Book Review Project: Analyzing George Orwell's The Road to Wigan Pier

This report provides a comprehensive review of George Orwell's 'The Road to Wigan Pier,' examining its historical context, the author's background, and methodology. The review analyzes the book's depiction of the living conditions of unemployed people and coal miners in Northern England, Orwell's perspective on social and political issues, and his writing style. The report explores the impact of the book, the author's biases, and the reliability of his observations. It discusses the book's structure, including its two main parts, and the methods Orwell employed in his research, such as visiting lodging-houses and coal mines. The review highlights key themes such as poverty, unemployment, and the social class system. The report also addresses ethical considerations and the limitations of Orwell's perspective, offering a critical assessment of the book's strengths and weaknesses.

Book Review Project

Table of Contents
Book: The Road to Wigan Pier........................................................................................................1
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
The context of the book...................................................................................................................1
Background information of the author.............................................................................................2
The Background and the Perspective...............................................................................................2
Methodology and the Methods........................................................................................................3
The Book itself.................................................................................................................................4
The Legacy of Book.........................................................................................................................5
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................7

Book: The Road to Wigan Pier
Introduction
Books are generally reviewed to critically analyse what social and political consequences
are present, that is described by author. This would help other readers to decide whether such a
book is read, by identifying its central idea, including the author’s perspective, written style and
accuracy of information (Bambra, 2010). In this sense, The Road to Wigan Pier is going to be
critically reviewed under present report. It mainly highlights critical condition faced by large
portion of vulnerable society i.e. unemployed & social condition of minors. For this purpose,
context of book in terms of social and political consequences, background information of author,
with key life experience are evaluated. In addition to this, argument is made over book
commissioned and whether it affects reliability and finding of writer as historical source of
material. Furthermore, a brief overview of overall written report with illustrations of quotes and
legacy of information is also demonstrated. This report also shed light Orwell's methods and
methodology as a social commentator and upon the reliability of his work.
The context of the book
The Road to Wigan Pier is written by English author George Orwell in the year 1937, when
he was asked to investigate and demonstrate living condition of unemployed people and social
living condition of then, in economically depressed time within Northern England (Hoggart,
2020). The overall information was mainly made upon complaints about unhealthy living
condition of labour work in coal mines, including dirt and smell of their houses. Inadvertently,
this shows that author was contemptuous of respective class that he claimed to serve. Therefore,
this essay considers as an admirable illustration of “modernist anthropology,” i.e. a genre whose
main goal is to contribute an uncensored account of difficulties faced by an ethnographer.
Considering this genre, it has been evaluated Orwell has courageously portrayed prejudices of
fieldworker‐persona, with aim to expose a hypocrisy typical form of left‐wing lower and middle‐
class domestic ethnographers of industrial north of England before the World War II. The
political context of Orwell’s book i.e. The Road to Wigan Pier, includes communism which is
quite normal like vegetarianism (Greenough, 2020). It has described the facts about hidden faces
of political and cultural aspects for way of life living by British people (employed and
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unemployed miners). Along with this, a description is also made upon Socialism with familiarity
for grabbing the snobbish upper-class as well as wannabe middle-class, to give them a swift kick.
Background information of the author
George Orwell was a British author and journalists, who wrote a number of famous novels
like Animal Farm, Nighty Eighty-four and more. He was born in 1903 in Eastern India and get
education in England (Sawant, 2012). At initial, joined the Indian Imperial Police in Burma then
resigned in 1927 in order to become a writer. He has written his first book as ‘Down and Out in
Paris and London' in 1933 under which he described personal experience. After written a number
of books or novels, in 1936, he was commissioned to write ‘The Road to Wigan Pier’ by taken
into account poor conditions of unemployed coal miners in northern England. Before working on
this book, Mr. Orwell was already known as essayist, where he had mainly specialised in pulling
back carpet from British self-image’s floor, in order to explore facts about unknown criteria. In
this regard, he has made investigation about poverty which is faced by working-classes of
England (Mills, 2012). Thus, after publishing of this book, has made Orwell as socialist and
critic, where his work then characterised in terms of biting social criticism, lucid prose,
outspoken support regarding with democratic socialism and opposition to totalitarianism. The
non-fiction works of this author is very well presented in Wigan Pier under which he has
documented own experience of working-class life (Hollis, 2017). Thereafter, written a number of
essays and novels on literature, culture, politics and social practices, he was awarded as 50
greatest writers of British since 1945.
The Background and the Perspective
‘The Road to Wigan Pier’ when was researched in 1936, the author – Orwell was already
known as essayist, where he had written a number of books on under-class society of British.
Since, he mainly specialised for un-hiding the social facts of people belong from lower and
middle-class society, aid the world to know about their vulnerable conditions (Chaabane, 2014).
Considering his characteristics and way of describing working class people, Gollancz the
successful publisher commissioned Orwell for making research and write this book - The Road
to Wigan Pier. An investigation was mainly made on poverty among working-classes of British
in the north of England. It was published at that time by Left Book Club, which is a highbrow
series of books that mainly aimed towards left-wing intelligentsia as well as other fashionables
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(Chaabane, 2015). So, this has demonstrated that Orwell has somehow influenced to write book
upon underclasses, unemployed or poverty-stricken people. His thoughts might be manipulated
to go beyond statistics of unemployment ratio, by exposing facts about poverty and social
injustice. Therefore, being an author, it was demonstrated that there was no anonymity in his
narration.
Before, commissioned the book and reportage the Wigan Pier book, publisher has made
proper investigation about writing style, his way of thinking about social practices, views,
opinions and entire previous works (Babb, 2017). Orwell has mentioned about own class
experience in earlier books, where he has suggested for further reading also to fill gaps also.
Thus, commission the present book shows that author has researched mainly upon living
condition of coal miners, with a particular viewpoint instead of narrating true facts about social
practices. So, showing the purpose to explore only working class conditions, somehow affects
reliability and findings of book. However, the author has demonstrated own perspective also in
the book to illustrate how people belong to middle class is grown up with some prejudices as
compared with upper-class ones (Orwell, 1958). It has also demonstrated how such facts impact
on their relationship, attitude towards life and way of thinking, which was really difficult to
eradicate easily from mind of them. So, it also shows evidence about author’s prejudices that
affects what and how he writes. Instead of giving proper attention of physical prowess of coal
miners, empathy of Orwell was mainly given on miserable conditions in filthy. This has created
a big distance about reliability and accuracy of text written in given book (Armstrong, 2012).
Methodology and the Methods
The present book i.e. ‘The Road to Wigan Pier’ is demonstrated into two main parts, where
first part accounts on living conditions working class people of north that author Orwell lived in
himself (Mills, 2012). While second part demonstrates a long essay in various chapters based
upon British class system, especially on squeamishness faced by people belong to middle-
classes. Focus is also given on what is wrong within Britain Socialism including way that could
be better. This book mainly demonstrates about key knowledge of filth, lack of privacy, dignity
and information about basic hygiene and discomfort, which were the normal living conditions of
people in Britain in early 1930s (Sawant, 2012). A focus is given on hundreds of thousands
working people including unemployed, homeless, abandoned, and miserable people. In order to
make research on living background Orwell has spent some days in a lodging-house, where he
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used to go down within coal mine, visits cottages and homes of miners and unemployed. The
author has watched families having no wage-earning members, scrabble for coal’s scraps from
slag heaps. He has also worked out to identify weekly income of people from their pay slips,
calculating the stoppages for tools, finding contributions to a fund made for miners’ death,
colleague and union dues (Greenough, 2020). For this purpose, the author has counted income or
wages of coal miners in pennies instead of pounds, because during 19030s all there were
belonged to underclasses and lived in vulnerable conditions.
Orwell however, has tended to cover only men’s work and their lives despite of female
miners and children, as they creep around in hovels within a single room for 8 people, etc.
(Hoggart, 2020). Along with this, Orwell also seems sympathetic regarding with impossibility of
keeping the things clean with no water, barely any money, no toilet and more, by describing as
own experience about the conditions he had lived. Since most of the work despite of women and
children, revolving around men because they were considered as dominant wage-earners during
1930s. Therefore, this has evident that Wigan Pier book is a one-sided account, where instead of
complete picture, only men’s conditions were concerned (Bambra, 2010). The author has visited
only on those areas that taken his interested, where no information about other communities of
north England such as distressed fishing, agricultural poverty, urban slums and more, had been
found. Similarly, In Part 2, Orwell has told a lot about other writers including agitators who had
already been covered this ground in past, but didn’t give attention on opinion-formers and
reporters that had made investigation about women’s condition in same society (Armstrong,
2012). This writer has also talked about Socialism with familiarity, which were normally people
had at that time about everyday political affiliation. So, these factors raise ethical issues about
single perspective only instead of magisterial history book, because author has failed to critically
made research on whole society of coal miners and other societies of north in England.
The Book itself
The Road to Wigan Pier (1937), was the first socialist book of Orwell based on unorthodox
political treatise. It has begun with describing writer’s own life experiences and unemployed coal
miners belong to Northern England, by sharing miserable lives of them (Bambra, 2010). This
book has ended up with a series of socialism, sharp criticism of political and existing cultural
movements. It has combined with a tone of generous anger which characterise the subsequent
writing of author also. This book has mainly divided into two main parts with several main
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chapters, where lives of miners who have dominated the coal mine areas were examined and
critically demonstrated (Hoggart, 2020). Observing the physical degeneracy of people, noting
about poor health and malnourishment, first part has mainly included text to make comment
upon aesthetic and general ugliness of industrialism. However, another main part of this book
involves controversial statement about politics and social practices during 1930s. The author has
demonstrated living conditions of people by linking own life experience about socialism and
how a critique of some social practices could be offered to improve the same. A demonstration in
first part mainly includes about coal miners who emerge from coal pit and wholly covered in
dust from foot to throat of the body (Greenough, 2020). Similarly, as mines were deprived of
good and adequate air, so, all these conditions had highly affected health of miners. Along with
this, themes of this book includes un-organised industrial towns during that time, where each and
every town was being seen as a labyrinth of small brick and smoke-blackened houses surrounded
by stinking dustbins. So, these homes and towns seem as unfit for people who live in these areas
and created a number of health issues for them (Sawant, 2012).
Similarly, an argument in the book is also made upon key statistics during that period which
states about unemployment figures as around 2 million. While Orwell had estimated the same
figures in 10 to 20 million which includes those unemployed people also who didn’t receive any
public assistance, employed but not get proper wages and more. In second part of this book
which has begun with chapter 8 afterwards, has demonstrated about upbringing in terms of
lower-upper-middle class of people. Author has demonstrated that people of middle class are
often conflates as beggars, social outcasts, criminals and more, who are not representative of any
working class (Mills, 2012). By taking own life experience as an example, he has shifted living
condition of coal miners to those people who belong from middle class and subjected to live in
poor situations.
The Legacy of Book
After 80 years, condition and ratio of unemployment has much worsened than 1930s, so,
various authors and people still follow the Road to Wigan Pier written by Orwell. Still the
condition of coal miners and other miserable communities are not much improved (Armstrong,
2012). Therefore, after publishing of this book first time in 1937, it has been many times
reviewed by many authors to make further research, for evaluating and finding about life of such
people has improved or not. So, this fact has shown legacy of Orwell’s book, where a number of
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ethical issues have been raised but still readers have followed him to make improvement in life
of coal miners and upbringing them from vulnerable conditions.
Conclusion
From all over report, it has been concluded that ‘The Road to Wigan Pier’ refers to a
historical autobiography written by George Orwell and was published in 1937. The author had
been commissioned for writing about economic and social struggles of British people of northern
England by publisher and socialist Mr. Gollancz. This book has opened up with describing the
lodgings obtained by writer itself, in the home of Brooker family, who has slightly the affluent
members of a particular community. Most of the coverage of book shown about miserable
conditions of coal miners that author has itself linked with own life experience. But background
information of other societies, women and children who lived around coal-mines has missed by
writers to be mentioned in this book. This would have raised ethical issues but as during 1930s
society was mainly male dominated area, so, this could somehow has made justification about
prejudices of writer’s belief and opinion. Therefore, to know about living condition of northern
England during 1930s, problems about health condition, miserable life, low wages and more, this
book seems to be good to read.
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References
Books and Journals
Armstrong, S., 2012. The road to Wigan Pier revisited. Hachette UK.
Babb, J., 2017. Literature: The Road to Wigan Pier and the roads beyond. News Weekly, (2999),
p.15.
Bambra, C., 2010. Yesterday once more? Unemployment and health in the 21st century. Journal
of Epidemiology & Community Health, 64(3), pp.213-215.
Chaabane, B., 2014. George Orwell’s Non-linear Narrative in The Road To Wigan Pier. Journal
of Literature and Art Studies, 4(11), pp.872-890.
Chaabane, B., 2015. Focalization and Narrative Voice in George Orwell’s Novel: The Road to
Wigan Pier. International Journal of Art and Literature, 2(3), p.17.
Greenough, C., 2020. Theological Talk in a Salsa Bar on Wigan Pier. Feminist Theology, 28(2),
pp.147-160.
Hoggart, R., 2020. Between two worlds: Politics, anti-politics, and the unpolitical. Routledge.
Hollis, C., 2017. A study of George Orwell: the man and his works. Skyhorse.
Mills, D., 2012. In the last issue, we quoted George Orwell's famous remark in The Road to
Wigan Pier on how embarrassing his fellow socialists were. First Things: A Monthly
Journal of Religion and Public Life, (225), pp.68-69.
Orwell, G., 1958. The Road to Wigan Pier (1937). na.
Sawant, N.R., 2012. Evolution of George Orwell as a novelist. Journal of Literature, Culture
and Media Studies, 3(5&6).
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