Erik M.

Schoof
14 September 2023

On “Why I Write” by George Orwell

In this article by Orwell, he discusses a few key topics, how he knew he was going to be a writer, types of

writing motives, and how these motives change and even contradict each other at times. He addresses

the tumultuous times of his youth, how growing up against the backdrop of global war led him to

political writing, and how he was able to blend styles to help shape Animal Farm.

Orwell states that he knew from an early age that he was going to be a writer, and during his youth he

would often narrate mundane events, giving him an opportunity to practice his literary style. As a

middle child he used this narration to help craft his own private word where he could face

uncomfortable truths. He uses this private space to address the failures of daily life and revisit them

internally.

Admittedly Orwell states that he did little writing with intent in his youth, a handful of poems, and school

editorial work, creating an opportunity to engage with literary activities. These literary activities helped

form his narrative style and allowed him to explore various forms of writing with less commitment than a

traditional author.

He then identifies four main motives for writing,

1. sheer egoism – usually self-aggrandizing and found amongst scholars, lawyers, politicians, and so

on. Writing for just a checkmark of life-goals.

2. aesthetic enthusiasm – Writing for enjoyment, specifically for the way words and phrases fit

together to create a pleasing sound to listen to or read.

3. historical impulse – Fact hunters and documentarians

4. political purpose. – Writing to push the world in a certain direction. To help shape peoples’ ideas

and beliefs.
 Erik M. Schoof
14 September 2023

Each of these styles is present in every writer to a varying degree, but they also change based on outside

events, alluding to the fact the becoming an adult against the backdrop of rising fascism led him to

politically motivated writing, like Animal Farm.

Orwell starts off with the intent of creating a political work, attempting to put his personal beliefs at the

forefront of the story, and worked to sway the reader over by the use of allegory. Being able to sway

someone’s point of view is one of the highest points of honor as a writer. Crafting your story in such a

way to connect with the reader’s core beliefs, and not only elicit an emotion, but to draw out a more

complicated structure. Creating a feeling is something that most authors do well, sadness, anger, doubt,

and rage are universal emotions that readers can easily identify with. But understanding the systems

that control us, and then exposing the flaws in those systems through a relatable story is a challenge.

Feeling sympathy for Winston Smith or Boxer is wonderful use of an everyman character. Readers can

relate with life feeling out of control and riddled with self-doubt. And by exploring that relationship with

relation to how it fits into the greater workings of the ruling class is a masterclass in exposition, allowing

the reader to discover the flaws inherent for themselves.

This blending of politics and aesthetic writing led to 1984. Here Orwell brings the reader into the life of

Winston Smith, an everyman character struggling to survive in a hellish landscape of misinformation and

control. Orwell exposes key economic principles, such as manufactured supply shortages, and

misreporting production numbers while not removing the reader from the story. He exposes how

disinformation works, how it is controlled from higher up government agencies, all while making you feel

Winston’s suffering and isolation from the state. Exposing these kinds of narratives to a reader, without

making it seem like a textbook, or a soap-box, is a masterclass in storytelling. Being able to weave such a

complicated narrative in order to explain the main protagonist’s decline is an example of practiced

writing.
 Erik M. Schoof
14 September 2023

Work like that does not just flow from an author’s hand. It is structured, disciplined, and practiced. It is

organized and directed, yet hidden below the surface. Writing is a skill, especially good writing. Picking

up a paintbrush does not make you a painter, and while anyone can write, few become authors. Good

writing requires study, but not necessarily academic study. Reading is one of the best ways to become a

more rounded writer. You will get first hand exposure to different writing styles. Some you may like,

others you may absolutely hate, but you will form opinions on what good writing is.

Steven King writes for different purposes, while primarily writing for the joy of storytelling, he also writes

out of sheer egoism. King is known for fantastic storytelling, covering a few different genres, and almost

always landing somewhere on the charts. Some of his works are iconic, transforming both literature and

film alike, The Shining, Pet Semetery, and Carrie quickly come to mind. His political affiliations have

never been at the forefront of his works, and any political inclinations in his writing are likely secondary

at best. King will go down in history as the horror juggernaut that he is, telling a writer to go was the car

is a bit dismissive, especially of someone who wrote themselves into their novels. Some of King’s works

have been true masterpieces, filled with excitement and exploration of different themes and even

universes, and others are just there to keep the checks coming.

While Orwell and King are both masters of their craft, their approaches are completely different, both

King and Orwell mention coming to the page with reverence, or at least with a sense of seriousness and

intent. While King suggests that you go wash the car if you have nothing to say, Orwell suggests that you

look at what category your writing falls into, consider how your personal experiences and the world

around affect you, and find a starting point. It is in this blending that Orwell was able to create Animal

Farm, a political allegory exposing the inherent flaws in capitalism and the hypocrisy of the ruling class.

By understanding the conflicts rising in the world around him, namely the rise of fascism during World

War II, he was able to weave a masterful anti-capitalist work into a time-honored literary classic.
 Erik M. Schoof
14 September 2023

Writing is a diligent and personal hell, and continuously producing the same works seems like additional

torment. Growing as a writer requires expansion, new experiences, new styles and forms of prose, and

self-discovery. I really enjoyed the piece by one of my favorite writers. Animal Farm and 1984 sit along

Fahrenheit 451 and Brave New World on my bookshelf, with pages well worn. Getting insight into

Orwell’s creative process and how he views writing, “as a horrible, exhausting struggle” and not worth

undertaking unless compelled by an internal demon, really resonated with me. Coming to the page with

not only the intent to create, but the intent to shape political beliefs with fiction, is an astounding feat,

and anyone who can pull it off without a heavy hand has a solid grasp of both prose and language.
 Erik M. Schoof
14 September 2023

Works Cited

“Why I Write.” The Orwell Foundation, 7 Sept. 2023, www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-

foundation/orwell/essays-and-other-works/why-i-write/.