perceived by a layperson as vocabulary or in this case, jargon. The text by Stayer depicts this feature in the manner the author uses language to refer to a different issue from that what is the typical understanding. For example, the use of “R” as in the title is used to denote “are” but the reader could end up with a different interpretation altogether. It is a short form of are that is used by writers when they are trying to create a summary of their writing and do not wish to write so many details about the word and thus opt to shorten it. While literature writers and other professional in the education sector will understand the author’s use of “R” in the title, the reader could end up having challenges trying to comprehend the meaning and the context within which the “R” is applied. The same effect is noted in the writing of the title in the George Lakoff’s short story “What Orwell Didn’t Know” because it appears the author’s use of language is not universally accepted and could create a problem in interpretation. The use of a phrase as a title leaves so much to be discussed about the subject that the author left intentionally from the assumption that the reader will understand what he meant to say. The use of jargon in this case, therefore, is effected by the use of an unclear phrase as the title of the book.
Misinterpretation of Themes through Jargon
The other way of perceiving the subject of jargon in both works is through the misinterpretation of the themes in the books. In “Whales R Us” the author use words that try to depict the whales and sharks as friendly animals but the way this is communicated makes the reader think that they are harmless. For example, the author uses the statement “You thought that sharks were human predators? WRONG. You thought that sharks were abundant in the ocean? WRONG AGAIN” (Stayer, 2013, p. 4). The impression from this statement is that the author wanted to communicate that there were not many wild animals in the sea as one would think. However, the way this is communicated would make the reader think that no shark can feed on a human and that they were few, which is not the case. It thus means that the words “wrong” in this case constitute jargon that is only intended to create an understatement and the reader ought not to take things literally. In Lakoff’s narration, the same effect is apparent from the use of the words “Meanings are truth conditions. Words have unitary meanings. If people are told the truth, they will reason to the right conclusions – unless they are stupid or ignorant” (Lakoff, 2000, p. 69). The use of the words “stupid and ignorant” in this case constitute an overstatement because the words are too harsh and are not what the author intended to mean. Apparently, the process of conceiving information is structured and interpreting information in a different way does not make one stupid and only represents the author’s professionalism in exercising jargon to the world of scholars.
Conclusion
In summary, the use of jargon has been a historical process where authors Jayme Stayer and George Lakoff use language in a way that makes it only understandable within the scholarly viewpoint. The result of jargon is the use of wrong words or the choice of words that are too complicated in the contemporary setting and that a layperson will have difficulty understanding. Thus, through the use of titles that are not easily understood and incorporating exaggerations and understatement, the writers ensure that their works remain relevant in the academic word even though a layperson may have problems trying to comprehend.
References
Lakoff, G. (2000). What Orwell Didn’t Know. Propaganda and the New Face of American Politics. New York: Public Affairs.
Stayer, J. (2013). Whales R Us. The Composition of Everyday Life: A Guide to Writing.
