ABSTRACT
Many commentators have described Orwell as quintessentially English,1 and there is no doubt that his patriotism was an important, perhaps even a defining, characteristic of the man if not always the writer. It is equally clear that, whatever the shortcomings of his own childhood, he considered family life to be of great consequence, not only for the individuals concerned but also more broadly for the polity. It is also clear that in Orwell’s mind family and general cultural values were mutually supportive. This chapter will be concerned with Orwell’s writings on these subjects, and on their interrelationship.
