Abstract

This article examines George Orwell’s drive to elevate political writing into art while critiquing his evident biases in literary judgment. Drawing on biographical evidence and comparative readings of Italian, German, Russian and Georgian literature, the author questions Orwell’s claim that totalitarianism extinguishes literary life. Through case studies – Spartacus, Soviet‑era Georgian works and other contested masterpieces – the research argues that literature persisted and even flourished under repression, with authors maintaining inner freedom. The study frames truth as both “shackles and wings,” reassesses Orwell’s maximalist stances, and contends that his failure to recognise resilient literary voices limits his critical legacy.