George Orwell
George Orwell’s A Collection of Essays continues to inspire. Included in this collection is “Such, Such Were the Joys,” describing Orwell’s traumatic early school years in an English boarding school; “Shooting an Elephant,” narrating an experience he had in Burma which shed light on the nature of colonialism; “Marrakech,” illustrating colonialism’s marginalization of people of color; “Looking Back on the Spanish Civil War,” summarizing Orwell’s view on the war; “Politics and the English Language,” decrying slovenly, abstract language, and showing its relationship with slovenly thinking; and “Why I Write,” articulating Orwell’s motivation for writing. Many of his essays continue to resonate.
Orwell’s prose is clear, precise, and to the point. He refrains from using pretentious jargon, doesn’t dance around with his words, or camouflage his meaning. He relishes in the details of daily life and displays an uncanny ability to locate significance in an otherwise trivial event. His themes are political with a focus on systemic, institutionalized oppression and racism. Orwell’s discussion of how language can be used as a tool to foster totalitarianism through its distortion of reality, intentional obfuscation of meaning, and proliferation of lies acts as a cautionary warning. His words are particularly relevant today as we struggle with fake news and incendiary language.
Orwell was well ahead of his time in his thinking and in warning of the dangers of sloppy language and sloppy thinking; the deleterious impact of institutionalized racism; and the need for a prose that is succinct, specific, and conveys meaning. He argues we are bombarded with messages in our everyday lives seeping into our minds and influencing our thinking. His essays are prescient; his prose intimate, honest, and lucid. His ideas, thoughts, and style are as relevant today as they were when they first appeared decades ago.
Orwell was a man on a mission to raise awareness of the injustices he encountered. His advocacy for a truly democratic and socially equitable society speaks to us across the decades.
Highly recommended.