Comparing Stereotypes In Stephen Jay Gould's Politics And The English Language

By incorporating the example of the “three H’s” in “The Terrifying Normalcy of AIDS” and the example of the five passages in the “Politics and the English Language”, Stephen Jay Gould and George Orwell play with the reader’s perception by underlining the false generalization of stereotypes. It is part of humankind to draw conclusions about a group of individuals based on their social status while lacking the proper knowledge for such judgments. This observation can be seen when addressing the homosexual, drug users and Haitian population as the cause of the spread of AIDS as well as addressing the professors whose writing is being used as a representation of “bad English”. “The Terrifying Normalcy of AIDS” by Stephen Jay Gould
That is to say, that only the people who fall under the three H’s categories were assumed to be the carriers of the disease and being heterosexual or drug free guaranteed immunity. “ At the time when most of us were either ignoring AIDS, or viewing it as a contained and peculiar affliction of homosexual men…we are susceptible to AIDS, and the disease has been spreading in a simple exponential manner”. People are afraid to go beyond the given standards, afraid to change their perception because that would force them to face the reality. Furthermore, going against set stereotypes can be taboo because one dared to question the majority. Stephen Jay Gould, forces the reader to think outside the box and understand the “exponential” impacts of such unconsciousness.
The five passages introduced in the beginning of the piece have served as guide for the readers to acknowledge the unconscious assumptions that they have been constructing. While reading names and titles of the authors of the passages, the reader will be impressed by the their credibility. Moreover upon reading the passage the reader will believe in the validity of the piece making any unclear or irrational ideas a sign of inadequacy of the reader’s comprehending. Orwell utilizes given play with reader’s perception in order to get rid of common stereotypes, encouraging individual thinking and analyzing. “A man may take a drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks.” Similar to the man mentioned by Orwell, readers often fall into a belief that individuals of higher social position are knowledgeable in their field. By not analyzing the faults in the writing of the credible authors, the readers are allowing themselves to “fail all the more completely” because they are not aware of the author’s wrong doing. Orwell’s main goal is therefore to help people stop following previously set stereotypes and start thinking for themselves. Not considering the mistakes made by the authors and simply accepting the orthodoxy wont help