Title: The Paradox of Utopia: The Cultural Conservatism in George Orwell’s Coming Up for Air

Abstract: Coming Up for Air is a novel written by George Orwell just before World War II. The novel aimed to create a utopia centered around family life and rural culture in order to rebuild national identity. However, this ambitious vision ultimately fails. This paper delves into the factors contributed to Orwell’s unsuccessful endeavor, examining two aspects: class and national culture. Firstly, it is challenging for the lower-middle class, represented by the protagonist George Bowling, to establish an autonomous identity. Secondly, Orwell’s thoughts exhibit a tendency towards little Englandism, which inherently contradicts his advocacy for social transformation. Orwell’s conservative leanings regarding social class and national culture propel him towards anti-utopianism in his later works.

Keywords: George Orwell, utopia, Coming Up for Air, little Englandism

Author: Yibing Sun, Lecturer, College of International Studies, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.