George Orwell: Why I Write

Early Life and Literary Aspirations

• Orwell knew from a young age he wanted to be a writer.
• Experienced loneliness in childhood which influenced his literary ambitions.
• Developed a habit of making up stories and holding conversations with imaginary persons.
• Wrote his first poem at age four or five and continued writing poetry and short stories throughout school.
• Had a continuous habit of creating stories in his mind about his own experiences.

Literary Development

• Discovered joy in words and their sounds as a teenager.
• Desired to write naturalistic novels with unhappy endings, detailed descriptions, and rich similes.
• Early influences included a fascination with words and descriptions, leading to his first novel, "Burmese Days."
• Importance of knowing a writer’s early development to understand their motives.

Motives for Writing

• Orwell identifies four great motives for writing prose:
  1. Sheer Egoism: Desire for recognition and legacy.
  2. Aesthetic Enthusiasm: Appreciation of beauty in words and their arrangement.
  3. Historical Impulse: Seeking truth and preserving facts.
  4. Political Purpose: Desire to influence society and push it in a particular direction.
• These motives vary in influence over time and differ among writers.

Political and Personal Influences

• Orwell's political awareness was shaped by his time in Burma and subsequent poverty.
• Events like Hitler’s rise and the Spanish Civil War solidified his political stance against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism.
• His writing post-1936 reflected these political views.
• Believes writing inevitably carries political bias.

Writing as an Art Form

• Aims to make political writing an art.
• Writing stems from a sense of injustice and desire to expose the truth.
• Even in political writing, aesthetic experience is crucial.
• Struggles with balancing personal likes with public writing demands.

Challenges in Writing

• Discusses difficulties in maintaining literary quality while addressing political truths.
• Example from "Homage to Catalonia," where political content could overshadow literary form.
• Shift towards writing less picturesquely and more accurately.

Conclusion

• Reflects on the complex motives behind writing.
• Admits to personal flaws and struggles in writing.
• Emphasizes political purpose as key to meaningful writing.
• Believes good prose should be transparent, like a windowpane.

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• Published: First in "Gangrel" (1946) and reprinted in various collections over the years.
• Explores the enduring struggle between personal and political motives in writing.