George Orwell’s The Road to Wigan Pier: an experimental ethnographic study with a novelist’s touch

Abstract

Although numerous critics identify The Road to Wigan Pier as George Orwell’s flawed depiction of working class life, Orwell’s memoir paints a picture of early ethnographic techniques in twentieth century England. This essay examines Orwell’s fieldworking process in terms of gaining access, representing informants, representing the self, and giving back to the community. In the essay, I acknowledge the flaws in Orwell’s fieldworking process while arguing that The Road to Wigan Pier should be labeled as an experimental ethnographic study. What readers consider flaws are in fact Orwell’s early attempts in experimenting and refining his fieldworking process, a process influenced by his work as a novelist. As a novelist and ethnographer, Orwell creates an intriguing vehicle for social change, for his vivid descriptions capture readers’ interest while the text calls attention to the working class’s living conditions.

Keywords:

• George Orwell
• The Road to Wigan Pier
• ethnography
• experimental nonfiction
• fieldworking
• ethnographic study