Keep the Aspidistra Flying

Based on the novel, what advice do you think Orwell would give to a struggling writer today? Support your answer with at least three examples from the novel.

In what ways does Keep the Aspidistra Flying reflect George Orwell’s own life? Describe and discuss one scene that seems to reflect something that actually happened to George Orwell.

How does the novel describe the middle-class culture of 1930s London? What are the characteristics of this middle-class culture, according to the novel?

Although the novel focuses on Gordon Comstock, women play a significant role in the book. Julia has supported Gordon all of her life, and Rosemary is the catalyst for Gordon abandoning his war on money. How does the novel reflect attitudes toward women at the time? How would you describe Gordon’s own treatment of women? Does Rosemary defy or break from stereotypes and expectations of women? Why or why not?

Write a scene where Julia or Rosemary react to something Gordon does or something that happens to Gordon in the novel. What would they say?

The aspidistra is the most important metaphor in the novel and recurs frequently. How does the metaphor of aspidistra add to the narrative? What does the metaphor say about Gordon Comstock and his relationship with the middle class and capitalism?

When Gordon changes his mind about his war on money, he notes of the middle class, “They had their standards, their inviolable points of honour. They ‘kept themselves respectable’—kept the aspidistra flying” (239). How do you interpret this passage? How does the idea of “keeping the aspidistra flying” fit into Orwell’s commentary about the English middle class?

Gordon Comstock is not an entirely sympathetic protagonist. How does this affect the narrative? Do you think it undermines or helps the novel’s social criticism? Why or why not?