striking fact about Orwell, a tribute to his ‘power of facing’, is that he never underwent a Stalinoid phase, never had to be cured or purged by sudden ‘disillusionment’. It is also true that he was somewhat impatient with those who pleaded their original illusions as excuses for later naiveté. This — with its potential hint of superiority — is certainly part of the reason for the intense dislike he aroused then and arouses still.
