The Road to Wigan Pier, written by George Orwell, is a documentary report written during the 1930s in Great Britain. In a period when times were tough, and class distinction is making its way into the spotlight, Orwell writes about the hardships of being a member of the working class as he witnesses the lives of coal miners. The second half of the novel focuses is written in first person, where he admits to being a socialist and attempts to persuade the middle class Left Book Club members on why socialism will never take off in Great Britain. The intentions of the Left Book Club were to assist in creating world peace and create a better social and economic order. What makes this literature entirely captivating and unique is the foreward
…show more content…
The general theme Orwell illustrates is that the working class has given up hope of socialism. When the working class are living in dreadful conditions for a persistent period of time, they begin to lose hope of achieving reform, and have given up on the idea of change. Orwell further explains, that it has been the middle class that has accepted the challenge of social reform, while the working class has given up on this notion. Orwell then illustrates how the class system works in England – such as, the middle class not being solely based on income, but rather behavior and public mannerisms. For example, a middle class person may earn as little as a working class man, earning on the high end of the spectrum, but if they behave with the etiquette of an individual in the middle class, they can move to a British colony, where their dollar is worth more, and live a middle class life. The lower class is also inherently rejected in British society, as they are known as being dirty and “smells.” Therefore, the British people do not treat them with the same dignity and respect that the middle class does. Orwell is making the argument that the middle class is being hypocritical. The idea of socialism is that it will create equality among the classes. The middle class cannot be leading the fight for socialism if they are mistreating the working class and
The general theme Orwell illustrates is that the working class has given up hope of socialism. When the working class are living in dreadful conditions for a persistent period of time, they begin to lose hope of achieving reform, and have given up on the idea of change. Orwell further explains, that it has been the middle class that has accepted the challenge of social reform, while the working class has given up on this notion. Orwell then illustrates how the class system works in England – such as, the middle class not being solely based on income, but rather behavior and public mannerisms. For example, a middle class person may earn as little as a working class man, earning on the high end of the spectrum, but if they behave with the etiquette of an individual in the middle class, they can move to a British colony, where their dollar is worth more, and live a middle class life. The lower class is also inherently rejected in British society, as they are known as being dirty and “smells.” Therefore, the British people do not treat them with the same dignity and respect that the middle class does. Orwell is making the argument that the middle class is being hypocritical. The idea of socialism is that it will create equality among the classes. The middle class cannot be leading the fight for socialism if they are mistreating the working class and