not triumph but when it is still felt that man is nobler than the forces which destroy him." - Meaning and context.">
"Lear, Tolstoy and the Fool," Polemic (March 1947)

A tragic situation exists precisely when virtue does not triumph but when it is still felt that man is nobler than the forces which destroy him.

— George Orwell

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "A tragic situation exists precisely when virtue does not triumph but when it is still felt that man is nobler than the forces which destroy him." in the context of ""Lear, Tolstoy and the Fool," Polemic (March 1947)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "George Orwell" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 28, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
George Orwell

About George Orwell

George Orwell (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was the pen name of British novelist, essayist, and journalist Eric Arthur Blair, whose work is characterised by lucid prose, awareness of social injustice, opposition to totalitarianism, and strong support of democratic socialism.