George Orwell and Joan Didion explain their objectives in their essays both of which are titled "Why I Write." George Orwell wrote his in 1946 and Didion in 1976. She openly admits that she, "stole that title from George Orwell," and in saying so she clearly acknowledges the similarities in both her and Orwell's writing styles. Both writers portray a desire to write only matter-of-factly, and avoid abstract ideas, and in doing so, they try to allow their style or, "prose style," to come alive. The two share a, "pleasure in scraps of useless information," as George Orwell puts it.
Didion and Orwell also share a topic in which they write, politics. Didion although had explicitly rejected writing about politics in 1977, but as her writing progressed she began to publish books regarding the topic, including After Henry (1992), and Political Fictions (2001). George Orwell states that, "what [he has] most wanted to do is to make political writing into art," which resembles Didion's idea of having a picture in her mind telling her, "how to arrange the words." These two statements are similar in that they reveal the writers" desire to have the work be, "an esthetic experience," as Orwell believes, rather than an abstract one. .
Didion most certainly sees writing as a form of imposing your opinion on someone, as she explained that it is, "an aggressive, even hostile act an imposition of the writer's sensibility on the reader's most private space." Orwell seems to reveal this sense of hostility in his writing when saying that in order to write he must start with, "a feeling of partisanship, a sense of injustice," enabling him to make his writing, "downright propaganda," which can be associated to Didion's idea of writing as, "an imposition of the writer's sensibility on the reader's most private space.".
Orwell and Didion reflect an aspiration to make all their writing into art, no matter what the subject may be, and although the writing subject may bring forth, "lifeless books," as Orwell puts it, it in itself becomes a piece of art.
George Orwell was a man of many political ideas. ... George did not enjoy school one bit. ... He wrote many famous books, "1984," and "Animal Farm" are his two most popular books (George Orwell). Orwell had a very clear style of writing (George Orwell (1903-1950)). ... He showed his dislikes and likes, in government, jobs, and life (George Orwell). ...
George Orwell George Orwell was the pen name of English author Eric Blair. ... He was born to a poor family and did well to get by every month. During Orwell's life he did many things other than be an author. ... The characters in Animal were not the most believable or realistic things but they did prove Orwell's point in writing this book. ... The theme did not really have an impact of my life because I am so young and today people can not take over government or anything and so it did not have much of an affect. ...
George Orwell has two very conflicting feelings towards the Burmese people throughout his essay. ... George Orwell then goes on to say that feelings like this were not unusual side effects of imperialism. George Orwell was torn between two sides of himself. ... George Orwell was suffering from an internal identity conflict, which was resolved by him shooting the elephant and leaving Burma to take a new job. ... (pg.680) George Orwell's ambivalence came from many mixed feelings and emotions that he was unable to share and communicate with others. ...
George Orwell, Author of" Shooting an Elephant". ... And had death in his hands when he decided to kill the poor Elephant which is selfish in his part, all he did was show what kind of a coward he is. ... But in the second paragraph Orwell says" He was all for the Burmese because he hated British "Orwell 134. ... The article says George Orwell had done a mistake by killing the Elephant. Orwell said(" He did not want to shoot the Elephant")Orwell 136. ...
After reading George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant," one realizes just how ineffective an imperialistic government really is. ... George Orwell reveals the great space between the ideals and realities of imperialism through his usage of the word hate. ... Orwell says that he no longer did what he felt what was right or proper in the situation. ... From George Orwell's essay "Shooting an Elephant," it's easy to see just how flawed and what a failure Imperialism really is. ... While the idea of governing a country through imperialism might seem like an effec...
The commentary, " Down And Out In Paris And London" by George Orwell is quite interesting. ... Orwell explores what goes on behind the scenes. ... For example, the theme is shown through Boris who, "shaved without soap tied his tie so that the holes did not show inked the skin of his ankles where it showed through his socks. ... Orwell may have rearranged things to some extent.! ... Even though Orwell's purpose is to give insight, the reader may feel at times that Orwell loses his nerve. ...
Very rarely does an author write a novel that will be remembered for decades after his death. Very few writers are privileged enough to bring up even the slightest controversy over there book. When a writer is able to make the reader think, that is what sets him aside from other authors. This is the...
The short story of "Shooting an Elephant," by George Orwell, begins with the author describing his position as a police officer in Lower Burma. ... The elephant did not die on the first shot, or the second or the third. ... The officer did wonder if anyone realized he had killed the elephant "solely to avoid looking like a fool" (Orwell 4). After reading George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant," it has become apparent that this short story has more meaning that the title states. ... After responding to help with the elephant problem, he knew that he would hav...
George Orwell is an experienced essayist and he is best known for his political satires. ... " Orwell tends to write about some hidden lies behind politics that he wants to expose and facts that he wants to tell (Orwell). ... During the time when Orwell joined the British imperial police, there was constant tension between the occupiers and the occupied, the British placed their own man in a position of authority and the natives in an inferior position, so the British generally did not get along with the natives (Ilieva). ... He writes "Moreover, I did not in the least want to shoot ...
