Biography
Eileen O’Shaughnessy, by all accounts, was an attractive, talented, personable woman who married Eric Blair AKA George Orwell, and then disappeared into a world of editing, advising, goat tending, egg collecting, furnace and toilet fixing, etc, etc Eric Blair, according to all reports had none of Eileen’s attributes, save the talent that wrote 1984 and other masterpieces, and he knew he needed help, His many biographers said that he knew he needed an editor, a typist, a maid, and handyman but couldn’t pay for any of those. He knew he must marry them and get it all for free.
“Behind every successful man is an invisible woman” would be Anna Funder’s take on an old message. When I was a girl it was meant to give females a bone, some acknowledgment of their contributions. Funder shows us that the cost was invisibility.
Wifedom is a well-researched biography about an interesting woman who might have had the world, even in a time when that was not available to women. How did it come to be that no one has heard of her?
Anna Funder’s book is laced with short essays about the world of invisible women but also about herself. She makes it clear that like most literature, biographies can be as much about the author as the subject. After reading all 7 Orwell biographies, all written by men, all of which collude in Eileen’s invisibility she informs that they erased her by using the passive mode. Things just ‘happened’ in Orwell’s life with no mention of the women who cared for him, literally did his dirty work and perhaps most importantly opened the doors he needed to be opened, Eileen being just one of many, but the most active. The 7 biographers hid his misogyny while talking about other flaws.
This book is not a bashing men or even bashing Orwell, screed. The personal essays are important in this book as Funder illustrates this millennia-old reality while showing that even with the improvements, changing the patriarchal system is so difficult. She acknowledges that she is a woman of privilege, and makes no bones about it. She tells us that she and her husband have worked hard to have their marriage be equal in the house and the raising of their three children, but that it just didn’t work out, certainly not her husband’s fault although he benefits. One poignant vignette was about her only son. At 9 he watched Christine Blasey Ford testify at Brett Cavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination hearings. He looked sad and worried, “How long has this been happening?” Misunderstanding she stated, “a few weeks” “No, how long have men been doing this to women?” She stopped to explain to her wonderful son that he did not have to do this, that his father and most men did not”. However, she tells us that a lot is standing in the way of equality no matter how hard women and men try. Orwell didn’t even try.
I was planning on taking my time reading this. I found Wifedom because I had just read Julia, which is a new take on 1984 with Julia, Winston Smith’s love object, as the protagonist. I had read 1984 in the 9th grade and felt I should reread it 60 years later before indulging in Julia and then found Wifedom. The book is structured so that one could read a few pages and then put it down to contemplate or to clean the kitchen. I planned on doing that. However, I read all 400 pages in a day and a half and still got the kitchen cleaned. It is mesmerizing. It convinced me that while I have read none of the Orwell biographies I learned more about him here than I could have from any of them. While Funder did not say this, I see that George Orwell himself is the prototype for Winston Smith.
I would recommend for those who want more also read Julia. I have long been a fan of books telling well-known stories from the viewpoint of other characters. I first read 1984 in the 9th grade, some 60 years ago. I reread it first and in the process stumbled on Wifedom which explains a lot of what happens the 1984. Here follows a review of Julia, with reference to 1984, for those who want to learn more about the mind and life that created this iconic novel. You will also find other renditions of “invisible women” on this blog. Unfortunately, there are too many of them, however, learning their stories and their courage to overcome is both enlightening and in some way heartening.
This author suggests, with evidence, that Eileen wrote Animal Farm as the format and other important aspects were her ideas and she may have actually written a lot of it. She certainly edited all of his works as she typed them. Thus, you might want to add this important novella to your reading list to more deeply understand the dynamics of the relationship between Eileen and Eric Blair AKA George Orwell.
STUDY QUESTIONS
These questions are generally for book clubs, however, can be used for contemplation or talking to a friend. Spoiler Alert: These questions are designed for people who have read the entire book. If surprises matter, do not read these now.
1. While working separately, 7 different Orwell biographers managed to keep Eileen invisible by using passive tense (things just seem to have happened to Orwell), and by using the term ‘wife’ while never using her name and other methods she was invisible.
- These men did not collude to do this. However, what were the forces that led to this phenomenon?
- Carl Jung often spoke of his concept of “Collective Unconscious”. Is there a “Collective Unconscious of Patriarchy”? If so is it held just by men or by everyone?
2.From the day Eileen met Orwell some friends were concerned without even knowing how it would end. As you read were you thinking of how you might have helped? Do you think her friends did as much as they could or could there have been more
3. We learned a little about her pre-Orwell life. How much of this do you believe was a tragic fatal flaw or was it mostly patriarchal society? How do these things intersect in her life?
4. Do you think that her friends knew the actual danger she was in at the end and felt helpless or just didn’t think it possible?
If you have other questions you want to ask/discuss please share them here with other readers. You can do this under responses