1. Why does Orwell write? He says that, "By nature -- taking your "nature" to be the state you have attained when you are first adult -- I am a person in whom the first three motives would outweigh the fourth" (Orwell). The first three motives would be sheer egoism, aesthetic enthusiasm, and historical impulse. But as he continued on in his literary career, I think he started writing for political purposes. I think this is true because he makes it his goal to turn his political writings into art. He also said that he likes having a purpose to his works. He does not want them to just sound; he wanted them to have a meaning.
2. Why do you write? I usually write because I have to do it for homework. I have never really written out a story or poem for fun, but I have had fun writing them and thinking of new things to add to them. I think I might fall under aesthetic enthusiasm for a motive when I write. I like perceiving the external world in different ways so I can make what I am writing about more entertaining to myself and others.
3. What did you learn about writing? A person's background will affect what they enjoy writing about and why they write. I also learned that some people actually like the sound of certain words or phrases. I do not read out loud too often, so this is probably why I have never thought that the actual sound of words can be entertaining for people.
4. What did you find most interesting about the piece? I think it is interesting how Orwell's isolated childhood molded him to become a write. This isolated childhood made him exercise his mind by trying to compensate his loneliness. Being able to channel such a negative feeling and eventually making a successful output for it in writing is amazing.
5. What one sentence would be the best grounds for an argument? Why? When he says, "It is bound to be a failure, every book is a failure," this seems like a debatable idea. I do not think that all books are failures. Many books are able to carry across their ideas to the readers and become commercially successful. Unless his view of failure pertains to some other goal he is trying to achieve, then I think that statement is false.
Work Cited
Orwell, George. "Why I Write." K-1.com. Web. 19 May 2011. http://www.k-1.com/Orwell/site/work/essays/write.html.
