Why Orwell Matters
Encyclopedia
Why Orwell Matters, released in the UK as Orwell's Victory, is a book-length biographical
essay by Christopher Hitchens
. In it, the author relates George Orwell
's thoughts on and actions in relation to: the British Empire
; the British left
; the British right
; the United States
; English conventions
; feminism
and women; and his own controversial work for the British Foreign Office. At the end of the book, Hitchens critiques Orwell's novels and legacy.
A portion of the book also appears in John Rodden's 2007 compilation Cambridge Companion to George Orwell (ISBN 987-0-521-85842-7).
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
essay by Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Eric Hitchens is an Anglo-American author and journalist whose books, essays, and journalistic career span more than four decades. He has been a columnist and literary critic at The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, Slate, World Affairs, The Nation, Free Inquiry, and became a media fellow at the...
. In it, the author relates George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
's thoughts on and actions in relation to: the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
; the British left
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
; the British right
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
; the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; English conventions
Convention (norm)
A convention is a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted standards, norms, social norms or criteria, often taking the form of a custom....
; feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
and women; and his own controversial work for the British Foreign Office. At the end of the book, Hitchens critiques Orwell's novels and legacy.
A portion of the book also appears in John Rodden's 2007 compilation Cambridge Companion to George Orwell (ISBN 987-0-521-85842-7).