Hope Lies in the Proles
Subtitle: George Orwell and the Left
Publisher: Pluto Press
Published: Mar 20, 2018
Language: eng
Format: hardcover
Number of pages: 240
ISBN-13: 9780745399294
Description: George Orwell was one of the most significant literary figures on the left in the twentieth century. While books such as "Nineteen Eighty-Four," "Animal Farm," and "Homage to Catalonia" are regarded as modern classics, his own politics are less well understood. The author offers a sympathetic yet critical account of Orwell's political thinking and its continued significance. The book details Orwell's attempts to change working-class consciousness, and considers if his attitude towards the working class was romantic, realistic, or patronizing - or all three at different times. The author asks whether Orwell's anti-fascism was eclipsed by his criticism of the Soviet Union, and explores his ambivalent relationship with the Labour Party. The book also examines Orwell's changing views on the Second World War - from opposition to Britain entering the war to his later condemnations of pacifism. Focusing on the enduring interest in Orwell today, this is a unique, nuanced account which demonstrates that Orwell remained a committed socialist up until his death.
Notes: Source title: Hope Lies in the Proles: George Orwell and the Left