Orwell by Susan Griffin states that the historical impulse is the "desire to see things as they are, to discover true facts and preserve them for the use of posterity." If I had to add something to this definition, I would also say that the historical impulse is a need to disseminate the truth. An author writes to produce new information, to present readers with the facts as the writer sees them. The historical impulse is the desire to be described as an honest writer and for readers to take something away from what has been written. Fiction is also based on truth in one form or another and readers definitely turn away from fiction. For example, morals form an important part of narrative, and morals could be defined as universal truths. Susan Griffin's “Our Secret” connects well to both Orwell's original definition of historical impulse and this expanded definition. The majority of Griffin's essay focuses on Heinrich Himmler and his childhood. It appears that Griffin is presenting evidence for why Himmler chose the life path he did. It also seems that Griffin presents only the facts of Heinrich Himmler's life; he doesn't give much of his opinion. For this reason one could easily say that he writes with the "desire to see things as they are". Despite this, however, Griffin may be looking for something to justify Himmler's actions. This fits Orwell's expanded definition of the historical impulse. While whatever portrait Griffin paints may not be correct, she