- Orwell was born on June 25, 1903 in British India. In 1922, he went to Burma (now Myanmar) to join the Indian Imperial Police. Eventually turned off by witnessing the oppression the Burmese endured under British imperialism, Orwell left for England in 1927. His experience in Burma inspired some of his first works: the essays "A Hanging" (1931) and "Shooting an Elephant" (1936), and the novel "Burmese Days" (1934).
- From 1928 to 1936, Blair lived in Paris, then London, working and struggling as a freelance writer. It was during this time that he adopted the pen name "George Orwell" to conceal his identity and his life of squalor. The penury he saw and experienced inspired him to write about class conflict, empathize with the poverty-stricken and advocate for socialism. For instance, "Keep The Aspidistra Flying" (1936) condemns the obsession with social class and wealth, and "Down and Out in Paris and London" (1933) and "Road to Wigan Pier" (1937) chronicled his experiences in the underbellies of the two cities he lived in.
- When civil broke out in Spain in 1936, Orwell joined the conflict, fighting against the Nationalist front led by Francisco Franco (1892-1975), and even sustaining a near-fatal gunshot in the throat. His novel "Homage to Catalonia" (1938) chronicles his war experience.
- After his recuperation, Orwell resumed his freelancing---building his profile by writing for some of the most reputable publications in England and the U.S., and doing broadcasting work during the World War II years (1941 to 1945) in denouncement of British imperialism.
It was during this time he began to work on "Animal Farm," which was published in 1945. Originally having trouble with publishers objecting to the anti-Stalinist allegory dressed as a beast fable, "Animal Farm" was nevertheless a resounding success when released. Orwell followed it up with "Nineteen Eighty-Four" (1949), a dystopian novel about the apprehension of intrusive bureaucracy becoming the major characteristic of governments in the future. Released in a weary post-war climate, these novels finally brought Orwell the fame that had largely eluded him in his career. - Orwell was in ill health in the last three years of his life. He succumbed to tuberculosis in London on January 21, 1950 at the age of 46.
- Orwell's "Animal Farm" and "Ninety Eighty-Four" are today recognized as classic satires attacking authoritarianism. A four-volume collection of his works beyond his novels, "Collected Essays, Journalism, and Letters of George Orwell," was published in 1968, 18 years after his death.
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