Professor Harold Laski
Professor Laski’s work is among the subjects discussed by Orwell in his essays. The majority of Laski’s books focus on the comparison of English writers, particularly Shelley and Milton. According to Orwell, Laski’s work lacks meaning. There are no clear points drawn from his writing so the reader does not clearly understand the purpose of his literature. Orwell also adds that Laski uses an “inflatable style,” which includes wordiness and vague conclusions.
Professor Lancelot Hogben
Hogben was a zoologist and linguist who focused most of his literature on biology. However, Orwell points out, like Laski, Hogben’s work is difficult to decipher. However, unlike Laski Hogben makes a few indications that his writing is biological by mentioning a few animals. Even so, Orwell describes Hogben as a lazy writer who does not take the time to look up the vocabulary he uses in his literature, rather he uses random biological terms that have no clear meaning in the context.
English Professor
The English Professor is a hypothetical character that Orwell invents to get his points across. Through his English Professor, Orwell argues that the inflated mode of writing is similar to bad acting. Using complex and long statements does not make a person articulate, instead, it alters the decency of the overall statement. According to Orwell, inflatable words make dishonest people seem truthful and murderers seem respectable.
