George Orwell Analysis

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Essay title and its significance ‘Why I Write’ The titles significance as for once it is apparent in the title that the essay will revolve around Orwell’s own personal feelings, with the use of the word ‘I’. The remainder of the title conveys the purpose of the essay, very clear and bluntly stated, the essay would be in relation to motives for his writing. Context This is quite a personal essay for Orwell as he initially describes his in depth emotions for writing that stemmed as far back as a child. He makes detailed recollections of certain things he wrote and how even as a child he felt inadequate as a writer. In contrast to his other essays, this tone is a lot more vulnerable and emotional, and his dominance is gone when the reader is aware of his self-doubt. This, later in the essay, turns into him stating the motives for writers – he believes there are 4 different reasons why writers write. This remains personal as he goes on to list his own motives. Purpose The purpose of the essay is to explore the reason why writers write. As writing is a personal thing for most, Orwell incorporates his personal experiences with writing. The essay expresses his personal bias with writing. As one of the last essays of the collection, the essay almost contradicts prior essay as he admits to indulging mildly in the attention and credit received for being a writer. Orwell is a majority of the time a political writer; he explores the reasons for the development of this, stating that it is clear this is not an initial desire in writing. He considers the four reasons that motivate one to write and appoints himself to three. This is for other writers to review and apply to themselves in order to understand the motivations for their writing better. “When I sit down to write a book, I do not say to myself, 'I am going to produce a work of art.' I write it
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