A Clergyman's Daughter
A Clergyman's Daughter is George Orwell’s second novel, published in 1935. It follows Dorothy Hare, the daughter of a small-town Anglican clergyman. Her life changes after she suffers a sudden memory loss following a tense encounter with a disreputable local man. Dorothy then experiences life on the road as a temporary vagrant, works in a hop-picking team in Kent, and ends up living in a cheap London hotel for working girls.
Eventually Dorothy is found and given a job as a schoolteacher at a small private girls’ academy run by Mrs Creevy. She tries to bring a more liberal and imaginative approach to her classroom, but she clashes with the parents and the school’s money-minded priorities. After she is dismissed, Mr Warburton — the man who had tried to pressure her before — reappears to offer marriage. Dorothy refuses him, partly because she has lost her faith and feels that life as a clergyman’s daughter would not bring real freedom. She returns to her old life with her father, but the experience has left her aware of the social pressures around her.
The novel is known for its experimental style, including a long scene in Trafalgar Square told mostly through dramatic dialogue. Orwell did not want the book reprinted during his lifetime, though after his death cheap editions were published to raise money for his heirs. The book also offers sharp social critique: it looks at low wages and harsh working conditions for hop-pickers, and it attacks the private school system’s focus on money over learning. It raises questions about religion and faith in a modern, money-driven society. Some readers see echoes of themes Orwell later develops more fully in his writing, including in 1984.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:21 (CET).