In this paper I will eschew theories of nationalism and re-examine Orwell’s search for a political and cultural identity that was central to his sense of what he was against in texts such as The Lion and the Unicorn, and Down and Out in London and Paris, and I will attempt to demonstrate that Orwell never really successfully re- imagined a persuasive sense of Englishness. Orwell has been claimed as a hero of the anti-Stalinist left, an opponent of all totalitarianisms, as a staunch critic of capitalism, acute analyst of art-prop, as a peculiar proponent of English common sense socialism, of libertarian self-reliance, and there are even some who view Orwell as a hero of neo-conservatism a defender of Western pluralism and toleration. There has always been as many ‘Orwell’s’ as there are commentators on his thought. Dr Glassford will present a paper, followed by discussion, on: George Orwell uses the text to draw attention to issues he felt were extremely relevant at the time: surveillance, censorship, and nationalism, to name a few.
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