Answer Questions for Consideration-Why I Write (235)
- What does Orwell mean when he says that in his early resistance to becoming a writer, he was “outraging
my true nature”? Can you identify with this sentiment in light of your own “natural” tendencies? - What kind of “literary activities” did Orwell engage in even when he was not purposefully developing his
aspirations of becoming a writer? How then does his attitude contrast his perspective on that period as he
looks back now, writing this essay? - What is the “joy of mere words” he describes? Can you give examples of words that affect you this way?
- Consider the “four great motives for writing” listed by Orwell. According to him, how might these motives
work against one another? - How does Orwell use his poem to explain why he eventually became political even though it was not in his
“nature” to do so? - What is the role of aestheticism for Orwell even in writing a book with a political theme?
- What does he mean when he says that “every book is a failure”?
- If you were to write a similar essay tracing your development into a _ major, what details of your life
would you focus on? If this major, and the profession it leads to, does not always fit well with your character
and habits, where do the discrepancies lie? 9. If you were to write an essay about your development as a
writer, how would your story be similar to Orwell’s? How would it be different?
Sample Solution
