Why does Orwell write?
I believe he writes because of his aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse, and political purpose. Orwell writes to express something that he has observed and expose it to others to try to get them to see his concerns.
Why do you write?
I’m not really a fan of writing but when I do write I think it is because of aesthetic enthusiasm and historical impulse. Sometimes when I find something I believe is beautiful, like nature and things like that, I write about it and share with others. I also write to express myself. I’m not really one for face-to-face conversations and I feel more at ease writing that I feel and think to others.
What did you learn about writing?
I learned that it is very difficult. Writing takes a lot of time and it’s not going to come to you right away. It takes a lot of patience and thinking in order to get the right words to express your thoughts so that others can have a clear image of what you are writing about. Some people have amazing talents for writing, but even they need to practice and learn in order to become a greater writer.
What did you find most interesting about the piece?
I find that Orwell’s life to be the most interesting. He started out struggling with writing and had an empty feeling whenever he wrote. In order to write, there has to be some form of enjoyment, yet he didn’t have any. Even when he did figure out what he wanted to write about, he still struggled with writing. To me it seems that although he has successfully written a book, he has a sort of fear that it wasn’t good and that he is lacking something. From what I see from his work, Animal Farm, he did an excellent job at expressing his thoughts and captivating the readers.
What one sentence would be the best grounds for an argument? Why?
“And yet it is also true that one can write nothing readable unless one constantly struggles to efface one's own personality.” I think this sentence is arguable because personality is important in everything. I believe that if a writer tries to erase his/her personality, it takes out the feelings and thoughts of the writer out of the work. Personality is what gives things life. Writing should come from what the writer wants, they shouldn’t have to change themselves just to make something sound better. Of course there would always be critics but that is just life.
