After reading both essays entitled "Why I Write," by George Orwell and Joan Diddion, I immediately noticed three main resemblances between the authors: They both share the uncontrollable passion and drive that it takes to become a successful writer, they use writing as some form of therapy and/or self-understanding, and they see writing as a selfish, almost hostile act. Throughout each of the essays, there are many passages that demonstrate these similarities.
             From the beginning, George Orwell is very straightforward in his assessment of why he writes. In the opening paragraph he states, "From a very early age, perhaps the age of five or six, I knew that when I grew up I should be a writer. Between the ages of seventeen and twenty-four I tried to abandon this idea, but did so with consciousness that I was outraging my true nature and that sooner or later I should have to settle down and write books."(p.90) It is clear that Orwell's forewarning of his future was present even in early childhood. He tried to deny the fact that he was meant to write, even though in the back of his head he knew it was inevitable.
             Joan Diddion is also very clear on her reasons for writing. Near the beginning of her essay, she explains how writing came to her naturally; an undeniable passion. "I would try to contemplate the Hegelian dialect and would find myself concentrating instead on the flowering pear tree outside my window, and the particular way the petals fell on my floor." (p.224) A few paragraphs later she writes, "All I knew was what I wasn't, and it took me some years to discover what I was. Which was a writer..."(p.225) Diddion emphasizes how she tends to capture the physical beauties of different objects, and then creates mental pictures with words.
             The authors also showed how they use writing as some form of therapy and/or way of finding out what they are thinking. Orwell stated,...