Distortion - Examples and Definition of Distortion (2024)

Definition of Distortion

Distortion is a literary device that twists, exaggerates, changes, and makes something quite different from what it actually is. Writers can distort a thought, an idea, a situation, or an image. They may use symbolism, satire, and personification to present distortion. For instance, in his novel Animal Farm, George Orwell uses personification and symbolism to distort stereotypes and historical figures. Read on to learn more about distortion in literature.

Examples of Distortion in Literature

Example #1:1984 (by George Orwell)

“Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end, we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it. Every concept that can ever be needed will be expressed by exactly one word, with its meaning rigidly defined and all its subsidiary meanings rubbed out and forgotten.”

“[…] Every year fewer and fewer words, and the range of consciousness always a little smaller. Even now, of course, there’s no reason or excuse for committing thoughtcrime. It’s merely a question of self-discipline, reality-control. But in the end there won’t be any need even for that.”

“[…] In fact there will be no thought, as we understand it now. Orthodoxy means not thinking – not needing to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.”

In the above excerpt taken from 1984, George Orwell has used distortion of several facts as a manipulative device. He expresses that this is an important part of human thought, as it either limits or structures the ideas of individuals. Orwell has rather focused on political language to distort the story’s concepts and events by naming them differently than their names in our reality.

Example #2:Gulliver’s Travels (by Jonathan Swift)

Swift uses distortion in his writings, such as the use of diminution to launch an attack on human grandeur. For instance, in Book I of Gulliver’s Travels, Swift presents the Lilliputian king as greedy and powerful, and people as diminutive mortals. In fact, the author ridicules their king, because kings are symbolic figures of grandeur and power. However, the Lilliputian king is just six inches tall. By manipulating the fact of their physical smallness, the author emphasizes the moral smallness and pettiness of the Lilliputians.

Example #3:Catch 22 (by Joseph Hellen)

Hellen has used distortion many times in ironic situations to get his message across in his novel, catch 22. He has used distortion of justice, which is influenced by problematic personal integrity and greed. For instance, in part-5, Yossarian asks Orr if it is possible that he could remain on the land. In fact, anyone who is crazy could stay on the land. Doc replies that Orr can definitely remain on the land; however, first he would have to send a request. Orr is crazy and does not make a request. If he asks to stay on the land, it means he is not crazy; thus, those who want to get out of combat duty are not crazy, nor can they get out.

Example #4:Shrek (by William Steig)

Shrek is contradictory to traditional fairy tales, because the author did not use a pretty princess and pompous prince as his leading characters. Rather, he uses an Ogre as a hero, and a less-than-attractive woman as the damsel in distress. This is a completely reverse situation, with the author using distorted characters, creating humor as well as an odd storyline.

Distortion satire can be seen in a number of reversal of situations.

  1. Fiona beats robin-hood, who tries to save her from the ogre. This shows distorts the situation, showing Fiona to be a damsel in distress, who ends up rescuing herself.
  2. The ogre takes the place of a prince, as he goes on a quest to save the princess with a secret.
  3. Donkey lives with the ogre, taking him as a friend – which is absurd, because ogres are gruesome.
  4. Donkey falls in love with a dragon that is likely to eat him. This is a reversal that is unbelievable for the readers – that donkey and dragon could live together peacefully.
  5. Finally, the distortion satire is complete when Fiona herself turns into an ogre at sundown.

Function

The use of distortion is found mostly in novels, short stories, and advertising. Its basic purpose is to create humor, and lay emphasis on a point, a thing, or a person by distorting reality. Sometimes, distortion may highlight a remarkable action or feature through comparison and contrast. It also criticizes, makes fun, and gives comic relief to readers. In addition, distortion describes an important feature of the story as being worse or better than it actually is.

Distortion - Examples and Definition of Distortion (2024)

FAQs

What is distortion and example? ›

A distortion is a change, twist, or exaggeration that makes something appear different from the way it really is. You can distort an image, a thought, or even an idea. To say that I never take out the garbage is a distortion of the facts.

What is a simple sentence for distortion? ›

How to Use distortion in a Sentence
  • As with other maps, the tops and sides suffer from the most distortion. ...
  • This is a major distortion of the assault on the U.S. Capitol. ...
  • The image has a fair amount of distortion and flaring around the edges, but that won't keep you from pulling fine detail from the middle of the field.
May 6, 2024

What is an example of distortion in literature? ›

Animal Farm is a famous example of distortion being used in literature. Orwell crafts a chilling and disturbing narrative of farm animals overthrowing their human owners and putting a new, equally repressive society into place. These animals are distorted through personification and anthropomorphism.

What are the two types of distortion? ›

What Kinds Of Distortion Are There?
  • Tape Saturation. Tape Saturation sits among the more delicate forms of Distortion, simply because it does more than just distort. ...
  • Valve Saturation. Valve Saturation is a lot like Tape Saturation. ...
  • Clipping. If anything deserves a warning message, it's this one. ...
  • Overdrive.

What is an example of distortion in real life? ›

It involves making predictions that things will turn out badly based on little evidence and then completely believing in those predictions. Such people arbitrarily predict something negative and believe that it will happen that way only. For example, “I know I'm not going to pass maths exam this time”.

What is an example of distortion of reality? ›

To suggest that a substance is a poison and so would be poisonous at any level is a gross distortion of reality. An obsession with speed on its own is a distortion of reality—a distortion of the truth.

What is the best definition of distorted? ›

twisted; deformed; misshapen. mentally or morally twisted, as with an aberration or bias: He has a distorted sense of values.

What is distortion in communication with example? ›

Sometimes, human perception can cause distortion in communication because of misunderstanding the information. Distortion can also occur because of faulty communication devices. For example, an unwanted disturbance in a phone call can cause the receiver to misinterpret the information the sender relays.

What is another word for distortion mean? ›

Some common synonyms of distort are contort, deform, and warp. While all these words mean "to mar or spoil by or as if by twisting," distort and contort both imply a wrenching from the natural or normal, but contort suggests a more involved twisting and a more grotesque and painful result.

What is an example of a distortion in business? ›

A market may become distorted when a single business holds a monopoly or when other factors prevent free and open competition. This often causes problems for consumers—at least in the long run—and their competitors. A lack of competition typically means fewer choices and higher prices.

What is an example of time distortion? ›

Temporal distortion — or time distortion — is changing a person's perception of time. If you've ever been reading or playing a video game and told yourself “I'll just do this for five minutes” then looked up to see that two hours have passed, you've experienced a temporal distortion.

What is an example of always being right distortion? ›

Always Being Right.

For example, “I don't care how badly arguing with me makes you feel, I'm going to win this argument no matter what because I'm right.” Being right often is more important than the feelings of others around a person who engages in this cognitive distortion, even loved ones.

What is distortion? ›

1. : the act of twisting or altering something out of its true, natural, or original state : the act of distorting. a distortion of the facts. 2. : the quality or state of being distorted : a product of distorting: such as.

What are the 4 types of distortion? ›

When positions on the graticule are transformed to positions on a projected grid, four types of distortion can occur: distortion of sizes, angles, distances, and directions. Map projections that avoid one or more of these types of distortion are said to preserve certain properties of the globe.

What is a distortion of message? ›

Message distortion is the alteration or misinterpretation of information during communication. It occurs due to many factors that can interfere with the accurate transmission of messages. These factors include noise, cultural differences, psychological biases, language barriers, and individual interpretation.

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