Introducing this new edition of George Orwell’s critical essays on politics and literature, this volume features both 'Politics vs. Literature: An Examination of Gulliver’s Travels’ and 'Politics and the English Language’.
First published in 1946, both the essays featured in this volume were written by Orwell on the topics of politics and literature. In 'Politics vs. Literature’, the author criticises Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels (1726), as a pessimistic assault on humanity. The review challenges Swift’s political stance and refutes his moral perspective, while commenting on the use of satire in his work. 'Politics and the English Language’ examines the correlation between political conventions and the decline of language.
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Eric Arthur Blair (1903–1950) was an English novelist, essay writer, critic and journalist born in Bengal, British India. Better known by his pen name, George Orwell, the writer’s most famous works include the novels Animal Farm, 1945, and Nineteen Eighty-Four, 1949. His work boldly expresses his opposition to totalitarianism, and he is well-known for weaving social and political commentary into his texts. His influence is still widely seen today, for example, the adjective ‘Orwellian’ is commonly used to describe an authoritarian idea or social practise.