What is the theme in The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell?

Socialism and socialists are another theme. While Orwell, and others, felt that Socialism offered the clearest path from mass poverty, he also allowed that other solutions were possible. However, for Orwell the best solution was the application of Socialism. Although he curiously does not define rigorously Socialism in the text, it can be argued that as a commissioned work the book was intended to be read mainly by Socialists and hence such a definition would be spurious; Orwell's p. 171 definition of Socialism can be seen to be sufficient.