Such, Such Were the Joys

Orwell’s essay is typical of his style, a combination of forceful arguments and ironic anecdotes. Considering the period in which the essay was written, postwar Britain, gives important insight into the work’s purpose. Orwell was an explicitly political writer, and his chief interest in his essays was to move the political climate of Britain in a more egalitarian and democratic direction. One of the primary institutions that Orwell saw as perpetuating the long-existing state of Classism in Great Britain was the educational system, and it was his opinion that this institution should be one of the first to be reformed in a new government, for the sake of all classes in British society. To argue this point, Orwell presents a firsthand account of life at a preparatory school, detailing not only the abuses inherent in the system but also the lack of educational merit present in such schools.

Orwell utilizes point of view to achieve his goal. This technique is important, as it lends his overall argument weight. As a personal essay, “Such, Such Were the Joys” is nonfiction but portrays the author’s experiences in

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