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Commentary
on
the
text
taken
from
George
Orwell’s
“The
Road
to
Wigan
Pier”
This
text
from
George
Orwell’s
“The
Road
to
Wigan
Pier”
is
in
the
genre
of
a
report
or
a
social
commentary/critique.
His
purpose
is
to
bring
to
light
or
expose
the
conditions
suffered
by
the
working
people
in
the
North
of
England.
The
audience
is
likely
to
be
the
general
public,
but
more
specifically
the
government.
Its
tone
therefore
is
critical,
descriptive
and
provocative.
The
first
paragraph
characterizes
the
South,
East
and
Midlands
of
England
as
comfortably
bland
and
uniform,
through
the
use
of
such
lexical
items
as
“accustomed
to”,
“not
much
difference”,
“not
unlike”
and
“indistinguishable”.
He
then
provides
a
stark
contrast
to
this
with
his
description
of
the
towns
of
the
North.
The
repetition
of
words
such
as
“ugliness”
and
the
use
of
adjectives
like
“frightful”
and
“arresting”
heightens
the
terrible
contrast
between
these
comfortable
pleasant
towns
of
the
rest
of
England,
and
those
of
the
North.
The
second
paragraph
consists
of
a
description
of
Wigan.
He
uses
a
myriad
of
adjectives
to
describe
the
terrible
scene
he
witnesses,
such
as
“hideous,
planless,
functionless,
frightful,
evil.”
All
of
these
combine
to
create
an
image
of
a
horrific
environment.
In
the
first
line
he
uses
the
contradictory
term
“at
best”
along
with
the
word
"hideous"
to
show
that
the
word
is
not
enough
to
describe
the
scene
of
the
slag-‐heap.
That
is
indeed
the
best
thing
which
can
be
said
about
it.
The
simile
“like
the
emptying
of
a
giant’s
dustbin”
gives
us
an
image
of
the
huge
size
of
the
slag-‐heap.
Adjectives
such
as
“jagged”
convey
a
harsh,
sharp
image
of
the
scene.
He
then
creates
an
image
of
hell
with
the
use
of
the
alliterative
metaphor
“red
rivulets
of
fire,
winding
this
way
and
that.”
The
never-‐ending
nature
of
this
horror
is
emphasized
through
the
description
of
the
“blue
flames
of
sulphur,
which
always
seem
on
the
point
of
expiring
and
always
spring
out
again.”
There
is
no
relief,
no
respite
from
the
misery.
These
slag-‐heaps
will
also
still
be
visible
“centuries
hence”.
In
the
phrase
“evil
brown
grass”
he
uses
personification
to
show
that
even
natural
elements
such
as
grass
have
this
horrible
characteristic.
The
fact
that
slag-‐heaps
are
used
as
playgrounds
seems
incongruous,
almost
ironic.
These
slag-‐heaps
are
compared
with
the
use
of
a
simile
to
the
sharp
peaks
of
“a
choppy
sea,
suddenly
frozen”
or
a
metaphor
with
his
depiction
of
an
uncomfortable
lumpy
“flock
mattress”.
In
the
third
paragraph
he
recalls
one
particular
winter
afternoon
in
Wigan.
he
uses
the
alliterative
metaphor
“lunar
landscape”
to
give
the
image
of
a
barren,
almost
alien
environment.
There
is
no
vegetation,
just
“cinders”
and
“frozen
mud”.
This
environment
is
“criss-‐crossed
by
the
imprint
of
innumerable
clogs“
the
alliteration
generating
the
image
of
many
people
suffering
under
these
harsh
conditions.
The
“flashes
–
pools
of
stagnant
water”
intensify
the
image
of
this
horrific
place,
as
they
were
covered
with
“ice,
the
colour
of
raw
umber”.
You
might,
under
normal
conditions
expect
ice
to
clear
or
white,
but
not
in
this
environment.
There
is
an
example
of
personification
where
the
“lock
gates
wore
beards
of
ice”
emphasizing
the
image
of
this
cold,
barren
land,
from
which
“vegetation
had
been
banished.”
However,
all
of
this
pales
in
comparison
to
Sheffield,
as
evidenced
by
the
use
of
the
intensifier
“even”.
It
is
“the
ugliest
town
in
the
Old
World”,
with
very
few
decent
buildings,
even
compared
to
the
average
East
Anglian
village
of
only
500
inhabitants.
Ironically,
the
inhabitants
seem
to
be
almost
proud
of
this
accolade.
The
exclamation
mark
after
“…stench!”
intensifies
the
already
strong
meaning
of
the
word.
There
is
some
irony
in
the
fact
that
even
when
the
sulphur
smell
is
not
present,
you
smell
gas.
There
is
no
respite,
no
relief
from
the
unrelenting
misery.
“The
shallow
river…is
usually
bright
yellow”
and
one
might
normally
expect
something
yellow
to
be
bright,
primary
and
natural,
however
here,
the
yellow
comes
from
“some
chemical
or
other”.
Throughout
the
text,
Orwell
uses
colour
imagery,
“grey
mountains…red
rivulets…blue
flames…brown
grass…raw
umber…bright
yellow…dark
red…blackened…blackish…
red
and
yellow
brick…rosy…redlit
boys”
to
heighten
the
vivid
effect
of
his
imagery.
Even
the
primary
colours
are
indicative
of
something
horrible.
The
description
of
the
thirty-‐three
chimneys
is
heightened
by
the
fact
that
it
was
only
the
smoke
which
hindered
his
view
of
many
more.
Further
use
of
lexis
such
as
“frightful…squalor…littered…gaunt”
further
increase
the
impression
of
impoverishment.
His
ironic
use
of
the
word
“vista”
to
describe
the
ugly
panorama
is
intensified
by
the
repetition
of
“chimneys,
chimney
beyond
chimney”.
The
last
paragraph
gives
us
an
image
of
Sheffield
at
night,
a
hideous
place
where
there
is
nothing
but
“blackness”
and
the
oxymoronic
“sinister
magnificence.“
The
“serrated
flames,
like
circular
saws”
reprises
(repeats)
the
“jagged”
image
from
the
description
of
Wigan.
Orwell
personifies
the
smoke
and
flames
which
“squeeze
themselves”,
as
if
they
were
alive.
The
vision
of
hell
is
once
again
highlighted
with
“fiery
serpents”
and
“redlit
boys”,
and
further
intensified
with
the
onomatopoeic
“whiz,
thump…scream.”
Orwell,
through
his
cumulative
use
of
imagery
created
by
a
variety
of
lexis(vocabulary)
,
paints
a
picture
of
unmitigated
horror.
It
is
clear
that
his
writing
was
intended
to
have
a
very
strong
effect
on
his
audience.
The
attraction
of
train
travel
is
outlined
in
the
opening
paragraph.:
the
metaphor
“opened
up
the
countryside”
makes
train
travel
attractive
by
suggesting
new
discoveries
or
the
revelation
of
something
concealed
until
now.
“Head-‐off”
is
light-‐
hearted
and
gives
the
idea
that
travel
is
relaxing
and
freedom-‐giving.
The
mention
of
Thomas
Cook
in
the
second
paragraph
gives
historical
accuracy
and
therefore
credibility
to
train
travel
as
something
tried
and
tested.
The
idiomatic
usage
of
“puffin’
billy”
is
informal
which
gives
the
passage
an
easy
feel
to
it.
Train
travel
is
for
everyone.
The
metaphor
“paradise”
to
describe
the
railway
in
north
Borneo
makes
the
countryside
which
it
passes
through
seem
idyllic.,
the
most
beautiful
place
on
earth,
or
even
a
beauty
which
transcends
the
earth.
The
structure
of
the
rest
of
the
paragraph
makes
it
easy
to
follow
the
rest
of
the
passage
because
the
writer
outlines
two
options
for
travel
on
the
railway,
which
then
makes
it
possible
to
devote
a
paragraph
to
one
of
them.
The
idiom
“trainheads”
must
mean
those
who
love
train
travel,
again
the
informal
tone
makes
train
travel
seem
accessible
to
ordinary
people,
and
the
newness
of
the
idiom
makes
train
travel
seem
modern
and
possibly
an
attraction
for
the
young,
who
are
the
people
who
might
invent
this
new
slang.
In
the
fourth
paragraph
the
vocabulary
item
“narrow
rickety”
is
used
to
describe
the
train.
Normally
these
adjectives
would
not
enhance
an
overall
description,
but
in
this
case
they
serve
to
make
the
train
appear
attractively
old-‐fashioned.
As
if
the
privilege
of
having
such
a
historical
experience
makes
it
worthwhile
to
suffer
this
discomfort.
.
The
“lunatic
fringe,
fanatical
steam
train
devotees”
raises
train
travel
to
an
almost
religious
level
which
is
clearly
hyperbole.
'Lunatic
fringe'
is
humorous
because
it
suggests
that
those
who
like
train
travel
are
in
some
way
mentally
deranged.
Contrast
is
established
when
the
writer
goes
on
to
describe
the
other,
completely
different
type
of
travelers
(those
with
only
a
passing
interest)
therefore
it
can
be
seen
that
train
travel
is
for
all,
and
so
every
reader
is
included
as
a
possible
traveller,
adding
to
the
persuasive
tone
of
the
passage.
The
vocabulary
captures
the
history
and
therefore
the
credibility
of
train
travel
in
words
such
as
“nostalgia”
and
“oblivion”
with
their
connotations
of
long
time
scales.
A
simile
describing
the
train
as
being
“like
a
time
capsule’
makes
the
train
seem
old-‐fashioned,
by
suggesting
a
trip
on
it
is
not
only
through
this
part
of
Malaysia
but
back
through
history
to
a
time
pre-‐dating
our
own
modern
trains.
The
metaphor
“lifeline”
comes
from
the
literal
idea
of
throwing
a
drowning
person
a
rope
with
which
to
be
pulled
ashore:
thus
the
vital
importance
of
the
railway
to
people’s
way
of
life
is
underpinned.
In
conclusion
the
writer
seeks
to
persuade
people
to
use
these
trains
through
an
appeal
to
their
sense
of
nostalgia.
3.
Shanghai
Childhood
The
genre
of
this
text
is
from
a
novel
which
has
been
written
from
an
autobiographical
viewpoint.
The
tone
is
very
much
one
of
nostalgia
and
gentle
humour.
The
writer’s
purpose
is
to
look
back
on
childhood
in
a
nostalgic,
sometimes
rather
comical
way.
It
is
incongruous
to
describe
a
“mound”
as
having
a
“summit”.
This
shows
that
to
small
children
a
slight
incline
in
the
garden
seems
like
a
mountain.
The
writer
concedes
that
his
memory
is
exaggerated
in
the
phrases
“even
at
the
time”
and
“hardly
matched”:
he
acknowledges
the
“splendour“of
the
houses
round
the
corner,
which
are
described
as
“residences”
rather
than
merely
houses.
A
comical
picture
of
little
boys
is
created.
Their
game
is
only
running
about
in
the
garden
and
yet
they
are
“worn…out”
and
are
“panting”,
in
need
of
a
rest.
The
gap
between
childhood
and
adulthood
for
the
writer
is
shown
in
the
words
“around
six
years
old”;
he
does
not
have
an
exact
memory
because
it
was
a
long
time
ago.
Nostalgia
is
created
in
his
closing
his
eyes
“to
bring
back
that
picture”,
consciously
trying
to
evoke
the
past.
His
parents’
nostalgia
for
the
England
they
have
left
behind
is
shown
in
their
weak
attempt
to
recreate
an
“English”
lawn:
the
inverted
commas
show
their
attempt
is
not
entirely
unsuccessful
in
the
climate
of
Shanghai.
It
is
also
important
to
note
that
tense
shift
from
past
to
present
which
further
highlights
the
nostalgic
element
in
the
text.
Whilst
the
use
of
language
clearly
plays
the
major
role
in
how
Durrell
achieves
his
aim,
there
are
some
areas
of
structure
which
require
comment.
He
uses
colons,
firstly
to
explain
in
detail
why
this
particular
lorry
was
worse
than
any
he
had
met
before.
Secondly
to
list
the
operations
he
was
required
to
supervise
whilst
in
the
lorry.
The
effect
is
to
lead
the
reader
to
expect
that
in
each
case
more
information
will
be
provided.
Durrell
also
uses
present
participles
rather
than
finite
tenses
to
de-‐
emphasise
actions
and
thus
focus
more
on
the
image
presented.
Thus
we
find
that
the
agama
lizards
lay,
blushing
into
sunset
colouring:
the
focus
clearly
being
on
the
picture
of
them
blushing.
Similarly
we
see
massive
tree-‐ferns
standing
in
conspiratorial
groups,
and
the
effect
helps
us
visualise
them
as
humans.
Durrell
easily
conveys
his
enthusiasm
for
the
forest
and
its
inhabitants
through
his
flamboyant
use
of
language.
The
experience
for
the
reader
is
to
be
transported
with
him
onto
the
lorry
and
into
the
forests
of
West
Africa;
to
an
exotic
location
where
everything
is
alive
and
conscious