The Sporting Spirit-2

The Sporting Spirit: Essay Analysis
Background:
Following the end of World War Two in September of 1945, the Dynamo football (soccer) club
arranged to come to England in an attempt to improve anglo-soviet relations through sport. Orwell
wrote the essay The Sporting Spirit for the Tribune at the end of December following
theconclusion of the Dynamo tour. Orwell wrote the essay in order to display his thoughts and
disagreement with the effectiveness of the tour.
Target Audience:
Orwell’s target audience for this essay would firstly include all those involved in sport; players,
coaches, fans, etc.
This essay says to them “look what sport actually does for the world, do you actually want this?”
To the British government or any government at all, the essay serves as a warning that sport isn’t
a way to fix diplomatic relations, and that it may have the reverse effect than what it was intended
for.
The essay is targeted to society, whether that be British society, society in general, or both; to see
that the world has become so absorbed with conflict and hate that even sport, a supposed source
of “good” and “fun”, is now another way for sides to wage war and for conflict to arise.
The article was published in the Tribune in December of 1945, and was intended to expose the
true effect of the visit from the Russian Dynamo team on the politics of the time
Thesis:
“Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness,
disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence: in other words it is war minus
the shooting.”
The above quote best exemplifies the thesis that is prevalent throughout the essay
Orwell dislikes the institution of sport and is trying to prove that sport has more negative
implications than good
Orwell highlights the impact of sport on relations between both different countries as well as
between people in general
Orwell intends to expose the behaviours of anyone who partakes in sport as well as those who
take pleasure in watching them
Tone:
The essay is written in a mainly cynical tone
Orwell is cynical towards the impact of sport on society, citing “friendly” football matches played
between club teams from the Soviet Union and Great Britain in the 1940’s as an example that
sport is effective in creating or intensifying tension between two sides, (Example Brits and
Soviets.)
Sees this pattern as ironic, considering he heard everyone “saying that sport creates goodwill
between the nations, and that if only the common peoples of the world could meet one another at
football or cricket, they would have no inclination to meet on the battlefield.”
He saw this ideology as the complete opposite of the true results of sport.
In a sense, Orwell is also using this cynical tone towards society as a whole; that people could let
sport, something meant to be used for “good”, instead be a basis or spark for conflict.
Structure:
Author introduces ideas in first paragraph but does not elaborate to the next one
 Uses many commas to connect ideas however it comes across as a rant
 Orwell rarely uses the word “and” mostly just uses commas to connect ideas
 Spells out his though processes “Not quite everyone, however. I noted…”
1
 Poses many questions, allows the reader to consider his view
 States right out his views on sports and the behaviour of spectators “in other words it’s
war minus the shooting.”
Diction:
Uses words with a very negative connotation so to push his opinion of nationalism and sports
With the use that provokes thoughts of violence such as savage passions, violently combative
Use of “sadistic” implies that the pleasure people get from watching sports is similar to that of a
disturbed person
Uses diction to compare war and sport “violently combative, physical brutality, savage
combative instincts.”
In using words such as “uncontrollable riot, simply a free-for-all, and body-line bowling” Orwell
portrays sport as a unorganized and without order further diminishing the integrity of sport
Overall a very negative use of diction and even some of the word choices may come across as
mocking the institution of sport
Literary/Rhetorical Devices:
Citing authority: “Even the newspapers have been unable to conceal the fact that at least two of
the four matches led to much bad feeling.”
Orwell is stating that if the newspapers cannot spin the matches in a light that makes it seem like
they were beneficial, it speaks to the severity of the effect of the sports
When Orwell refers to the newspaper he also takes a shot at the papers and the government
themselves implying that the government and the papers are usually able to use propaganda to
their advantage, however Orwell seems to think that any educated person would be able to see the
flaws in the tour
Rhetorical Questions: “Was it really an all-England team, as claimed by the Russians, or merely
a league team, as claimed by the British? And did the Dynamos end their tour abruptly in order to
avoid playing an all-England team? ”
The use of rhetorical questions allows the reader to think about the tour and perhaps become more
open-minded about the point that Orwell will make
If Orwell allows his readers to consider that sport causes more harm than good themselves it and
come to their own conclusions it makes them more impressionable to his view
Metaphor: “in other words it is war minus the shooting”
Orwell draws a comparison between sports and wars throughout the whole essay
He describes that sport it filled with the same violence that is present in war but also has the same
political implications
This comparison is effective in portraying Orwell’s point he uses it to further expose the
behaviours of all who partake in and watch sport
Content:
Overall Orwell does not detest sport itself, but what sport makes of men
He dislikes the idea that the outcome of a sporting event can have an impact on politics and
national pride
Views sport between nations to be no different than war because of the implications it has on the
dynamic of nations
 As a group we disagree with his view of sports, although it does create animosity it is in
no way on the same level as war, war has negative motives behind it whereas sport
whatever the outcomes, the motives are inherently positive

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The Sporting Spirit: Essay Analysis

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