The New Penguin English Dictionary describes the aspidistra as 'an Asiatic plant of the lily family with large leaves, often grown as a house plant.'
In George Orwell's 1936 novel it is the hated plant of the middle class who use it to spruce up their houses and apartments. The loathed aspidistra plant follows the main character, Gordon Comstock, sometime bookseller and copywriter, right through the novel.
After spending most of the novel in revolt against the middle class values the aspidistra signifies, Gordon Comstock eventually gives in. Defeated by the aspidistra and its middle class values, he buys one in an attempt at 'making good.'
Gordon Comstock’s War Against Money
Much of the novel describes Orwell's days of slumming it, or as the main character Gordon Comstock maintains, his war against money. Determined to turn his back on all the trashy middle class trappings of money (above all the aspidistra plant), Gordon gives up his job as a copywriter (no longer will he write jingles and poems promoting commercial items that no one really needs) and takes up as an assistant in a bookshop.
He soon descends into a mean subsistence. This suits him fine, as his real calling is that of a poet. He has had one volume of poetry published, titled 'Mice'.
It is here that Keep the Aspidistra Flying brilliantly describes all the hopes and dreams of the aspiring writer, plus all the insecurities. When Gordon Comstock’s poems come back rejected, Orwell describes Gordon's feeling ashamed of even having written them in the first place. His attitude towards himself as a writer goes up and down like a yo-yo. One moment he is full of hope, the next he is full of despair. When his only collection of poetry, Mice, hits the remainder tables, Gordon feels completely worthless as an artist, more of an imposter.
The main character’s self-loathing leads into all sorts of dire situations. When Gordon comes by a 10 pound cheque he determines to take his sometime publisher Ralveston and his girlfriend Rosemary out for a night on the town. His guests are completely embarrassed though when he insists on paying for everything. The night goes from bad to worse. Gordon gets rotten drunk and assaults a policeman. It gets into the papers. He then loses his job.
After hitting rock bottom, his pitying friend Ralveston gets him a job in an antique book shop, but for lesser pay. The appropriately named Mr Cheesman couldn't care less about antique books and opens up a sideline lending library which specialises in trashy sex and violence novels. Gordon is relegated to running this new business, and soon loves having sunk so low, relishing the trash he sells with all the gusto of a snob.
Depressing 1930s England Mixed with Orwell’s Humour
Much of the detail of Keep the Aspidistra Flying comes across as pretty depressing in description. It is about slumming it in 1930s England, about descending the to the depths of miserable poverty. Yet it is also highly amusing - and sometimes outright funny. The description of the trashy lending library and its customers is fabulous. One tough old woman wants murder novels, and seems to have read all the available ones. Mr Cheeseman, who cares not a jot for literature, is described as a sexually cold prostitute appraising her customers.
Anyone who has ever aspired to write will find much to enjoy in this novel. The descriptions of feeling guilty at not writing anything, and how easy it is to put off writing for another day, will strike a cord with most conscientious writers.
It’s Not Nineteen Eighty-Four, But Still Highly Enjoyable
In the end Gordon's war on money fails. It just can't be. Money is needed to live. When his poorly treated girlfriend Rosemary falls pregnant he decides to get married and go back to copywriting. It's the only decent thing to do.
As can be expected, this is a pretty slight novel. It's no Nineteen Eighty-Four. Nevertheless, it’s a highly enjoyable read. Gordon Comstock’s concerns and preoccupations remain true for today: his wanting to give up a well paid job in order to write, and the awful paradox of feeling in someway a failure when successfully published.
First published by Victor Gollancz, 1936. ISBN 0-15-646899-9
Chris Saliba - Chris Saliba is a freelance writer. Read more of his workplace articles at chrissalibafreelancewriter.blogspot.com
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