Why I Write
Encyclopedia
"Why I Write" is an essay by George Orwell
detailing his personal journey to becoming a writer. First published in the Summer 1946 edition of Gangrel
, it not only offers a type of mini-biography in which he writes of having first completed poems and trying his hand at short-stories before finally becoming a full-fledged writer, but also examines the motivation of writing itself through the four reasons Orwell felt people write.
In the essay, Orwell charts his own development towards a political writer. He also cites the Spanish Civil War
as the defining event that shaped the political slant of his writing:
Orwell, who is considered to be a very political writer, says that he is "a person in whom the first three motives would outweigh the fourth", only that he is "a sort of pamphleteer
" due to the political tension at the time (the book was written during World War II
), and concludes the essay by explaining that "it is invariably where I lacked a political purpose that I wrote lifeless books and was betrayed into purple passages
, sentences without meaning, decorative adjectives and humbug generally."
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
detailing his personal journey to becoming a writer. First published in the Summer 1946 edition of Gangrel
Gangrel (magazine)
Gangrel was a short-lived literary magazine published in the United Kingdom. It was edited by J. B. Pick and Charles Neill.Running to a total of four issues, it included articles by Alfred Perles, Henry Miller, Robert Simpson, Neil M. Gunn, Rayner Heppenstall and George Orwell, as well as poems by...
, it not only offers a type of mini-biography in which he writes of having first completed poems and trying his hand at short-stories before finally becoming a full-fledged writer, but also examines the motivation of writing itself through the four reasons Orwell felt people write.
Four motives for writing
Orwell lists "four great motives for writing" which he feels exist in every writer. He explains that all are present, but in different proportions, and also that these proportions vary from time to time. They are as follows:- Sheer egoism- Orwell argues that many people write simply to feel clever, to "be talked about, to be remembered after death, to get your own back on grown-ups in childhood, etc." He says that this is a great motive, although most of humanity is not "acutely selfish", and that this motive exists mainly in younger writers. He also says that it exists more in serious writers than journalists, though serious writers are "less interested in money".
- Aesthetic enthusiasm- Orwell explains that present in writing is the desire to make one's writing look and sound good, having "pleasure in the impact of one sound on another, in the firmness of good prose or the rhythm of a good story." He says that this motive is "very feeble in a lot of writers" but still present in all works of writing.
- Historical impulse- He sums this up by simply stating this motive is the "desire to see things as they are, to find out true facts and store them up for the use of posterity."
- Political purpose- Orwell writes that "no book is genuinely free from political bias", and further explains that this motive is used very commonly in all forms of writing in the broadest sense, citing a "desire to push the world in a certain direction" in every person. He concludes by saying that "the opinion that art should have nothing to do with politics is itself a political attitude."
In the essay, Orwell charts his own development towards a political writer. He also cites the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
as the defining event that shaped the political slant of his writing:
Orwell, who is considered to be a very political writer, says that he is "a person in whom the first three motives would outweigh the fourth", only that he is "a sort of pamphleteer
Pamphleteer
A pamphleteer is a historical term for someone who creates or distributes pamphlets. Pamphlets were used to broadcast the writer's opinions on an issue, for example, in order to get people to vote for their favorite politician or to articulate a particular political ideology.A famous pamphleteer...
" due to the political tension at the time (the book was written during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
), and concludes the essay by explaining that "it is invariably where I lacked a political purpose that I wrote lifeless books and was betrayed into purple passages
Purple prose
Purple prose is a term of literary criticism used to describe passages, or sometimes entire literary works, written in prose so extravagant, ornate, or flowery as to break the flow and draw attention to itself. Purple prose is sensually evocative beyond the requirements of its context...
, sentences without meaning, decorative adjectives and humbug generally."