I have chosen for my research paper to write about the life, times and writing of author George Orwell. Orwell has been a constant source of inspiration to me, and I feel that his life and the historical period in which he lived and worked will make for a fascinating read.
Orwell was a post Victorian rebel who deliberately rejected the norms of the British Empire. He wrote several journals during his life in which one can see what influenced his most famous books;Animal Farm and 1984. He also reported on the Spanish Civil War while fighting in the trenches in Homage to Catalonia, the hopelessness of the English coal miners in The Road to Wigan Pier, and the life of the poor in post WW1 Europe in Down and Out in Paris and London. All of these experiences had a profound effect on him and his writing.
Money, power and socio-economic politics are Orwell's primary subject. He reports first hand with dry wit , a sympathetic pen and captures the little details of everyday life of the common people in a detail which most historians miss by a mile. Orwell's first hand accounts give these coal miners, dishwashers, tramps and drunks a quiet dignity.
When one writes about Orwell, they must write about the time and places he lived and worked in as they are not just a part of his work, but rather they are his work. I also want to elaborate on how Orwell is as relevant today as he was years ago.
I want to use historical texts, Orwell's correspondence with friends, authors and his reviews of other writers of his time, as well as other Orwell biographies to paint a clear picture of who the man was and why he wrote.
Seems like a great start. I am going to ask you to - as you do your preliminary research - to start to narrow it down to one set of historical influences and one of his texts....this way you can go really deeply into it. Otherwise, you'll end up surveying a lot of stuff and won't have the time to dig in as deeply as you could. Great start.
ReplyDeleteHey Scott. This topic seems interesting because like you said, when someone writes about Orwell, they have to write about the time and places he lived and worked. You mentioned that the places he lived and worked are not just a part of his work, but rather they are his work. This man seemed like he lived a great life even if it was a little off the edge. Good luck on your paper!
ReplyDeleteI remember reading animal farm in high school, and I don't know how I passed that class. Years later when my sister had to read it, I remember telling her that she had to read about the time in history to understand the text, otherwise it'd be gibberish to her. Your research paper has given me the inspiration to reread animal farm and see it for what it is, rather than an assignment.
ReplyDeleteI agree with professor Mccormick, that you might want to narrow down your ideas to one text and the times surrounding it.Don't worry, it'll still be an interesting paper.
Sorry this is short, I'll be back to finish helping you out.