Why I Write

Orwell described one element of the English national character as the tendency for the English people to act together, often instinctively and purposefully without any professed directive. Orwell idealized this aspect of the English character as it allowed for social and cultural change to originate in the people and not the select ruling class. Orwell connected this active “collective consciousness” with how the English language was used and its potential for expression.

In “The Lion and the Unicorn,” Orwell explores the instinct that drives large swatches of the population to act in accordance in support of some ideal or purpose: “But does this mean that the instinct of the English will always tell them to do the right thing? Not at all, merely that it will tell them to do the same thing” (27). Whether this collective unconscious moved toward hypocrisy—as is the case with imperialism—or to equality—as in the socialist movement—was dependent on historical and political factors. Orwell’s point was to clarify the unifying power of this collective unconscious and what it could do to support revolution and political reformation.

Orwell suggested that, as part of the national character, England’s only real contribution to art was through literature and the written word.