George Orwell Matters! discussion

Feeling the Winter blues? Well this essay by George Orwell might cheer you, with thoughts of Spring (if you're in the Northern hemisphere at least!) Here we will discuss Some Thoughts on the Common Toad, which is our group essay read during March.

Some Thoughts on the Common Toad was first published in "Tribune, on 12th April 1946. If it is not in your collection, you can read it online here:

https://www.orwellfoundation.com/?s=s...

Some Thoughts on the Common Toad made me smile, with its thoughts about Spring. How are you enjoying it?

"Some Thoughts on the Common Toad" expresses Orwell's delight with the coming of spring. The hibernating common toad emerges from a hole in the ground, and heads for the nearest source of water. Soon it's mating season for the toads, and the water is later swarming with tadpoles.

The essay was written in 1946--the first spring after years of war. The miracle of new life in the springtime was even more appreciated in that context. Orwell goes on to notice that enjoyment of spring is free. Birds, the blue sky, and some foliage can be found by anyone, even in the city. In an industrial age when machines are supposed to be admired, he gets more pleasure from his love of nature.

"I think that by retaining one's childhood love of such things as trees, fishes, butterflies and--to turn to my first instance--toads, one makes a peaceful and decent future a little more probable, and that by preaching the doctrine that nothing is to be admired except steel and concrete, one merely makes it a little surer that human beings will have no outlet for their surplus energy except in hatred and leader worship."

This uplifting essay brought back memories of when our daughters were young. We brought back a few frogs eggs from a lake, and watched them change into little tadpoles. I rarely see toads, but there is a little stream in my neighborhood so we always hear a chorus of frogs in the spring. I agree with Orwell that we should never lose our childhood fascination and love of the natural world.

Lovely! Thanks for adding your personal response too, Connie :)

What I often notice about these essays is that although they feel very specific to their time (1946 in this case) they are equally applicable to today. George Orwell may begin by writing about toads (and what a surprise to those who think he only wrote dystopian fiction!) but he quickly broadens it out to be a paeon to the Spring, and a reminder not to be sucked into city life and industrialisation completely. It may be differently expressed from the Romantic posts eulogising about primroses and daffodils, but essentially it's the same thought, applied to a mechanised age.

This was a good choice for an essay to be read in March when we're hoping for spring weather, Jean.

That's what I thought, and we have snowdrops out and daffs just showing colour in the garden - but it's cold!

And I have to apologise to the Antipodeans, who have to use their imaginations a bit more.

It's still cold here but there are a few signs of spring. This morning I heard a cardinal singing, and a very few brave green shoots are appearing in my front flowerbed.
I love toads-so I found this essay delightful. We don't see any in our neighbourhood since it's not near water, so to see one is a treat-which I did last summer near the boardwalk on one of the Toronto islands.

An appreciation of nature adds to the enjoyment of life-no matter where you live.
I get excited whenever I see an animal in nature-like the moose I saw crossing a river from a tour bus. Everyone on the bus was an animal spotter-it was so much fun.

Toads are wonderful animals and tell people so much about nature. We can thank George Orwell about this wonder essay on these animals. I did read the essay.

Spring is coming here soon, it is early March, but we still have chilly mornings. The toads are such quiet animals, don't like to be disturbed. I really can't blame them. People are so unkind to them, especially little boys. They like to keep to themselves, to be themselves.

I'm glad you enjoyed it Josephine :)

Has anyone else read this one yet?

I have as well. It was a fun little read.

I truly enjoyed this essay. It's a perfect Spring tribute, while making some scathing comments on Society (which may be more pertinent today than in Orwell's day).

I loved how he loved Nature and the simple, true, natural way of the World. His view that one should just enjoy the World around one, no matter where one lives, is refreshing, engaging and friendly. If we all enjoyed the naturalness around us, we would be happier overall.
I found this outlook rather uplifting.

I laughed at the comment about the toads occasionally sleeping the year away. How many of us would love a long sleep-in, but Life gets us out of bed? A toad occasionally just sleeps in....because he wants to. LOL.

When Orwell describes the skinny, Spring toad having large, warm, precious eyes, I was reminded that the eyes are the window to the soul....and that includes all living things, including toads.

I also liked that toads are so engaged in their new awakening that they loved to cling to anything for companionship. Does this mean that the toad, in his wintery sleep, is lonely in some way? If so, it's doubly cheerful that a toad finds companionship and comfort in anything; embracing the World for just being there.

"The point is that the pleasures of spring are available to everybody, and cost nothing" --- how true! Seeing the beauty emerging costs nothing and is so often not seen.

".....vivid green of an elder sprouting on a blitzed site." -- War leaves behind horrible reminders.....but even in them, there can be beauty and regrowth.

The paragraph where Orwell states that the past few Winters, during the War, have made it difficult to believe that Spring will ever arrive again, were poignant. The difficulties of the War were so aptly stated in just a couple of sentences. Orwell could really get to the heart of an issue.

When Orwell wrote about being content in what one has has and not be discontented because of what one doesn't have, I had to nod. Keeping up with the Joneses has led to many unhappy people.

The age of machinery and technology still exists today, perhaps more so than in Orwell's days. If one doesn't keep up, one is left behind. If one does keep up, does one lose the Nature in Life? Does Nature need to be left behind, unnoticed and forgotten in order to move forward (with technology)?

"....and by preaching the doctrine that nothing is to be admired except steel and concrete, one merely makes it a little surer that human beings will have no outlet for their surplus energy except in hatred and leader worship." --- horrible thought....and perhaps truer today than in Orwell's day.

This is an essay that endorses and pleas for us to go back to our roots, to Nature, to the simpler, more natural ways of the World and to enjoy all this world has to offer.

This was a delightful and joyful essay. Thanks, Jean, for choosing it.

Your review on the common toad is excellent. I enjoyed reading it. Mr Orwell was such a good writer and loved nature and natural things so much as his writing tells readers. Thank you for this review.

Lovely thoughts on the essay, Petra! Unfortunately, we have snow predicted for tomorrow. The only one that's happy is my grandson who loves to ski! Oh well, spring will be here in another month.

Thank you, Josephine and Connie.

Our climate is similar to England's. Our Spring is unsettled, wet, sunny, freezing, mild.....you name it, we get it at some point. Orwell makes England sound sunnier and drier than us in this essay. He's put a cheery spin on the season.
I find the essay uplifting and positive in it's outlook to enjoying Life.

I loved reading your post Petra - you've found so much in this short essay, and I agree, it really has lots to say (and packs a punch :)) There are always hidden depth in the most innocuous seeming essay by George Orwell, aren't there?

When I chose it, I hoped it would match the season, and it truly has here. We now have daffodils in flower in our garden :) I think George Orwell might also have been a little sad though, that ours is the only house in our Close (except the end) which still has a front garden. The rest are all paved over for cars.

Of course the residents may then drive in their cars to find a little bit of Nature ...

Thank you, Jean. Orwell really does manage to put a lot of ideas in very few words. I really enjoyed this essay.

Orwell would find Spring in your neighbourhood, Jean. I'm sure of it. His idea of seeing the growth in all areas would have him rejoicing in dandelions between the cracks of the pavement. :D

We had snow last night and everything was so beautiful and white, especially the trees. Today it's bitterly cold.
Earlier in the week a male cardinal was singing his heart out at the top of a tree across the street. He was clearly visible since the trees are still bare. Cardinals have a very distinctive and loud song.

That's beautiful, Rosemarie!

And you are right, Petra :) Plus we are lucky in being able to walk to an ancient oak forest within a few minutes. But I'm always sad when Nature is eaten away bit by bit.

So am I, Jean. And so was Orwell, I think: "preaching the doctrine that nothing is to be admired except steel and concrete". This sounds like a sad comment from him. He's shaking his head in disappointment at the destruction of Nature.

Rosemarie, Orwell would love your observation of the cardinal. That cardinal is your toad. :D
I love that story. Thank you for sharing it.

The snow and cold will leave soon. Winter is having it's last kick in your neighbourhood.

Petra wrote: "Rosemarie, ... That cardinal is your toad. :D"

Yes! :D

So true! Cardinals are my favourite birds. My daughter, who lives in a different part of Toronto, also has a cardinal in her neighbourhood.

We have a cardinal pair. We’ve had them for years. You never see one without the other. - )

I've seen the female occasionally, but she's shy.

Indeed, and much harder to recognize when quickly glancing. She blends in with the foliage. While he’s the most prominent of all in my neighborhood.

Who else has read this lovely essay? What are your thoughts?

I liked the last line the best: “The atom bombs are piling up in the factories...” How appropriate for today. I find Orwell slightly dated, and maybe trying a little too hard, but also depressingly relevant. So little has changed in 80 years. We have to tear ourselves away from the screens if we want to see anything at all. (And I’m not really interested in toad sex.)

I really enjoyed this essay and have really enjoyed reading the comments, too.

A wonderful creature for Orwell to have chosen as a symbol of spring's regeneration and rebirthing of colour and life into world after the bleakness of winter.

Fascinating how we learn toads sometimes just continue to sleep through the seasons!

As a year-round motorcyclist I adored the onset of Spring and all that it signalled farewell to: Frozen hands, frozen roads, frozen toes, black ice, fogged up helmet visor and triple sometimes quadruple layers of clothing, Leaden skies, horizontal freezing rain, De-icer for cars, night-time in the afternoon - ad inf.

The first signs of change while riding to work in the morning were fingers with feeling and a clear not steamed up visor. I must've been almost as aware of the few degrees change in temperature as the toads.

The trees coming into leaf, flowers sprouting, clouds parting to show that precious blue were all wonderful to behold while riding on my motorcycle, but the absolute clarification that spring was in full sway was when the flies started splattering on my visor.

I really dislike the duration of the winter in the UK.

Interesting part about people who live in the town's and cities are only able to appreciate nature as they don't live in the countryside and have no part in the daily aspects of the life. I agree with Orwell. It isn't true, I am a tree surgeon who either prunes or removes trees and stumps daily and yet I adore trees. I always marvel at trees, and deciduous species are perfect indicators for the changing of seasons. Just now in Melbourne the weather is cooling off, it's the first month of Autumn with temperatures in the mid/late 20C. The Plane trees are jettisoning their leaves, as are the Robinias and Silver Birches, which makes me feel sad; there is something so beautiful about a tree in full bloom.

Still difficult to get used to the upsidedown seasons here, though.


I hope all of the Northern Hemisphere members of the group are enjoying their Springtime. I hope, like Orwell says in the essay, that it seeps it's warmth and colours into everything, and cheers you all up in these somewhat bleak times.

I took a walk Friday: a familiar route: one I had driven a thousand times, but never walked before. It was a brilliant day, for early March. I saw a lot. Mostly daffodils and crocuses, I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t been on foot. Besides, you can linger whenever you come upon a pleasing scene. It clears the head: enjoying the out of doors. Thank god people still plant flowers!

Agreed, Mark - Hear! Hear! for flowers!

Tom wrote: "the absolute clarification that spring was in full sway was when the flies started splattering on my visor ..."

This made me laugh so much! I think you've taken it a step further than George Orwell there Tom! He knew that toads would not appeal to everyone's hopeful sense of Spring approaching. But yes, so true!

Mark wrote: "I liked the last line the best: “The atom bombs are piling up in the factories...” How appropriate for today. I find Orwell slightly dated, and maybe trying a little too hard, but also depressingly..."

I know what you mean about George Orwell feeling dated, and I'm sure that thought will spring to mind with our next read beginning tomorrow. But so often I think there's an inner truth, and his examples serve as powerful metaphors.

Tom wrote: "Agreed, Mark - Hear! Hear! for flowers!"
Thank you, Tom. - )
I worry that flower beds will become a thing of the past. Especially planting bulbs. I don’t have much confidence in the next generation.

Children here sometimes plant bulbs in the local area, in grass verges and so on, as part of a school project (in agreement with the local council of course!) So that should foster a little interest.

That’s good! Thank you, Jean!
You brightened up my day! - )

So do their crocuses and daffodils :)

I like the crocuses! They’ve got some fancy colors! - )