Department of English

This course will compare the works and careers of George Orwell and Ernest Hemingway as modernists and witnesses to major political and historical events in the first half of the 20th century. We’ll focus especially on their expatriate experiences, their work as journalists, their participation in the Spanish Civil War, their political convictions, and the development of their literary reputations. We’ll pay particular attention to the following questions: What is the relation of each writer’s life to his art, and his non-fiction to his fiction? How are differences between English and American culture reflected in their life and work? How do the writers respond in life and art to World War I, the Depression, the Spanish Civil War, World War II, the decline of the British Empire, and the Cold War? How do they exemplify “the plain style?” What codes of masculinity operate in their work, and how do they represent women? Course work will include frequent short written responses to the readings, a mid-term essay comparing a work by each writer, a final exam, and a research paper on a topic of the student’s choice.