Book Review of The Road to Wigan Pier

This book review provides a comprehensive analysis of The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell. It discusses the content, author, background, methodology, and significance of the book, which explores the social and economic conditions of the working class in England before World War II.

BOOK REVIEW OF
THE ROAD WIGAN
PIER

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................1
Content in books.....................................................................................................................1
About the author.....................................................................................................................2
Background ............................................................................................................................2
Method and methodology.......................................................................................................3
Overview of book...................................................................................................................4
Significance of book and their legacy....................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
The road to Wigan pier is a famous book by writer George Orwell. This book is first
published in 1937. this book is all about the sociological investigation of various situation
between the working class in Lancashire and Yorkshire in England before the world war 2. and
on intermediate of the book demonstrate about middle class attribute and brings and focus on
development of his political review, questioning about attribute and perception towards socialism
(Cavey, S., 2018). At this context Orwell state himself in favouritism of social life and they
favour of it. They feel that it is very necessary to take out reason and clear to number of people
about how socialism help many of people and should they logically support him. The structure of
this book is divided into two section which explained the theories and content of books. In part
one, first chapter describe the life of Brooker family and example of northern working class.
They have a shop and cheap lodging house. Orwell demonstrate the life of old people who live in
home and working condition. In chapter two discussion of life of miner and condition of gaol
mine. Chapter three is about social condition of low and middle miners. Chapter is about housing
condition of industrial north. And various chapter have their own scenario which describe the
various impact of social factor which influence the life of people.
MAIN BODY
Content in books
The type script of the book is submitted to keep the aspidistra flying to Gollancz in 1936
on date 15 January. In period form January to march Orwell research in his book while living
Wigan. They used to research about employment and social situation in economically depressed
people of northern England. Orwell working for Gollancz which also provide contribution in
social reforms and a publisher (Harris 2016). As a social reformer, they want to question what
are social value of people who is facing the line of poverty in every segment. Gollancz want to
remove level of poverty and retaliate them from the power of government that they tolerate him.
And raise the economic system in which to create the life of people so well. To reach a hug
audience they need evidence and facts which, which is may be graph, dogmatic conclusions. The
political concern in this that Orwell provide a brief knowledge about the facto which affect the
assumption of being fact and find the truth in reality. Political accent of these major are that
government tolerate people and other. In this government do not raise any question about their
1

social life, economic life and even they cant make strategies to eradicate this. The government
policy are significant help the lower people in which way there they can just survive and full fill
the need of daily life (Henshaw 2017). This strategics are well implemented and create in such a
way where the retaliation id measure and they act as social contribution. The traditional or social
aspect on this help to transform the many of life by motivating and clearing the concept of miner
life. They are under ground and doing lot of work and what kind of life they living is much
crucial and evidence based. As per the culture, they do not proper culture and social life they are
assumption as they are made for work.
About the author
His real name was Eric Arthur Blair, he did a fantastic work in critic, journalist, English
novelist and as journalist. His novels Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four became very
famous in 1945 and 1949 respectively. He had a full time working life style in England which he
also documented in one of his famous books with name of The Road to Wigan Pier, he also
served for the nation and published this experience in Homage to Catalonia. Looking to his
tremendous work in literature he was ranked as second amongst the other 50 great British writer
since 1945 by The Times (Hitzer 2020). Orwell had a bad habit of smoking he used to roll joints
of heavy doze which caused him health issue for a long time period. He used to have small friend
circle of friends with same background and sense of humour. There are number of approach
which is drive by Orwell in their different chapter. They usually discussed the work scenario,
social life reforms and intervention. There are various intervention which is used to characterised
by the reforms of new base outline. This approach are create new way to eradicate poverty and
miner life which is experienced by author when he used to live in Wigan.
Background
In 1936, the month of January which was commissioned by victor Gollancz he is and
publisher and also a social reformer. They used to make a study of employment in depresses
regions of the north England and they used to give a view point of this that want to remove this
line of poverty. Government used to make new plan and strategies for those who are poor and
their survival is tough. Orwell accept the commission at once and ready to tour black country.
Lancashire and Yorkshire which is take in 1936, while returning to London at month of march.
They used to travelled with many of regions like Birmingham, Potteries, Manchester, Coventry
where they stay for five days, Orwell also stay in Wigan for two weeks, Liverpool for one week
2

and many more place they visit and stay (Jackson and Robins 2018). From the above visiting
Orwell create their viewpoint of various life which he experienced. As per this author viewpoint
is about a new letter of apologize which is raise the concern about poor people, they do not have
job and also share their view point on miner which have no social life. This work is based of
knowing new terms of life. The main purpose of to write this is about what factor are influence
the matter of life which is gaping and going to loss of social norms and ethic. This study is
relevant and enlighten the life of those who do not even fulfil the need of their regular basis, they
usually live in poverty and die in poverty. This studies also affect the reliability of book because
book explaining about social life of various people which influx the truth and their various
chapter which bis divided into two section explained social form of various group of people
which is live in Wigan.
Method and methodology
In this the author used ethnographic method of analysis. In which the ethnographic
analysis or method is defined as the study of various tradition in cultural setting. With the goal of
producing a narrative account of that particular culture, this all are against a theoretical concept
which applicable by the study which is based on primary research and this book which written is
refers as secondary based research method. This analysis of method also implies in a way where
the number of qualitative analysis is used (Liu 2020)(Mairesse 2019). The qualitative analysis is
usually determine the study of various function in term of quality or new morphological aspect
of learning, where the data is prepared in such a way which help to implies in various core which
provide the knowledge of new aspect. In this the study is based on employment and poverty.
Orwell do primary research on this they visit the place Wigan and stay up-to two week. This two
week Orwell used to experienced and notice the quality of life is living by Wigan's people.
Ethnography is originated from the social anthropology, and in particular topic. This was taken
by sociology in 1930, when the Chicago school study about the deviance in culture in urban
America which is going with great depression. The research parameter which is calculated by
qualitative, inductive, exploratory and longitudinal. Which aim has to achieve a thick and brief
description over a relatively small regions. In this context, Orwell used this techniques while
their researching, it is very useful and essential for making the outcome and this outcome helps
to create the hug base in matter of researchers and topic that were chosen by researchers for
study.
3

As per the researchers it is very important to conduct and collect the data in base of
reflexive role. It help to create the new touchpoint in aspect of author. This reflexive role of is
useful because in this role author used their perception and summarise the topic that they chosen.
In this context Orwell reflect an assay that the socialism is beneficial for those who is financially
week and Orwell defined this all matter in their perception by using his name in prospect with
like they experiencing the same thing when they read again and gain. There are number of
practical consideration with ethnographic method, such as:
Time: Studies are going time to time and researchers need a wide range of duration to
complete their work. They take to looking an ethnography one approaches for a dissertation
which have sufficient time before the complete date. Sometime any research take long time to
complete then this will create number of error for researcher.
Place: this is must confirm that researcher would take down in cooperation with others
organisation to combine and create a cross sectional study of section.
Overview of book
George Orwell set an report which is based on working class life which is lives in west
Midlands, Yorkshire and Lancashire. Orwell spend his time to live with those people and there
are number of chapter were discussed with social norms and economical aspect which show the
reality of life in different forms. In which chapter one is demonstrate about the life of brooker
family which is more wealthy because they working class family, they used to run shop and
cheap lodging and this all are source of income. In which Orwell describe that in that house the
condition of old people are not getting satisfaction because the major of people of family is busy
with their work and they have busy routine of work (Pikó 2018Poems 2016). Orwell also
mention about the life of miners that is discussed in chapter two which elaborate about condition
of goal mine. The life of coal miners is very hard and their condition were poor and this context
is also quoted. The third chapter discussed about social situation of the average miner. Orwell
written quoted in book about the miner about their financial condition and hygienic situation that
they are not even much income to handle their life which is based on living standard. This book
also explained about the housing situation of industrial north. In a particular regions there are
various factor which influenced the housing conditions. Chapter four which is discussed about
unemployment and government mislead to people raise the unemployment status. Orwell
explain about the life style of miner and their habit of eating, they used to take food of the
4

average miner and they generally have enough money to buy goof food and this create the bad
impact on their health which create malnutrition in maximum people and also this create the
degeneration in many families. And last chapter of section one describe the ugliness of industrial
towns in north of England. The part two or section two consist of five problem. These are:
Class prejudice: This is realistic. Middle caste society alienate the larger group of society
that is economically working class, culturally middle class. These middle class family have their
own view and life is based on adjustment.
Machine worship: Orwell find most sacred and untruth sociology and they regret for
that. Orwell believe that he is suspicious of technological progress for its own sake and thinks
which lead to softness and point to decadence.
Crankiness: There are various kind of people which is specified by no beards or wear
sandals, vegetarians and nudists as contributing to social forms which create the negative impacts
many of conventional people.
Turgid language: Those who use the language like “notwithstanding” and “heretofore”
and become over excited when discussing with dielectric material which gain the much popular
supports.
Failure must focus on basics: Socialism is all about common share and decency which
all rather than political orthodoxy or philosophical consistency.
To compete this all argument are stated and concluded like this that the book is overall
based of mannerism of social impact which is faced by various kind of people. This chapter of
book defines as various aspect of learning which is about different social factor which is applied
in such a way to get maximum knowledge and brief about fact of Wigan people. The miner life
are demonstrate in such a way which create a false and conflict towards the government plans
which is accessible by fake strategies and usual plan which is stated by the governance and
regulating body to eradicate the poverty from every sector. It influenced many of authors in
which Hamish miles stated in new statesman and nation on 1937. miles writes about the book
“the road to Wigan pier” is a living and lively book form start to end. The writer Douglas gold
ring writing in fortnightly in 1937 that the book is beautiful and disturbing and miles is was
highly conservative for that and socialist read it.
5

Significance of book and their legacy
The book left many of legacy because it is all about life of those people which is living
their life in social conflict, the people Wigan lives their life in base of low standard of life
because of low earning power. The poverty in Wigan is shown in book by sharing their life style
and food habit, the life of miner is described in such a ways that create so much social conflict
and these social conflict help the book to earn more money and their legacy in initially low but
some of the reader create the conflict and matter about the life of miners.
CONCLUSION
As per the above discussion, it is essential to learn about various approach which is
beneficial for society. Understanding social culture is very important because it help people to
socialise and give an approach to learn socialism and many factor which develop the humanity
and nature of helping others. In this book review about many life which is matter able and raise
concern on humanity and social value. The socialism is all defined as community which is
needed and collaborated within a single place. This social reform help other to get close and
create a new emotion and feelings. Which beneficial for social, economical and various factor.
6

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Cavey, S., 2018. ‘Fire From Olympus, Apples From Eden’: creativity and dissent in the work of
Olive Moore (Doctoral dissertation, University of Southampton).
Harris, S., 2016. Sharper, better, faster, stronger: Performing Northern masculinity and the
legacy of Sean Bean’s Sharpe. The Journal of Popular Television, 4(2), pp.239-251.
Henshaw, V., 2017. Accommodating Smell in Teaching Practices in the Built
Environment. Designing with Smell: Practices, Techniques and Challenges.
Hitzer, B., 2020. The Odor of Disgust: Contemplating the Dark Side of 20th-Century Cancer
History. Emotion Review, p.1754073919897293.
Jackson, S. and Robins, S., 2018. Making sense of the politics of sanitation in Cape Town. Social
Dynamics, 44(1), pp.69-87.
Liu, X., 2020. Smell as Self-identity: Capitalist Ideology and Olfactory Imagination in Das
Parfum’s Multimedia Storytelling.
Mairesse, F., 2019. The Evolution of the Economics of Culture and its Influence on the
Development of Geoparks. UNESCO Global Geoparks: Tension Between Territorial
Development and Heritage Enhancement, pp.91-107.
Pikó, L., 2018. “We’re full”: Capacity, Finitude, and British Landscapes, 1945‐1979. Australian
Journal of Politics & History, 64(3), pp.450-463.
Poems, C.C., 2016. SELECTED WORKS BY MULK RAJANAND, INEz HOLDEN, GEORGE
ORWELL. George Orwell and the Radical Eccentrics: Intermodernism in Literary
London, p.215.
7