Coming Up for Air
George Orwell
Contains spoilers for the entire book.
Discussion topics
Topic 01 of 08
George Bowling
What kind of man is George Bowling, insurance salesman, at the start?
Keep the conversation going
- What does his new set of false teeth make him feel?
- How does he see his life and marriage?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.
Discussion topics
What kind of man is George Bowling, insurance salesman, at the start?
Keep the conversation going
- What does his new set of false teeth make him feel?
- How does he see his life and marriage?
What does the town of his childhood mean to George?
Keep the conversation going
- Which of his memories did you find most vivid?
- Why does fishing matter so much to him?
How did the First World War change George, and the England he knew?
Keep the conversation going
- What did the war give him that peace didn't?
- How does he see the coming war?
How fair is George to Hilda and her endless worries about money?
Keep the conversation going
- What has their marriage become?
- Does Orwell give Hilda a fair hearing?
What does George's secret winnings let him imagine?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does he decide to spend it on going back?
- What is he really looking for?
What does George find when he returns to Lower Binfield?
Keep the conversation going
- How did you feel about what happened to the pool with the big carp?
- What did you make of his meeting with Elsie?
What is George afraid of when he thinks about the future?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of the anti-fascist meeting he attends?
- How do his fears look from today?
How did you feel about the bomb dropped on Lower Binfield, and George's return home?
Keep the conversation going
- What does he learn from his trip?
- Is the ending comic, bleak, or both?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.