Revisiting George Orwell’s The Road To Wigan Pier

Unearthing the Persistent North-South Divide That Still Exists Nearly a Century Later

Photo by Matthew Waring on Unsplash

George Orwell’s The Road To Wigan Pier is a seminal piece of literature that serves as a timeless exploration of the socioeconomic disparities and working-class struggle in England. However, written in the 1930s, many wrongly discredit his work as historical despite the apparent evidence that many of the themes he highlighted still resonate strongly today. The north-south divide is a persistent issue that is still deeply misunderstood and overlooked in English politics and society. In this, I aim to analyse not only the contemporary relevance of Orwell’s observations but also the deprivation still faced by the North of England.

What Was The Road To The Wigan Pier?

Orwell’s The Road To Wigan Pier was published in 1937 and followed his exploration into Northern England, in particular the industrial and mining areas such as Wigan. He sought to document the hardships and living conditions faced by the Northern working class during the Great Depression.

Orwell’s shift to socialism and anti-totalitarianism during his life motivated his decision to highlight the social injustices happening in the industrialised North…