Why Write!

        

           I never knew that reading about why people choose to jot down their feelings and other words would actually get that hamster wheel turning. Reading about why people write was fun! Orwell and Didion's work have some similar characteristics, but both convey a different message. I found myself able to connect to Orwell more because his ideas were universal, and much broader. It seemed that Didion's work was much more self-absorbed. She spent the entire piece almost talking about Berkeley and her own personal thoughts, like how she often had trouble focusing. However, some of what she says I am able to relate to, even though she focused on herself.
           Didion and Orwell both have a bit of a sour feeling, when it comes to writing, and those who write. Didion clearly says that she is "not in the least an intellectual," and she says she "couldn't think". What is weird is she attended Berkeley, which I believe is difficult to get into. Orwell goes about writing about the larger scale of society and talks about writers in general by saying, "all writers are vain, selfish, lazy..." I do not agree with this statement. How can Didion “not think” but organize her thoughts enough to put them down on paper? Orwell believes that writers are lazy, yet many will write novels that most people almost don’t finish. Overall I agree with Orwell more. The four great motives he describes make total sense to me. I also like Orwell's "Why I write" better because it is easier for me to comprehend, because he doesn’t use as many weird descriptions, like Didion. He just says it and doesn’t use metaphors and other symbols, so I was able to understand exactly what he was trying to tell me. Practically all of Didion's references, and descriptions were confusing to me, I often had to Google many words I didn’t know. Both authors referred to "Paradise Lost." George Orwell also talked about Eugene Aram, which forced me to learn another new thing! Orwell's idea of outgrowing writing once you have mastered it was something I agree with, because I do it a lot, and was able to relate! Orwell was able to open my eyes and make me truly understand what he is writing about, which is why people write, and I agree with his opinions and statements.