‘My Kind of Guy’: George Orwell and Dwight Macdonald,1941-49

Abstract

George Orwell (1903-50) and Dwight Macdonald (1906-82) were two of the most important political and social critics of their era. Although the analytical frameworks within which they operated varied significantly, they were ultimately supportive of and helped shape each other’s work. An examination of their correspondence from 1941 until Orwell’s death in 1950 demonstrates that, in spite of their conceptual differences, they were kindred spirits, as they discussed the second world war, the evils of Stalinism and capitalism, the atomic bomb, political hypocrisy and much more. The 32 extant letters in this correspondence help reveal the evolving political sensibilities of the two men at the peak of their analytical powers.