Riding Down from Bangor
Encyclopedia
Riding Down from Bangor is an essay
published in 1946 by the English author
George Orwell
. In it, he muses on 19th century American children's literature and the type of society it portrayed.
by the American author John Habberton
. The novel first published in 1876 was subtitled: "Helen's Babies with some account of their ways...innocent, crafty, angelic, impish, witching and repulsive by THEIR LATEST VICTIM." and was set in New York.
The article appeared in Tribune
on 22 November 1946.
, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
, What Katy Did
, and Little Women
. He then thinks of the song "Riding down from Bangor" based on a railway journey from Bangor, Maine
.
Orwell identifies these works as having a "sweet innocence" and "faint vulgarity of language". Although he acknowledges the crude and anarchic element in many American works, he notes that novels set on the East coast describe a very sedate and prim society governed by etiquette. The characters may seem ridiculous but they have an admirable integrity and unthinking piety. Orwell regrets that more recent American material with Superman
and other comic book
s is no longer best for children
Seeing nineteenth century America as a "rich empty country" with few social problems and room for everyone who worked hard, Orwell concludes that "the civilization of nineteenth century America was capitalist civilization at its best".
The song should not be confused with the folk style song "Day Trip to Bangor" which was a hit in 1980 by Fiddler's Dram
, about "the day we went to Bangor
" in Wales.
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
published in 1946 by the English author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
. In it, he muses on 19th century American children's literature and the type of society it portrayed.
Background
The article was prompted by the appearance of a new edition of Helen's BabiesHelen's Babies (novel)
Helen's Babies is a humorous novel by American journalist and author John Habberton, first published in 1876.The book's full title is: Helen's Babies: With Some Account of Their Ways Innocent, Crafty, Angelic, Impish, Witching, and Repulsive, Also, a Partial Record of Their Actions During Ten Days...
by the American author John Habberton
John Habberton
John Habberton was an American author. He spent nearly twenty years as the literary and drama critic for the New York Herald, but he is best known for his stories about early California life, many of which were collected in his 1880 book Romance of California Life: Illustrated by Pacific Slope...
. The novel first published in 1876 was subtitled: "Helen's Babies with some account of their ways...innocent, crafty, angelic, impish, witching and repulsive by THEIR LATEST VICTIM." and was set in New York.
The article appeared in Tribune
Tribune (magazine)
Tribune is a democratic socialist weekly, founded in 1937 published in London. It is independent but supports the Labour Party from the left...
on 22 November 1946.
Summary
The appearance of Helen's Babies prompts Orwell's thoughts about the impression of the world made by books read in childhood. His impressions of America came down to the barefoot boy in the schoolroom aspiring to become president, and the tall man leaning against a wooden paling making occasional observations. These ideas were derived from books like Tom SawyerTom Sawyer
Thomas "Tom" Sawyer is the title character of the Mark Twain novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer . He appears in three other novels by Twain: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , Tom Sawyer Abroad , and Tom Sawyer, Detective .Sawyer also appears in at least three unfinished Twain works, Huck and Tom...
, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is a classic American 1903 children's novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin that tells the story of Rebecca Rowena Randall and her two stern aunts in the village of Riverboro, Maine. Rebecca's joy for life inspires her aunts, but she faces many trials in her young life, gaining...
, What Katy Did
What Katy Did
What Katy Did is a children's book written by Susan Coolidge, the pen name of Sarah Chauncey Woolsey, which was published in 1872. It follows the adventures of a twelve-year-old American girl, Katy Carr, and her family who live in the fictional lakeside Ohio town of Burnet in the 1860s...
, and Little Women
Little Women
Little Women is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott . The book was written and set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts. It was published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869...
. He then thinks of the song "Riding down from Bangor" based on a railway journey from Bangor, Maine
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
.
Orwell identifies these works as having a "sweet innocence" and "faint vulgarity of language". Although he acknowledges the crude and anarchic element in many American works, he notes that novels set on the East coast describe a very sedate and prim society governed by etiquette. The characters may seem ridiculous but they have an admirable integrity and unthinking piety. Orwell regrets that more recent American material with Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
and other comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s is no longer best for children
Seeing nineteenth century America as a "rich empty country" with few social problems and room for everyone who worked hard, Orwell concludes that "the civilization of nineteenth century America was capitalist civilization at its best".
Songs of Bangor
"Riding Down From Bangor" was a song written by Louis Shreve Osborne.The song should not be confused with the folk style song "Day Trip to Bangor" which was a hit in 1980 by Fiddler's Dram
Fiddler's Dram
Fiddler's Dram were a British folk band of the late 1970s. They are mainly known for their hit single, "Day Trip to Bangor " , although the sound of this record was not representative of the acoustic songs and tunes they had been performing for several years at folk clubs and festivals.-Band...
, about "the day we went to Bangor
Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
" in Wales.