Orwell uses anecdotes, self-contained stories a narrator usually has firsthand knowledge of, in “Such, Such Were the Joys.” Nearly the entire essay is composed of such moments related to the experience of his own younger self. By describing his direct experience of his time in a <a data-internal-link data-link-type="Index of Terms" href="https://www.supersummary.com/such-such-were-the-joys/index-of-terms/#578132">preparatory school</a>, Orwell affords his essay a sympathetic quality, enhancing the persuasiveness of his overall argument.

Anecdote

The <a data-internal-link data-link-type="Literary Device" href="https://www.supersummary.com/point-of-view/">point of view</a> of Orwell’s essay vacillates between that of the younger Orwell (the main character of the anecdotes) and that of the older Orwell (the narrator or commentator of the essay). By utilizing the direct point of view of a child experiencing the abuse and manipulation of the <a data-internal-link data-link-type="Index of Terms" href="https://www.supersummary.com/such-such-were-the-joys/index-of-terms/#578132">preparatory school</a> system, Orwell underlines the emotional toll the system has on students. By switching to the <a data-internal-link data-link-type="Literary Device" href="https://www.supersummary.com/voice/">voice</a> of his older “narrator” self, Orwell is able to lend an authoritative commentary to the trials the younger Orwell undergoes.

Point of View

The <a data-internal-link data-link-type="Literary Device" href="https://www.supersummary.com/tone/">tone</a> Orwell uses is important, as it situates the events the essay explores within their proper <a data-internal-link data-link-type="Literary Device" href="https://www.supersummary.com/context/">context</a>. The author incorporates elements of wry humor into the text.

Tone

Irony

Life & Time

Childhood & Youth

Society

Class

Social Issues

Humanities

Education

Emotions & Behavior

Memory

George Orwell

Adult

Essay / Speech

Nonfiction

Guide

Study Guide

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Overview

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Such, Such Were the Joys Summary and Study Guide

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Index of Terms

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Literary Devices

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Essay Topics

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Such, Such Were the Joys

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