Making Writing Simple-his writing advice, Q&A and Analysis

About the essayist

J. B. Priestley (1894-1984) is a famous essayist, playwright, and novelist. He was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction.

Introduction to the essay

● Publication: The personal short essay ‘Making Writing Simple’ was originally published in ‘Delight’ in 1949. ‘Delight’ is a collection of personal short essays that depicts the joys and fun of daily life simply.

● Form: It is non-fictional prose as well as autobiographical prose.

● Theme: The main theme of the essay is the importance of writing in simple language.

● Narrative Technique: In the essay ‘Making Writing Simple’ J. B. Priestley uses the first-person narrative technique.

● The message of the essay: This essay tells us to use simple and easy-to-understand language instead of complicated language along with jargon, and proves to us how writing in simple language can win everyone’s heart.

● Characters in detail: There are two characters in the story – a youngish critic and the author.

Word-Meaning:

♦subtle-fine, ♦gulf-bay, ♦password-key, ♦antics-amusing behaviour, ♦cardinals-priest of high rank, ♦solemnity-seriousness, ♦summoned-called for, ♦consultation-discussion, ♦distinct-different in nature, ♦hacks-writers of low-quality work, ♦mob-crowd, ♦hence-as a consequence, ♦vogue-particular time, ♦twisted-unusual and strange, ♦tormented-causing physical or mental pain, ♦pose-show off, ♦arrogance-attitude of superiority, ♦thicket of briers-a dense group of thorny bushes, ♦Mass Age-involving a large number of people, ♦introversion-being shy and isolated,♦ fallacy-invalid, ♦chaps-men, ♦pubs-bars, ♦pinch-a very small amount, ♦profound-strong, ♦obvious-clear, ♦knotty-complicated, ♦ciphers-a symbolic way of writing, ♦The Times-daily national newspaper, ♦persuasive-convincing, ♦triumphs-victory, ♦fuss-excitement, ♦backed-supported, ♦evidence-proof, ♦honey in the rock-something more beautiful than stars and heaven itself

Summary

In the essay “Making Writing Simple”, Priestley focuses on the positive effects of writing in simple language and emphasizes that he has toiled and sweated throughout his life to make his writing simple. He believes that writing needs to be simple and can appeal to both common and scholarly readers.

Priestley recalled how he was attracted to a young man due to his personality, not to his values. After talking for a long time the young critic wanted to know the reason for his writing being much simpler than his verbal communication. Priestley shared his viewpoints with him and explained why literature shouldn’t be twisted, tormented, and esoteric, rather it should be written for the ordinary people.

Priestley aimed to make his writing so simple that it could be read in bar parlours, and he did it. He believed in working hard to keep it simple so that it would be easier for the reader to understand.

He didn’t take literature as a cerebral activity for which the reader has to struggle. He said, “If any man who thinks the kind of simplicity, I attempt is easy he should try it for himself”.As Priestley and the young critic didn’t belong to the same generation, a wide gap took place between the two.

The young man grew up in an age, where he believed literature had to be complex and hard to understand. He believed that writing should not be simple, but should be full of hidden meanings and should make the reader toil and sweat to understand it. In his generation writing seemed to be a password for the secret society of the writers who did not share anything with the crowd. They became sincere in believing that the true artist must hide from the crowd behind a thicket of briers as they were afraid of the crowd.

However, J.B. Priestley belonged to the 19th century and most of his writings were written just before 1914. He believed that keeping things simple had its advantages and that nothing could be a glass wall between the common people and him. So, he had been trying to make his writing simple for many years.

Once he was asked to pay a birthday tribute to C. G. Jung on air in thirteen and a half minutes. At that time his friend and the psychologist said it could not be done, but Priestley agreed to do it. He was successful in accomplishing it finely to make everyone surprised, and he felt as if he found honey in the rock.

Multiple Choice Questions

Short Answer Type Questions

1. What did Priestley regard as the great critical fallacy of his time?

Ans: During Priestley’s time art was isolated from the common people. Priestley regarded it as the great critical fallacy.

2.”I have kept this aim in view throughout years of hard work”-What aim is referred to here?

Ans: “I have kept this aim in view throughout years of hard work”-The aim of writing so simply to reach ordinary people is referred to here.

3. Which difficult task was asked to perform by Priestley? Who said that it could be undone?

Ans: Priestley was asked to pay a birthday tribute to C.G. Jung. He had been given thirteen-and-a-half minutes to explain C.G. Jung in such a way that common people could understand. This difficult task was asked to be performed by Priestley.

Priestley’s friends and the psychologists said that it could be undone.

4. Who was C.G.Jung?

Ans: C.G.Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst.

5. What ambition did the narrator have regarding writing?

Ans: Regarding writing the narrator had an ambition of making his writing simple and easy to understand so that he could read a pinch aloud in a bar Parlour.

6. Name two notable plays of J.B. Priestley.

Ans: The two notable plays of J.B. Priestley are Dangerous Corner and Bright Day.

7.“I don’t understand you”–Who said to whom? What did the speaker not understand?

Ans: “I don’t understand you”–the young critic said this to the narrator.

The speaker did not understand why the narrator’s writing seemed to be too simple whereas his talk was so much more complicated and subtle than his writing.

8. What was regarded as a virtue by Priestley?

Ans: Making writing simple was regarded as a virtue by Priestley.

9. Who was a good writer according to the youngish critic?

Ans: According to the youngish critic a good writer was one who made his readers toil and sweat.

10. Which were the most impressionable years for the narrator?

Ans: The most impressionable years for the narrator were those years which were just before 1914.

11.“I found like a honey in the rock, a taste of delight”––What is meant by the phrase “honey in the rock”? What does this phrase symbolize?

Ans: The phrase “honey in the rock” means something more beautiful than stars and heaven.

This phrase symbolizes abundance and prosperity. It represents the sweetness of the author’s feelings.

12. When did the narrator find ‘honey in the rock’?

Ans: When the author paid birthday tribute to C. G. Jung in thirteen-and-a-half minutes, backed by his first-class evidence, he found honey in the rock.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. How does Priestley distinguish between him and the young critic’s generation?

or,

“There was now revealed to us the gulf between his generation and mine”– Describe the difference between his generation and the narrator’s generation.

Ans:- According to Priestley, there was a wide gap between him and the young critic’s generation regarding literature. They belonged to different ages, and they had different opinions. The young critic’s generation believed that literature had to be complex and hard to understand like a password to their secret society. They were against the Mass Communication antics of their age. They were unwilling to share anything with the crowd. They appreciated extreme cleverness and seriousness. According to them, a good writer could make his readers toil and sweat. Difficulty was demanded to keep their writing away from hacks as well as the fools. According to them, literature must respond to something twisted, tormented, and esoteric and a true artist must hide from the crowd behind a thicket of briers. On the other hand, Priestley belonged to the 19th century and he worked hard to keep his writing simple so that his writings could reach the common people and nothing could be a glass wall between him and the common people.

2.”I have kept this aim in view throughout years of hard work.”- Who is the speaker? What aim does he have? What has he done to fulfil his aim? What does he suggest to any man if he considers the speaker’s task as an easy attempt?

Ans:- “I have kept this aim in view throughout years of hard work.” – In the essay, ‘Making In Writing Simple, J. B. Priestley is the speaker.

He has an aim of making his writing simple so that the readers can understand his writing easily.

He has worked very hard, doing all the toiling and sweating himself to fulfil his aim.

He suggests that any man who considers the speaker’s task as an easy attempt should try the same for himself. He also suggests ‘The Times’ for his writing.

Textual Grammar

Do as directed:

a)But I’ve spent the year making my writing simple. (Change to past perfect continuous tense)

Ans: But I’d been spending the year to make my writing simple.

b)The psychologists said it could not be done. (Rewrite without using not)

Ans: The psychologists said it could be undone.

c)They grew up in revolt against the Mass Communication antics of their age. ( Change to present continuous tense)

Ans: They are growing up in revolt against the Mass Communication antics of their age.

d)Writing is hard to understand like a password. ( Replace the underlined word with a group verb)

Ans: Writing is hard to catch on like a password.

e)Your talk is so much more complicated ––subtle than your writing. (Rewrite using relative clause)

Ans: You talk which is so much more complicated and subtle than your writing.

f)They grew up terrified of the crowd. ( Replace the underlined word with a single verb)

Ans: They progressed terrified of the crowd.

g)I am not impressed by this view of literature. (Change the voice)

Ans: This view of literature does not impress me.

h)I aim at simplicity and want to write something. ( Rewrite using participle)

Ans: Aiming at simplicity I want to write something.

i) He said, ‘I don’t understand you. Your talk is much more complicated.’ (Change the mode of narration)

Ans: He said to him (the narrator) that he doesn’t understand him. He further said that his talk was much more complicated.

j) It was a tough little task but when I came to the end of it, I found, like honey in the rock, a taste of
delight. (Split into simple sentences)

Ans: It was a tough little task. I had come to the end of it. Then I found, like honey in the rock, a taste of
delight.

k) I do not display my goods to catch their eye. (Change the voice)

Ans: My goods are not displayed to catch their eye.

l)I want to write something that I could read aloud in a bar- parlour. (use a Gerund)

Ans: Writing something that I could read aloud in a bar -parlour is wanted by me.

Exercise

1. Answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence:

a)“It was a tough little task but I had”––Which task was called ‘a tough little task’?

b)What do you mean by the term ‘Mass Communication Antics’?

c) Why does the young critic not understand Priestley?
d) What are ciphers?
e) What does Priestley want to highlight in his essay ‘Making Writing Simple’?
f) What does the act of hiding behind the thicket of briers symbolically stand for?

2. Answer each of the following questions in about 80 words:

a)Discuss Priestley’s views about literature and its style compared to his young friend’s literary style.

b)How does Priestley define art? What does Priestley aim at? How does Priestley feel that he has been
successful?

c)What could not be done according to Priestley’s friends and psychologists?

d)How did the narrator make his writing simple? Why did he do it?

e)How did Priestley criticize the literary stereotypes of restricting literature to a certain section of people in society?

f)What is called “this habit of simplification”? How did it triumph?

g)“I am not afraid of the crowd. And art to me is not synonymous with introversion”–– How was the art to the narrator? Why was he not afraid of the crowd?

h)“What the fuss was about !”––– What do you mean by “fuss”? What comments did the narrator’s friend and the psychologist have regarding the fuss?

i)How does the author establish the virtues of writing plain and simple English through a point of comparison
and citing examples?

j)What were the existing norms of writing?

k) How does Priestley distinguish between his and his young critic friend’s generation?

Do as directed:

(a) He and his lot, who matured in the early thirties, wanted literature to be difficult. (Transform into a compound sentence)

(b) I deliberately aim at simplicity and want to write. (Rewrite using participle)

(c) And I replied, “What you see as a fault. I regard as a virtue.” (Change the mode of narration)

(d) They admired extreme cleverness and solemnity in poets. (Change the voice)

(e) Writing that is hard to understand is like a password. (Replace the underlined word with a phrasal verb)

(f) Rightly or wrongly, I am not afraid of the crowd. (Change to positive)

(g) The youngish critic said “Your talk is so much more complicated and subtle than your writing”(Rewrite in Indirect speech)

Disclaimer: This content is created solely for educational and informational purposes. It draws upon publicly available educational materials, literary texts, and the author’s own interpretation. All summaries, analyses, and explanations are original and intended to support learning. No copyright infringement is intended.