I think the most helpful readings that have helped me thus far are George Orwell's "Politics and the English Language" and Tim O'Brien's "How to Tell a True War Story." Orwell's piece was extremely specific and realistic. He did a good job in tracing such a vague concept of language. Although he didn't exactly present anything new to me, he helped me clarify ideas in an orderly and graspable manner; yet, in doing so, he did not lose depth. Such ideas included the many oblique uses of language, the practicalities and technicalities of language, and how language affects our obligations in society. He help me put names and words to concepts I already felt I understood. O'Brien, on the other hand, did not help me so much in the area of rhetoric itself, but he helped me articulate a better idea of Truth through rhetoric. By offering a different approach to truth, he made me see the many faces of reality. It was the richness of substance and background that I felt ultimately helped me.
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